BVI Spring Regatta Sets March 23 Start, Shifts Dates to Simplify Travel

Registration opened back in September, the date got shifted a full week earlier to dodge Easter congestion, and today the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival is finally under way at Nanny Cay Resort & Marina in Tortola, running through March 29.

The date move was deliberate and practical. "The event has moved forward a week from previously published dates and will take place March 23-29," organizers announced when entries opened. "This move away from the Easter period should make it easier to attend in terms of flight, accommodation, and boat availability." For anyone who has tried to book a bareboat in the BVI during Holy Week, the logic is self-evident.

The seven-day window is structured to suit different levels of commitment. The Sailing Festival portion runs first, with the Scrub Island Race kicking off on Tuesday, March 24, followed by the Nanny Cay Cup Round Tortola Race on Wednesday, March 25. A Lay Day on Thursday gives crews time to regroup before the three-day BVI Spring Regatta begins Friday, March 27, running through Sunday, March 29. "Sailors can enjoy the two-day Sailing Festival, the three-day BVI Spring Regatta, or all five days of racing," organizers note, meaning participation can be shaped around schedules and ambition rather than a fixed all-or-nothing commitment.

The racing itself unfolds across one of the most distinctive venues in Caribbean sailing. "The British Virgin Islands offer line-of-sight navigation, short island passages, and consistent trade winds, creating ideal conditions for both performance racing and relaxed cruising." Competitive courses run through the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and the fleet pulling into Nanny Cay is genuinely mixed: international racing boats alongside a strong bareboat contingent, professional race teams sharing the water with cruising sailors who simply want the best possible excuse to be in the BVI in March.

Beyond the racing, the event carries the full festival character that has made it a fixture on the Caribbean sailing calendar: island hopping, beach parties, and shoreside entertainment at Nanny Cay through the weekend. The British Virgin Islands, with over 60 islands and cays and a long-standing reputation as the Sailing Capital of the World, provide a backdrop that is difficult to match anywhere in the region.

Charter availability for 2026 has been tight since entries opened, with the peak season leaving the majority of yachts already committed. Anyone whose plans for this week didn't come together in time can target the 2027 edition, already confirmed for March 29 through April 4 — enough lead time to get the booking right.