The Cape 31 Flying Jenny won class in today’s race around Tortola

Under BVI blue skies and warm trade winds, the Cape 31 Flying Jenny won class in today’s race around Tortola, also taking home the Nanny Cay Cup for fastest corrected time (4:19:17) – the first time that the race has been sailed in the BVI Spring Regatta since 2019.

“We have an amazing team around Sandy,” Josie Giddon, navigator for the Cape 31 owned and skippered by Sandy Askew, commented. “Sandy has pulled together a cool race team. She is using the Caribbean as our winter training and then we will go back to the UK with the boat where there is a fleet of about twenty Cape 31s, and then we will do a full season in the UK.”

Commenting on the race today, Giddon, from the UK, continued, “Today was amazing, we’re sailing in paradise! It was long and a lot of concentration was needed; a long upwind then around the back of the island. The typology of the island was really interesting as was the weather – the clouds which played into the game – and we just kept on pushing. We were over at the start, well we thought we were over, and cleared, the other Cape Adrenalin was in front of us at the beginning, but we kept on eating away using the land and the typology.”

Nemo, the HH66 owned and skippered by Todd Slyngstad (Calif., USA), was first across the line with the fastest elapsed time of 2:58:05, corrected to 4:28:53. The standing Round Tortola record is owned by Slyngstad’s brother Greg, owner and skipper of Fujin, a Bieker 53 catamaran, with a fastest elapsed time of 1:57:16 won in 2019.

“We had fun, it was a great day, although we did break the mainsheet just before the finish,” Todd Slyngstad commented. “It exploded and it’s not an easy fix, we’ll be on it all day. Our container with spares is in St Marten but lucky we have a very nice neighbour – Mach Schnell’s container is here and they have helped us out which is really great. I’m going to owe them a really nice bottle of wine!”

Miles Sutherland-Pilch, General Manager of Nanny Cay, host sponsor of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, said, “I’d like to welcome all those coming to Nanny Cay for the first time, and those who are returning, welcome back – it’s great to see everyone! We really love hosting this event so thank you for coming. Conditions looked ideal today and the racing looked great, so I hope you all had a wonderful time out there racing!”

The outlook for Wednesday’s 11 NM race to Scrub Island Marina, Resort and Spa is more of the fabulous same: 15 knot easterlies and a perfectly warm, sunny BVI day! Competitors: get your fun game on for a barbeque party at Scrub Island, with great food, poolside bars and stunning views.