New Format & Dates For BVI Regatta

The organizers of the annual BVI Sailing Regatta & Sailing Festival hosted by Nanny Cay have announced changes to both the format and the dates for 2013.  First, the dates have been changed to March 25-31, so mark your calendars.

Second, the Festival program will now include a race around Tortola for the Nanny Cay Cup, a race to Norman Island with beach time planned at Pirates Bar in The Bight, and then a fun day on and off the water at Nanny Cay, followed by the traditional Mt. Gay Rum Welcome Party for the Regatta. 

More than 125 yachts are expected to compete, and there are two classes just for bareboat charters.  The regatta website has a long list of charter companies providing bareboats suitable for racing, but get your reservations in early!

And, if you can beat the 4hr 15min ‘round Tortola record for monohulls, you’ll win a jeroboam of champagne, dinner for 15 at Peg Legs Restaurant, and pretty cool bragging rights.

The regatta website is www.bvispringregatta.org  

Super Sunsail Caribbean Deals!

Sunsail has a great deal going for summer Caribbean charters, but the clock is ticking: if you book by February 29, you get 15% off on charters of 5-13 days or 25% off on charters of 14 days or more.  This special is for charters between June and September of 2012 at seven of their Caribbean bases: BVIs, St. Martin, St. Vincent, Antigua, Abacos, Belize and Grenada. 

And here’s an added zinger: if you’re a previous Sunsailor, you get another 5% off.

Choose from 15 different monohulls ranging from the Sunsail Oceanis 323 (2 cabins) up to the Sunsail 473 (4 cabins).  You can check out the details (new bookings only, 5-day minimum, U.S. and Canadian residents only, doesn’t include flights) and availability by clicking here or going to www.sunsail.com .

The CharterSavvy crew likes the islands in the summertime.  In the BVIs, for example, you don’t have the crowds of snowbirds escaping winter slush, and you don’t have to worry about the Christmas winds that can blow 30+ for days.  By June, the tradewinds have clocked around to the southeast at 10-15 knots.  The temperature is in the high 80s (that’s what generators, air conditioning and pina coladas are for!) and the water temp is also in the 80s, so it’s hard to tell which one you’re in (until you take a breath underwater!).