Oysteer BVI regatta - Oysters shine in sparkling downwind conditions

2:10 PM Sun 18 Apr 2010 GMT

'Class two start - SUNsuSEA and Jigsaw in foreground
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16' Tim Wright

Slick spinnaker work carried Chris and Susan Shea's Oyster 72 'Magrathea' to the fore of the fleet in the third race of the Oyster BVI Caribbean regatta on Friday. Making the most of classic 20-knot tradewind conditions, the 'Magrathea' crew were first to hoist, and after surviving a tricky luff from Richard Smith's Oyster 655 'Sotto Vento', soon powered into the lead on what became a challenging 22 mile chase through the islands from Necker down to Peter Island.

Golden Pearl followed by Amanzi and Blue Dreams
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

Stuart Smith and Barry Cooper's Oyster 82 'Oceana,' was closest to challenge until overstanding through the narrow channel, dividing the Dog Islands and conceded second place to Tuesday's Class one winner, Mariusz Koper's Oyster 72 'Katharsis II'. This Polish crew also stuttered in the gybing sequences through the Dog Islands and lost their chance to break through 'Magrathea's' cover too. By the time the 'Katharsis' crew had their spinnaker pulling hard again, 'Magrathea' was half way across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Ginger Island.

Class 1 start - Katharsis II (left) and Sundowner of Tortola. Necker Island in background.
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

Koper and his crew clawed back half the distance on the reach behind Cooper and Salt islands, but the Shea's made no mistakes dropping their cruising chute and held their reduced lead on the final two-sail reach to the finish off the beautiful resort on Peter Island. Oceana saved her time on Richard Mlorgan's Oyster 655 'Blue Destiny' to take third place on handicap.

Oyster yachts docked at Peter Island Marina
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010, Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

Class two honours went to the smallest yacht in the fleet, David and Tamsin Kidwell's venerable Oyster 435 'Twice Eleven,' which pipped John McTigue's Oyster 56 'Blue Dreams' by just four seconds on corrected time. Stephen and Jean Roth's Oyster 53 Golden Peal finished third.

Osprey (Oyster 53)
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

The informal dinghy championship held during Thursday's layday at Bitter End Yacht Club, proved anything but, with Olympic aspirants and youth champions swelling the ranks of gladiators representing each of the Oyster crews. Everyone came back a winner, with BVI Race Officer Alan Brook claiming the most spectacular capsize and David Tydeman for saling furthest without a rudder before he also took a tumble.

Katharsis II (Oyster 72)
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

Andy Lovell carried the day in the Laser class for the Oceana crew by counting three firsts and a second, over Zig Zag's Phil Henderson. Alan Harris presenting Katharsis II' finished third.

Magrathea (Oyster 72)
Oyster BVI Regatta 2010 - Friday April 16 - Tim Wright

In the Hobie Cat class, Tom Davis from Straviag stamped his authority on the fleet with four first places, leaving Vincent Bloem from Windflower and Paulina Kierebinscy from SunsuSea to fight over second and third places

The Oyster BVI Caribbean regatta ends today (Saturday) with a final Pantaenius Cup race around the islands back to Nanny Cay and prizegiving dinner this evening.

by Barry Pickthall