Christian and Lucy Reynolds' Swan 51 Northern Child (GBR) won 1st in class in the 2012 BVI Spring Regatta and the Swan Trophy

Photo Credit: Todd van Sickle

Christian and Lucy Reynolds' Swan 51 Northern Child (GBR) won 1st in class in the 2012 BVI Spring Regatta and the Swan Trophy

Photo Credit: Todd van Sickle

The BVI Spring Regatta will this year include the exciting one-design Melges 32 class in its regatta, which is scheduled for March 29-31 at Nanny Cay.

Several of the fun, fast and highly competitive boats with crews to match will participate as part of the inaugural 2013 Melges 32 Virgin Islands Sailing Series, according to the organizers.

Entries in the BVI Spring Regatta includes one of the movers-and-shakers behind the series inception, BVIs Mark Plaxton, who along with top Caribbean sailor Peter Holmburg, recognised that this as one of the hottest classes on the circuit right now.

Plaxton's BVI team INTAC from the BVI Royal Yacht Club, will be hot on the heels of another BVI Spring Regatta regular, Jaime Torres' Smile and Wave who will be back from Puerto Rico with his team to compete in a new boat and class.

Ready to take their racing to a new level and stepping up their game with their new Melges 32 is Puerto Rican, Jaime Torres' Smile and Wave. This will be the third visit to the Spring Regatta for the team who secured runners-up victory in their Beneteau First 40 in 2012 and are proud holders of the Guy Eldridge Spirit and Enthusiasm award.

"The BVI Spring Regatta offers some of the most competitive, challenging and scenic racetracks of anywhere in the world, along with an awesome shoreside party scene," said Torres.

"What could possibly make it better for the racing sailor? To do it in high performance one-design keelboat. That is why I upgraded from my beautiful Beneteau First 40 to the amazing Melges 32. I can't wait to sail against the world's best sailors in the world's best waters."

Other Melges 32 entries in the non-sanctioned BVI event include one of the circuits top players, Roberto Tomasini Grinover's Robertissima 1, from the Lugano Yacht Club (SUI), who at the end of 2012 narrowly missed out on securing the Melges 32 Gold Cup in Fort Lauderdale. With legendary Italian sailor, Vasco Vascotto on tactics, the team finished second overall after leading the event.

The Melges 32 fleet will be highly competitive and non-more-so than Valentine Zavadnikov's entry from Moscow, Synergy GT.

The well-known Russian politician, businessman and public figure will helm the boat with a team whose motivation is their love for the sea and passion for sailing.

The Synergy team became the RC44 Match Racing World Champion and a debut in the dynamic Melges 32 promoted Synergy to the honour of the 'Best Russian Sailing Team'.

"In 2013 Synergy will continue racing in RC44 and Melges 32 classes and will participate in more than 15 regattas in Europe, the USA, the Caribbean and the Middle East. We look forward to welcoming them to Tortola and hot racing in the British Virgin Islands," the regatta organizers stated.

At the 2012 BVI Spring Regatta, six Swan yachts competed for the Swan Cup which was won by Christian and Lucy Reynolds' Swan 51, Northern Child of Great Britain.

The fleet also included Bob Beltrano's Swan 53, Nai'a (USA). Owners, Bob and Kristin have been cruising the Caribbean and US East Coast since 2000, spending summer in Annapolis and winters in Tortola at Nanny Cay. With the event on their doorstep, they will be back to challenge any other Swan yachts taking part.

"Even though we are probably the only boat racing with a cappuccino machine, full freezer and a 40' HDTV on board," exclaims Beltrano.

Other Swan owners taking part in the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), Virgin Gorda from 11-15th March are invited to sign up to the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival to continue their BVI racing experience, on and off the water.

The week-long sailfest includes a newly formatted 3-day Sailing Festival followed by the three-day BVI Spring Regatta starting on Friday 29th March. The Regatta includes the International Yacht Club Challenge and culminates in the awards ceremony for the overall prize winners on Easter, Sunday 31st March.