BVI Spring Regatta

Switching things up just slightly in 2026, the legendary Caribbean Regatta – the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival – starts the action on and off the water on Tuesday March 24 when the Sailing Festival fleet hits the start line for the short and friendly 11 nautical mile race to Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina. There, competitors will be well-rewarded at a beach party on the unique and laid-back Marina Cay.

The Scrub Island Invitational is the perfect warm-up opportunity to work out the kinks as the fleet prepares for the renowned Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup which will be sailed on Wednesday March 25. Following a lay day on Thursday March 26, the competition ramps up with the start of the three-day Spring Regatta on Friday March 27 – Mount Gay Race Day.

There’s plenty of activity on the docks at Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, the host sponsor, as boats and competitors get settled in for a fantastic week of sailboat racing that just does not get any better, with hot trade wind racing, warm water, and cool parties. The Swiss team racing on the Beneteau 47.7 Kali is here to enjoy it all, especially being able to sail in more ocean-like conditions than the small lakes that they typically race on at home. Crew member Serge Rechlin is racing his first BVISR on Kali, owned by Benedikt Clauberg who previously competed at BVISR in 2019.

Solid teams from Puerto Rico have made their way to Nanny Cay for a week of friendly rivalry. The delivery crew on the J/100 Freelancetook advantage of a superb weather window over the weekend to make the trip from downtown San Juan, Puerto Rico to Tortola – 85 miles in 13 hours of perfect sailing.

BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival loves to welcome back repeat customers and it’s well-documented that they return because they respect the work of the world-class race management team that ensures that the regatta is the top-level racing event that it is. PRO 32-year-old Diana Emmanuelli has supported the BVI Spring Regatta race management team for some 10 years now and this year for the first time gets to run her own course; daunting for some but not Emmanuelli who works as an Organizing Authority (OA) representative for U.S. Sailing. She’s made her way to the top under the watchful eye of PRO Dave Brennan who is passing the baton to the younger PRO. [Read more about Diana here.]

What does Emmanuelli enjoy most about race managing the BVI Spring Regatta?

Friendly competition may be a stretch of the term for local Tortola sailor Nathan Haycraft racing on the Corsair F27 Ting-A-Ling and against his dad Chris Haycraft who’ll be on the Corsair F31 Ting-A-Ling II in the Sport Multihull class. The two boats have a fun but fierce history of going up against each other, with the younger Haycraft currently holding the class title after taking first last year – all is fair in love and war, right?

The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival is immensely grateful to its many sponsors who are crucial to the event’s success including long-time partner Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina.