Sailing in the British Virgin Islands

I have just returned from our annual catamaran regatta, from sailing in the British Virgin Islands (High Point YachtFest). An area that represents one of the most beautiful sailing grounds in the world. It is a highly recommended sailing destination for those in love with the beauty of nature, both on land and in the sea. The BVI offers a great combination of the authentically Caribbean and modern chic. They are well known for their cocktail-making expertise but this year, they climbed up significantly on our foodies destination list too! It is a spectacular snorkelling ground with a very busy underwater world. But above all, they’re to be recommended for the magnificent turquoise colours and constant warm temperatures that are permanently present wherever one moves or gazes.

This type of a sailing holiday is a slightly different format to those we tend to organise for our clients in this beautiful sailing destination. Here we tend to talk a lot about the crewed catamaran charters. And we present those as a perfect way of exploring the British Virgin Islands.

Crewed catamarans typically come with permanent crews: captain and a chef and more crew members for bigger catamarans. Those yacht charter crews are experts in the area, they are wonderful hosts on board catamarans and they look after those boats meticulously. To the guests, it feels as if they have been welcomed, as their hosts and guides during the yacht charter period, to the crews’ own home. The crew will help with tailoring the route to match the guests’ expectations, they will prepare meals according to the preference sheets, they will recommend bars and restaurants and make sure the guests experience the best while on charter with them.

The catamaran regatta offers a very different experience in the same destination. We did our own homework to decide on the best route. We booked dinners and mooring where possible and we made sure that our route included some snorkelling spots, too. In Virgin Gorda we also booked a day of kitesurfing and dinghy sailing.

We worked with the local groups in shaping our event to perfection and that part I always enjoy a lot. Caribbean Cellars sponsored our welcome drinks and we used them as our primary supplier. Local food shops and markets were a great source of ingredients for us. We also had to plan for our famous Gourmet Night on the Thursday of the week. This year it set a new bar in excellence. Each crew seemed to have a cocktail mixologists on board! Some delightful mixes were presented. Beautiful Nanny Cay was our starting point and our host for the welcome party and Ocean’s Seven hosted our prizegiving night. During the week, we visited: Great Harbour and White Bay on Jost van Dyke (for me, the most authentic and just glorious!), Trellis Bay, Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda, Saba Rock, Blunder Bay and Peter Island.

We created the magical week of sailing and socialising for old and new friends. And we’ll be back, with our catamaran sailing regatta in the beautiful BVI again next year! 

For more information on how to participate in one of our regattas, follow the link: HPYF REGATTAS