The British Virgin Islands

874 Words2 Pages

With its dazzling aquamarine waters, islands with sugar-sand beaches and endless fair winds, the Caribbean offers the best sailing in the world. At the heart of Caribbean pleasure boating are the British Virgin Islands, the world's sailing capital. Once a strategically important stop for sailing vessels that needed to replenish supplies and later a haven for privateers and pirates, the British Virgin Islands are now one of the world's premier tourist destinations.

The largest island in the BVI, Tortola, hosts more than 700 chartered vessels. Tortola is roughly in the center of the archipelago that makes up the British Virgin Islands, so it has naturally become the economic and commercial center of the islands too. Even a smaller vessel can reach the more than 60 islands within a radius of 80 nautical miles around Tortola; with so many anchorage points within easy reach, Tortola is the hub of boating in the BVI.

At ten miles long and three miles wide, the main island has just enough room to house three quarters of the BVI population, most of whom live in Road Town. Nestled a protected inlet on the southern side of Tortola, Road Town hosts large cruise ships, but the majority of the vessels are private luxury yachts, sloops and sailboats available for charter. The town's two major industries, tourism and seafaring, meet in the many marinas and shops that surround Road Harbour. Waterfront Drive forms a horseshoe around the water, allowing tour buses to showcase the beauty of the bay and affording restaurants a magnificent view of the Caribbean. Road Harbour opens onto Sir Francis Drake Channel.

The geography of the British Virgin Islands creates a natural protected waterway that lets novices and seasoned sailors alike en...

... middle of paper ...

...el some of the best sailing in the world. Unlike other BVI locales which formed from volcanic activity, Anegada is a low, flat reef with ample inland waterways that gave it its nickname, the Drowned Island. Horseshoe Reef wraps around the island's western tip, making the island a world-class destination for divers.

The real attraction of BVI, though, remains the best sailing in the world. The annual BVI Spring Regatta underscores the importance of boating to residents and visitors. The regatta lasts three days and invites sailors to take one of four tracks to travel from point to point. Each track highlights a different aspect of boating: windward travel, leeward travel, design sailing and circumnavigation of the island. The colourful sails moving across the ultramarine Caribbean waters make the regatta a delight for terrestrial observers and participants alike.

More about The British Virgin Islands

Open Document