British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta overall

33RD ANNUAL BVI SPRING REGATTA WRAPS

One hundred and thirty two boats representing fifteen countries competed in the 33rd annual BVI Spring Regatta presented by Nanny Cay Marina and held April 2-4. Sixty boats entered the second annual BVI Sailing Festival, the low-pressure, three-day warm up for the regatta.

Although light winds were seen throughout the two events which span a week and started on March 31st, a lot of racing and good times were had in the BVI.

During what became a two-day regatta, the race committee squeezed in seven races for the Cooper Area participants, four races for the Norman Area racers, eleven for the beach cats and twelve for the IC-24s. Until they eventually died for the last day, winds hovered around the 8-12 knot range for the regatta.

"There was no point making them suffer on the water," said Bob Phillips BVI Spring Regatta chairman discussing the last day's cancellation. "We've had a phenomenal number of races over the last two days - almost double that of many other major regattas held over a three-day period. It's obviously disappointing to have a no-wind final day but when you include the Sailing Festival as well we've squeezed a lot into a short space of time."

In class A Tom Hill's Titan XXII (1,2,1,1,1,1,2) exacted retribution for its fourth to Pyewacket's (3,1,2,2,2,2,1) third in St Maarten's Heineken Regatta. She racked up five bullets and two second places to best Roy E. Disney's 68-foot Pyewacket by four points.

Titan's owner Tom Hill is joined by Alinghian and top Caribbean sailing export Peter Holmberg as tactician this season. He recently added Alinghi team-mates Richard Bouzaid and Josh Belksy to main trim and pit respectively; a decision made after Titan's performance at Key West Race Week showed that the race programme for the new Reichel Pugh-designed 75-footer needed to go up a level.

"We've also learned the boat a little more since St Maarten and benefited from the lighter airs in the BVI," said Peter on Titan's win.

"We've also been consistent with the team over the last three regattas [Heineken Regatta and Rolex Regatta] and added a sail or two our inventory."

However Titan and Pyewacket next meet in Antigua at Sailing Week where it will be windier and Peter expects Pyewacket's stability in a breeze to pay off.

Clay Deutsch's Chippewa finished in third place and Bill Alcott and his Equation team were fourth only racing the first day after developing a transmission problem.

A request for redress that was thrown out after the first day of racing was reopened on the second. Redress was granted which resulted in the first race of the regatta for class B and C being abandoned because the race committee improperly signalled a course change - they made the announcement on the radio but didn't make a sound signal. This decision was the subject of much debate in the regatta village that night as local musician Quito played and Heineken and Mount Gay was quaffed. But perhaps more heinous, the announcement for boats to attend the hearing was made during the swimsuit show eliciting much booing and jeering; never let juries interrupt yellow polka dot bikinis.

While the ruling didn't change the standings in Class B it did increase Rosebud's (2,2,1,1,1,1) points win on Craig Speck's Swan 45 Vim (1,3,2.5,2,4,2) from a hair at 0.5 points to 6.5 points - and it wasn't Rosebud who opened the hearing even though they received a DSQ in that race because of the course change.

This ruling also closed the gap between Transpac 52 Rosebud and second place Ker 55 Aera (3,1,4,4,2,3) who had been having "some real nip and tuck" racing according to owner Roger. Rosebud hails from the US west coast and is populated by a multinational and highly experienced crew many from the America's Cup. Jack Halterman is helm while Roger runs the Deckman tactical computer system; a role not unfamiliar to him. Roger has been "in computers since '64" and if something has a chip in it, there's a 95% chance that Roger's software helped build it. The class win at the BVI Spring Regatta adds to its strong performance in its Caribbean debut with a second in St Maarten's Heineken Regatta and a first at the Rolex Regatta in St Thomas.

Vim earned an unwelcome fourth place in the second race on the second day. "We had some driving problems with me basically," said Craig and, "we got a couple of bad shifts and then the wind slowed down on us right there at the end so we slowed down while the other boats finished.

"I love the race format. The not waiting [for the next race] is ideal. They start the morning with a real long race 15-18 miles which is great for boats of our size and then get some shorter ones, trying to get three or four in every day and that's what we're here for - to race."

With Vim twice the weight of some of the other boats the crew has to keep the boat powered up and moving and "real gentle and easy on the movements". Craig was assisted by Terry Hutchinson as tactician. Bandit, the other Swan 45 visiting for the first time, Storm and Flirt rounded out the class.

With the abandonment of the first race Express 37 Cosmic Warlord (3,2,3.5,1,1.5,1) with Mick Schlens at the helm was bumped to the top of the list - and the winners' rostrum - in class C. The abandonment gave Cosmic Warlord 12 points to John Foster's Magnificent 7's (2,3,5,2,3,2) 17 points reversing the four point lead that Magnificent 7 had over Cosmic. In accepting his award, Mick, on his third visit to the BVI Spring Regatta, thanked his children for leaving home fast and supporting themselves so that he could go sailing; a touching moment that brought tears to many an eye.

BVI Melges 24 Mistress Quickly (1,1,3.5,5,9,5) had to settle for third place after leading the class on the first day with two firsts and a tied third. Mistress Quickly's owner Guy Eldridge had relinquished the helm to old University friends Barry and Sue Parkin, current Flying Fifteen world champions with five Olympic campaigns between them. And how does this husband and wife team divide their roles? "We both do tactics and shout at each other a lot. We don't necessarily agree on much. I'm a good starter and Sue's a good trimmer." Guy's job was to keep between them. Bryshaun Scatliffe, a 14-year old graduate of the Royal BVI Yacht Club sailing progamme trimmed the jib upwind.

Mistress Quickly had a bad second day after a great first day. Over early in the first two races of the day she racked up a fifth and a ninth in these races - and followed it with a fifth. Three wins went to Cosmic Warlord on the second day sharing one with BVI Melges 24 Crew Clothing (8,7,7,8,1.5,8).

Martin Jacobson's Swan 44 Crescendo (1,1,2,2,1,3,1) crewed predominantly by Antipodeans with James Wilmott on the helm topped the Class E pile with 11 points. "We're just a pretty good crew. We know the boat back to front. We've sailed her for four years now and the crew fitted in really well," said Wilmott.

"If you're going to do the Regatta you've got to do the (sic) Sea Festival because we really learnt a lot about the area and was great fun. We'll definitely do that again. We just sailed our normal race. Good boat, good sails, good crew is how you win races." "And a good driver," added one of the crew. "Some of the best regatta committee work we've ever seen," added another referring in part to the number of races and the prompt, onshore cancellation of the day's racing.

Mort Weintraub and crew sailing a Beneteau 40.7 1st Home (2,3,3,3,2,1,2) was second with 16 points and Lazy Dog (6,2,1,1,3,2,3.5), a Puerto Rican Beneteau 40.7 owned by Sergio Sagramoso, was third with 18.5 points.

Geoffrey Pidduck's Six Meter Trouble (1,1,4,1,1,1,1) from Antigua cleaned up in class F. BVI boat Dehlerious (3,2,2,3,3,3,2) was second much to the chagrin of Pipe Dream (2,4,3,4,4,2,4), another BVI boat, who took a fourth. Pat Nolan and her all-women crew on Boomorang (4,3,1,2,2,4,3) were third. Boomorang's owner Pam Nolan and Katy Isaksen are experienced sailors from Seattle, the rest of the crew were sailing students of Pat's Sistership Sailing School.

While Principal Race Officer Peter "Luigi" Reggio presided over the Cooper Area course, Dave Brennen, race officer for the Norman Area courses, ran the same two courses on both Friday and Saturday. The first race took the fleet in a triangular course around Peter Island while the second, led the fleet around Flannagan Island, across Drake's Channel and back. Unlike previous years when there has only been one race a day on this side of the channel, Dave ran two races and racers in every fleet on the course seem to appreciate the change. Ron Noonan, owner and skipper of the Performance Cruising class winner, Wildflower (1,5,2,1), summed it up this way, "We loved the two race a day format; when we returned to the dock at 1200, it didn't seem like a regatta."

Ron who beat the next closest competitor by five points felt that his success this year was due to great crew with people from St. Thomas and Tortola. "The most daunting part of the regatta was sailing through the whole fleet. There was sometimes bedlam at the windward mark with many boats converging at the same time and not everyone knowing the rules." Following Ron in the standings in the Performance Cruising class was Northern Child of St. Peter Port (7,2,3,2) and Natural Magic (2,1,4,8).

Jib and Main was won by the unbeatable Affinity (1,1,1,1), Jack Desmond's Swan 48. Regardless, the real story in this class is the boat that placed second. Sailing with only one adult coach, five young teens with an average age of 13 sailed their way into second place on a J24 called Barclay Kats 2 (2,4,3,3). The boat was helmed by Javan Cooper and Jamie Bibby. These young sailors are involved with the Kids and the Sea Program (KATS) and as explained by Jamie, he and Javan have progressed to the highest level (level 3) while the remainder of the crew are still at Level 2. Jim Linskey, the coach explained, "If we knew how to fly spinnakers, we'd be in the spinnaker class." Bill Bailey's Hughes 38 Second Nature was third in the Jib and Main class.

Rick Walker, one of the crew members on Affinity said, "I had a wonderful time and it was smart not to race today [Sunday]. After the great racing that we had on Friday and Saturday, it would not have been good to have the results dependent on where you were when the wind filled in."

Throughout the regatta, Dunbar, sailing Dot Com (1,3,4,1), held on to his first place position in Bareboat A. He handily won The Moorings Sailing Festival Cup by placing first in the race to Bitter End and first back to Nanny Cay. BVI Yacht Charters (2,4,1,10), skippered by Val Doan, ended the regatta in second place. When asked about Dunbar's performance over the weekend, Val replied, "We just couldn't touch him." After coming from behind on Saturday, Sea-duction (6,9,2,2), skippered by Justin Barton ended the regatta in third place. Kenneth Powell, skippering the local Tourist Board entry, Team BVI (3,1,9,7), held second place after Friday's racing but dropped to fifth place with a ninth place finish in the first race and a seventh in the second on Saturday. The Tourist Board also had another entry in this class, Garda Lake/Team Italy.

The German Tourist Board entry, Frevo/Team Germany, looked unstoppable with four firsts to their credit but as a result of a protest, one first was replaced by an 11th and they dropped from first to second place. This setback did not seem to dampen spirits at the prize giving when Gabi Romberg from the German Tourist Board office graciously accepted the awards presented and addressing the audience said, "We have had a great time at the regatta and the journalists will return to Germany and write about the BVI and what a wonderful time we have had." Later Gabi shared, "At first we were really tense (about the protest) but we had a lot of fun."

Team Ireland, a fourth Tourist Board entry skippered by Jamie Boag, finished the regatta seventh in class with consistent seventh and eighth place finishes in all four races.

Finishing just ahead of Team Italy was Durley Dene (10,5,3,4). Durley Dune, a Bavaria 36 provided by Horizon Yacht Charters, was the first place prize for the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival radio quiz contest competition held during Skandia Cowes Week in August 2003. Lucky Sarah Kafetz won the week's charter and dragged six of her friends from cold and gloomy London to the warm sunshine and gorgeous blue waters of the Caribbean. Catching up with Sarah just before she and her crew headed home, she said, "Amazing. The racing was fun, very competitive and I loved the multi-national feel of the class. The BVI is stunning." She and her crew agreed, "Its not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean." Asked if she would be back, Sarah replied, "You bet". She and the crew made the most of their time here, taking part in the BVI Sailing Festival and Spring Regatta as well as doing some cruising on their own.

Bareboat B was won by Northern Lights (2,3,5,4). Second, third and fourth place boats were all tied in points but following the rules of ISAF Appendix A, Frevo/Team Germany (1,1,1,11) was awarded second place, Something Hot (5,2,6,1), with the all girl Heineken crew looking very hot, third place and Mickey Mouse (3,4,2,6) fourth place.

The Sunsail Awards for Charters are designated for boats in Bareboat A and B which are chartered and sailed by individuals who do not work for the charter companies. In Bareboat A, first place was awarded to Sea-Duction (6,9,2,2), second went to Team BVI (3,1,9,7) and third was awarded to Big Ben (4,10,7,5). Frevo/Team Germany (1,1,1,11) walked off with the top honour in Bareboat B followed by Something Hot (5,2,6,1) and Mickey Mouse (3,4,2,6).

In the Multihull class, after tying on Friday, Javelin (1,2,1,1) won both races on Saturday and BVI trimaran Triple Jack (2,1,2,2) never had a chance to try to sail back into the top spot. Piglet (3,3,3,3) hold on third was unbreakable. For the most part, this class of five boats sailed incredibly consistently. In each of the four races, Javelin and Triple Jack placed either first or second. Piglet was always third and Sybarite and Cover Shot traded off the fourth and fifth places spot.

Perhaps some of the most intense racing was on Arlin Wheeler's one design course. In two days of racing, Arlin sent the IC-24 and beach cat fleets off on 23 races. After the first day of racing, Davis Murray, a veteran of two Worrell 1000s and a beach cat sailor with close to 30 years experience shared, " By the time we came in, my blood sugar was so low that I was cold and my hands were shaking."

Competition in the IC-24 fleet was exceptionally close with many friends from the USVI and the BVI vying for position throughout the course. Stinger (2,1,1,2,3,2,3,2,1,3,3,3) owned by Richard Johnson and skippered by John Holmberg, took top honours, sailing exceptionally well, never placing outside of the top three spots. Seahawk (7,2,4,3,2,3,1,5,3,1,2,2), sailed by Robbie and Mike Hirst of Tortola slid into the second spot with their first of the twelve races being their nadir. Brand-new Secondhand (1,7,2,1,1,1,2,1,13,4,1,8) which won this fleet in last week's Rolex Regatta, placed a disappointing third after an OCS in the ninth race.

Sailing an eleven race series, the Beach Cat non spinnaker division was won by Douglas DeReu with his Nacra 5.8, Wave Magnet (3,1,2,1,2,2,2,2,1,1,3). Six points behind in the standings, Bruce Merced on a Prindle 19 called Rush (1,3,3,2,1,4,3,3,2,3,1) placed second and Lolo Too (2,2,1,3,6,1,1,1,6,2,4), sailed by Anton Guernica placed third with 29 points.

Only two boats raced in the Beach Cat spinnaker division. Although the top spot was traded a number of times, HF Mortgage (2,2,1,1,1,1,2,1,1,1,1), a Hobie Tiger sailed by Ibrahim Mustafa from Puerto Rico, claimed the top prize, winning eight of the eleven races. Sailed by Thomas Ainger, an Inter 20 called Caribbean Auto Mart (1,1,2,2,2,2,1,2,2,2,2) won the first two races on Friday and the first on Saturday but ended the weekend in second place.

The awards ceremony was held on the new beach at Nanny Cay Marina as the sun set in the distance.

Overall Results:

Class A
1. Titan XII, Tom Hill Sr., USA, 9
2. Pyewacket, Roy E. Disney, USA, 13
3. Chippewa, Clayton Deutsch, USA, 21

Class B
1. Rosebud, Roger Sturgeon, USA, 8
2. VIM, Craig Speck, USA, 14.5
3. Aera, Nick Lykiadopulo, UK, 17

Class C
1. Cosmic Warlord, Mick Shlens, USA, 12
2. Magnificient 7, John Foster, USVI, 17
3. Mistress Quickly, Barry Parkin, BVI, 19.5

Class E
1. Crescendo, Martin Jacobson, AUS, 11
2. 1st Home, Mort Weintraub, USA, 16
3. Lazy Dog, Sergio Sagramoso, PR, 18.5

Class F
1. Trouble, Geoffrey Pidduck ANT, 10
2. Dehlerious, Bungy and Di Flynn, BVI, 18
3. Boomerang, Pat Nolan, BVI, 19

Performance Cruising
1. Wildflower, Ron Noonan, USA, 9
2. Northern Child of St., Julian Sincock, UK, 14
3. Natural Magic, David Cook, UK, 15

Jib and Main
1. Affinity, Jack Desmond, USA, 4
2. Barclay Kat 2, Jamie Bibby/Javan Cooper, BVI, 12
3. Second Nature, Bill Bailey, BVI, 15

Bareboat A
1. Dot Com, Dunbar, BVI, 9
2. BVI Yacht Charters, Val Doan, BVI, 17
3. Sea-duction, Justin Barton, USA, 19

Bareboat B
1. Northern Lights, Anthony Wight, BVI, 13
2. Frevo/Team Germany, Joerg Moessnang, GER, 14
3. Something Hot, M. Poulie, NED, 14

Multihull
1. Javelin, Chris White, USA, 5
2. Triple Jack, Richard Wooldridge, BVI, 7
3. Piglet, Joe San Martin, USVI, 12

Beach Cat (without spinnaker)
1. Wave Magnet, Douglas DeReu, USVI, 20
2. Rush, Bruce Merced, USVI, 26
3. Lolo Too, Anton Guernica, PR, 29

Beach Cat (with spinnaker)
1. HF Mortgage, Ibrahim Mustafa, PR, 14
2. Caribbean Auto Mart, Thomas Ainger, USVI, 19

IC-24
1. Stinger, Richard Johnson/John Holmberg, USVI, 26
2. Seahawk, Robert/Mike Hirst, BVI, 35
3. Brand-new Secondhand, Chris Curreri, USVI, 42

Sunsail Award for Charterers:

Bareboat A
1. Sea-Duction, Justin Barton, USA, 19
2. Team BVI, Kenneth Powell, BVI, 20
3. Big Ben, Andy Kaiser, USA, 19

Bareboat B
1. Frevo/Team Germany, Joerg Moessnang, GER, 14
2. Something Hot, M. Poulie, NED, 14
3. Mickey Mouse, Peter Howe, UK, 14

Chief Minister's Award for Best BVI Boat: Seahawk, Robert/Mike Hirst, IC-24

Caribbean Big Boat Series

Racer - Titan XII
Racer/Cruiser - Spirit of Minerva

Full results, scratch sheets, news from the week and photos are available on the official BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival web site: www.bvispringregatta.org.

The BVI Spring Regatta is jointly owned by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association. The 2004 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival was presented by Nanny Cay Marina. The BVI Tourist Board was a platinum sponsor. The Moorings, Heineken, Mount Gay Rum, First Caribbean International Bank, The Bitter End Yacht Club, and Road Town Wholesale (1975) Limited were gold sponsors. Tortola Yacht Services, CCT Boatphone, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Village Cay Hotel & Marina and Prospect Reef Hotel were silver sponsors. Caribbean Star, Fujifilm and Dasani were bronze sponsors.