April fools or not, it was no joke on the BVI Spring Regatta racecourse as eleven classes set out for two challenging races on multiple courses.
Chris Haycraft, Tortola resident and long-time BVISR participant, summed up today’s conditions, “Fresh to frightening,” he claimed. “It was a steady 18-19, peaking into the 24s-25s, which going around the islands, some of those gusts coming off were quite significant. Good speeds were attained!”
Haycraft and his crew took first in Sport Multihull.
In CSA 1, owner/skipper Victor Wild (US) once again brought his fabulous Botin 52 FOX home with two race wins for their excellent work.
The Swan 58 OMII, helmed by owner Shamid Hamid (UK), took second in CSA 1, followed by Tschuss (GER), the Fast40+, in third.
First in CSA 2 was the Cape 31, Arabella, owned by Niall and Olivia Dowling (UK), newcomers to the BVISR, and in second was the JPK 11.8 Sunrise 3 (UK), helmed by Oivind Lorentzen.
First in CSA 3 was Team McFly on the J-120 El Ocaso helmed by Tony Mack (UK).
Long-time BVISR regulars, Liquid, a J-122 owned by Pamela Baldwin (ANT), took second while the J-11 Spike helmed by Sam Talbot (US) took third.
On board EH01 Global Yacht Racing (UK) is a mixed crew from the UK and the US, racing as a pay-to-play charter, they worked hard today to take first in Performance Cruising.
Second in Performance Cruising was the Salona 44, Paroma (PUR), helmed by Mike Wilkinson, and in third was Hermes, the Pogo 12.50 helmed by Morgen Watson.
Having a fine old time in Bareboat 2, was Papillon, the Dufour 460 GL, who took first in class today, not bad for a bunch of old guys, as they noted.
The Moorings 45 Sea’s the Daze, skippered by Florian Lienau, took second in Bareboat 2, and Team Texas on Tonic III, a Moorings 45 helmed by William Thomas took third.
Saturday is Day 2 of BVI Spring Regatta 2022. Racing starts at 10am off Nanny Cay. on Saturday, with a forecasted easterly breeze in the mid-teens and temperature in the low 80s.