Rolex 100TCUS:27 APR 25/6/09 08:46 Page 117
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for a quiet getaway. Virgin Gorda’s North Sound is dominated by one of the Racing
best-known resorts in the BVI, the Bitter End Yacht Club – but don’t let the There is a moment the night before every regatta, when the boats
name fool you, they welcome sailors and non-sailors alike to its classic vil- are registered, the forecasts are in, and the merrymaking crews are
las with family-friendly staff and lively entertainment. Indeed, island style spilling out over the yacht club porch, that every sailor’s eyes will
living mixes here with British pub culture to create an entire region where look across the water and the salty air he inhales will breathe into him
you can’t help but sit back and have a drink. Many of the favored spots, like the thrill of competition. In the Caribbean, where it is the rare morn-
Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke, or the William Thornton at Norman Island, don’t ing that does not dawn bright and clear, with breeze teasing the tops
get going until late, and dinghies zip back and forth transporting guests to of the trees and the tips of the waves, the anticipation is palpable, and
and from boats and resorts all night long. The nights really heat up during the mood is contagious.
the Full Moon parties, a series of popular parties that occur across the is- The 36th year of the competition known as the “Crown Jewel of
lands during the full moon, most famously on Tortola and at Trellis Bay on Caribbean racing” was built on several recent changes, including the
Beef Island – see live music, fire jugglers, Mocko Jumbies, and more under addition of IRC racing last year. One of the most popular of the several
the glow of a cloudless moonlight. Moorings are readily available, but the Caribbean racing events that form the Virgin Islands Race Week, the events
calm waters and clear bottoms of the anchorages make dropping in for a welcome nearly all comers, including several CSA (Caribbean Rule)
quick visit just as easy, whether you’re an experienced navigator or a first- classes, one-design racing, beach catamarans, and large multihulls. Not
time charterer. the formal, white-gloved yacht racing of old, nor even the glitz and glam-
our of 12-meter racing, but rather an event that feels like what it is – an
“Sailing is a good sport. You don't amalgamation of the best sailors from around the world, sailing in some of
have to beat up the other guy like
the best conditions in the world, and having a lot of fun doing it.
you do in boxing and football; you
Local heroes carried the day in most classes – just four boats out of
the 19 top three finishers were from out of the islands. One of the most
just try to outsmart him, and then
exciting groups to watch was the IC 24s, a modified J-24 with an open-
you go out and have a beer with
cockpit deck created by St. Thomas Yacht Club members back in 2000.
him.” – John Kolius About 30 have been built since then, and the 14-boat fleet here repre-
100 Thousand Club 117
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