In the Community

Heavy skies and some rain was not enough to daunt the young sailors of the Royal BVI Yacht Club (RBVIYC) at the 42nd BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival (BVISR) held March 25 – March 31 at Nanny Cay Resort & Marina. For the first year, junior sailors participated in the Sol Optimist Challenge, a fun sailing rally in Optimists off the beach at Nanny Cay and reaped record rewards from their annual raffle.

For the third consecutive year, the RBVIYC was hosted under the Sol tent at the Regatta Village from where the club members orchestrated the raffle ticket sales for their annual fundraising drive. The efforts surpassed previous years’ results to raise $7,000 which will be used to purchase equipment for the RBVIYC’s youth sailing programme.

Sol, a gold sponsor of the BVISR since 2006, also took the opportunity over the weekend to present a quarterly cheque donation towards the RBVIYC youth sailing programme. The gift comes from funds collected through an ongoing initiative collaboratively run with Nanny Cay. The arrangement generates monies for the RBVIYC junior sailing programme from every gallon of fuel sold at the Nanny Cay Marina fuel dock.

“Sol has been supplying the marine industry in the region for several years,” said Roger Bryan, Regional Manager (OECS) for Sol. “Our support of the BVI Spring Regatta and for youth sailing is part of our involvement with the mariners.  We are particularly pleased to be contributing in practical, enjoyable, and engaging ways that will help to progress the sport of sailing and the territory’s young sailors.”

Eight teams took part in the Sol Optimist Challenge which was organized by the RBVIYC to showcase the club’s junior sailing programme. The format was a relay race with teams of three comprising one racer, one beginner, and one adult.  The winning team was Rayne Duff (Racer), Richard Wooldridge (Adult) and William Dawson (Beginner).  In second place were Thad Lettsome (Racer), Gary Cottreau (Adult), Noah Cottreau (Beginner).  Third place went to James Dawson (Racer), Kim Duff (Adult), Jaheim Christie (Beginner).  The winners received recycled glass, sail shaped trophies commissioned from the Green VI Glass Studio in Cane Garden Bay.

During the BVISR final awards ceremony, Mr David Antrobus, General Manager for Sol St Maarten, drew the raffle winners’ names for the five grand prizes. The top prize donated by Sol was a Tortola/San Juan round trip air ticket which was won by the Beltrano family from S/Y Naia.  Ms Deborah Benjamin (former Country Manager for Sol BVI) won a one-night stay and dinner for two at Saba Rock, Mr Harold Keating, from S/Y Shamrock VI, received the Samsung Galaxy “Y”outh phone, while Mr Will Maduro won a luxurious, couples massage at Peter Island. Ms Gillian Plaxton picked up a day sail on a Moorings catamaran. The RBVIYC distributed an additional thirty seven raffle prizes.  

Visitors to the Sol tent also were invited to enter a free draw for a chance to win one of four daily Sol branded, premium prizes.