The BVI Spring Regatta Sails Over the Hill
The BVI Spring Regatta will turn 40 this month and mark its anniversary on the same tranquil blue waters and with the help of the familiar flowing trade winds that have brought many of the familiar faces back year after year. And while the premise for the regatta and love for the sport remain constant, the event’s success has perhaps exceeded the expectations of the sailing enthusiasts who first witnessed the inaugural event in 1971.
The first Spring Regatta saw a little more than 20 Squibs compete. At the time, the BVI was home to less than 10,000 residents and bareboat charters were just establishing themselves in the territory. Now, with a population three times that and with the sailing industry driving the tourism surge, Sir Francis Drake Channel will likely become a racing passage for more than 120 boats of various classes and sizes, according to BVI Spring Regatta Director Judy Petz. The 40th anniversary is expected to be a “banner year,” attracting an estimated 4,000 racers and fans from around the world, she said, adding that the BVI will act as grounds for a sailing “camaraderie.”
“People really like coming back to the same place, and meeting and talking to those same friends year after year,” the regatta director said. “We’re all just moving with the flow of racing in general.”
The event’s exponential growth over the years has also allowed the territory to benefit widely from the flux of tourists coming to witness and partake in the event. From restaurateurs and hoteliers to taxi and safari bus drivers, the economic impact is appreciated throughout the community. An unofficial economic assessment of the event in recent years suggests that the regatta brings about $3 to $4 million of revenue to the island.
However, a boost in foot traffic on the island and at sea does not necessarily mean a lasting environmental footprint. The BVI Spring Regatta Committee makes extra efforts to ensure the community’s pristine image is preserved, Petz explained. One way the committee aims to bring a green image to the event is reducing the use of plastics at the Festival Village at Nanny Cay. The weekend activities will be a popular draw for both regatta participants and the local community at large, Petz explained, adding that vendors there will be instructed to reuse utensils and condiments whenever possible. Refillable water bottles and biodegradable plates and silverware will be distributed throughout the festival grounds, she said.
“We came up with that idea; now we’re reducing plastic waste by 30 percent,” the regatta director said. “We’ve definitely streamlined our green initiatives.”
The committee is also reducing their use of paper by utilizing the Internet in place of signup sheets and mail-in registration. Now, every participant and volunteer is required to sign up electronically, reducing pounds of paper waste, she added.
This year, the celebration will end with a bang—literally—with a firework show over the water, in eye shot from the festival grounds at Nanny Cay Beach. The culmination of the event will signify 40 years of success, partnership and friendship among the sailing community, Petz said.
“It’s a place for a lot of people to come back together now from over the past 40 years, and its really kind of a homecoming,” she said. “We don’t see each other for years, but its like you come back here and you’ve got that long lasting bond.”
