Royal BVI Yacht Club officials are gearing up for the Annual Back to School Regatta, which is scheduled for this weekend in Sir Francis Drake’s Channel, with a start off Nanny Cay.
Event coordinator Richard Wooldridge said that while the regatta is not the biggest regatta they organize, it’s an event they use to get kids who have been away for a long summer, sailing again.
‘It’s open to any sailor from any school,’ Wooldridge said. ‘This year, we are doing something a little different in that we are opening it up to adults, so long as they dress up like children and behave childishly.’
While racing will be done at Nanny Cay, where the youth sailing operations are now based, event registration will take place Friday at the Royal BVI Yacht Club headquarters in Road Reef from 6:30 pm. onwards. There’s a late registration starting at 8 am. on Saturday.
Racing begins at 10 am. on Saturday and 9 am. on Sunday. Saturday’s racing will have two sessions, while there will be one on Sunday morning. Registration for the event is $40 for members and $55 for non-members.
Last year’s regatta attracted six sailors from St. Thomas. Wooldridge said he’s expecting another 6-8 from St. Thomas this year, and he knows of two who participated in a camping trip in Maho Bay on Virgin Gorda, which included St. Thomas Optimist sailors.
‘We have 15-16 Optimist dinghies available, and there are about half a dozen lasers,’ he said. ‘If I can source all of those boats out sailing, that’s as about as good as we can do.’
Wooldridge said they are also monitoring the approaching weather system, which could affect the event.
Source:virginislandsdailynews
