Rain almost stops play

Mother Nature tried but couldn’t dampen the layday fun at the BVI Sailing Festival

Mother nature did her best to dampen the sailors fun today but it takes more than a couple hours of torrential rain to ruin a day on the water at the Bitter End Yacht Club.

Today, the official layday for the BVI Sailing Festival, every sailing dinghy and Hunter 216 that Bitter End has was out on the water participating in either the Nations’ Challenge Cup or dinghy racing. Competition began in the morning with about ten knots of breeze but was delayed due to some torrential showers in the early afternoon.

The weather cleared and, with very light and fluky wind, sailors took the boats around 4pm to compete in two more races.

A total of six teams, three from Great Britain, one each from the US, Canada and France, competed in the Hunter 216’s for the Nations’ Challenge Cup. With three races in the morning and two in the afternoon, the YoSteamyMan team, from Manchester, England and sailing the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival on Dark and Steamy were victorious with only eight points. They were followed by another English team, a group sailing on Mark IV, with 14 points. The real battle of the points was for third through fifth place. Scoring 19, 19.5 and 20 points respectively, Team Canada, a third British team, and Team USA enjoyed some very close competition.

Jake Jefferis took top honours in the Laser fleet finishing second in the mornings racing and first in the afternoon session. Alec Sched finished first in the Lasers before lunch and Jayce Huff was third. In the afternoon, Zane Yoder was second followed by Basiena.

The Hobie Wave fleet raced in the morning. Michael Heidweiller was first, Claire Knapman second and Joob Espresso was third.

“Dispite the rain, everyone had a great time. Mother nature threw us a curve ball but Bitter End is good at delivering great fun,” said the Bitter End Sales Manager, Erik Stacey. While the heavens opened up, the crowds enjoyed the restaurant and pub and Will Ferrell movies.

Tomorrow, the fleet of 45 boats will be racing back from the Bitter End Yacht Club to the Nanny Cay Marina, the event host, for the Nanny Cay Cup. Mount Gay sponsors a cocktail party late Thursday afternoon and there will be an evening of entertainment by Too Smooth. The weather for the main event, the three-day BVI Spring Regatta which begins on Friday, March 30, is not expect to be too hot with winds ranging from a low of 13 to a high of 21.