Charter Yacht Show Nanny Cay 2012 (photo credit: Robyn Catherine Gray)

Deborah Benjamin, country manager for Sol with winners of the Best in Show awards of the 31st BVI Charter Yacht Show. Photo:Sol

Quito and the Edge plays at final night of Charter Yacht Show 2012 at Nanny Cay. Photo:Sol

Organised by the Charter Yacht Society (CYS) of the BVI at the start of the 2013 charter season, close to 200 crew members from 74 luxury yachts offering sailing charters in the Caribbean showcased their boats and services to more than 100 local and international charter brokers and clearing houses.

More than 20 local businesses participated in the Opening Night Marketplace. The show, which is the largest in the Virgin Islands, kicked off on November 6 and was brought to a close with the participants dancing under the stars with sand under their feet to Quito and the Edge playing Reggae Express.

For the third year running, Sol awarded prizes for winners of the ‘Best Boat’ in four different categories. Sol Best Monohull winner was Blue Passion with Greg and Vanessa Langridge. The Sol Best Multihull under 55' was Gypsy Princess with Achilleas Tsiamis and Cleo Verheylewegen. Winner of the Sol Best Multihull over 55' was Tiger Lily with Harvey Jenkinson and Tracy Ford. Winner of the overall Sol Best in Show title was Nutmeg with Leopald and Ginette Richard.  The winners in each category received two round trip tickets from Beef Island, Tortola to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and hand crafted recycled-glass boats from Green VI Glass Studio. A panel of incognito judges toured all the participating yachts and met the crew to determine the best crew/yacht combination in each category. 

“Sol has been serving the marine industry in the BVI for a number of years and we consider ourselves to be a relevant component of the charter business in the territory,” said Deborah Benjamin, country manager for Sol. “We recognize that sailing is a key tourism product for the BVI and as the country’s main supplier of fuel, lubricants, and LPG to the marinas, and of aviation fuel to commercial and private planes, we take our support role of the Charter Yacht Show seriously and are happy to contribute to its continued success.”

13 yachts also took part in the culinary contest which was judged by renowned Chefs Davide Pugliese, owner & chef at Wali Nikiti, Scrub Island, Kenneth Molyneaux, executive chef at Penn Hotels, Tortola, John Albright, executive chef and lecturer at HLSCC, Tortola, and Captain Jan Robinson, author & owner of Ship to Shore Inc. Judged on presentation, taste, creativity/originality, overall impression and use of fresh local Caribbean ingredients the category winners were Tara Bouis (Soterion) for Appetizer/Salad, Joseph Stiles (M/V Freedom) for Entrée, Vanessa Bush (Nexus) for Dessert,  Julie Bennett (Felicia) for Coffee, and Joseph Stiles (M/V Freedom) who won Best Overall award. Prizes were presented at the Governor’s reception held on November 8 at Government House.

The BVI Charter Yacht Show has established itself as the preferred Caribbean forum for the display of sailing yachts 44 feet to 120 feet to charter brokers. In previous years the show took place at Village Cay Marina and moved to Nanny Cay this year.

“We made a decision to move the show to Nanny Cay Resort and Marina because we felt that the layout and set up of the venue was a better fit for the format of the event,” said Janet Oliver, executive director, CYS of the BVI. “The new venue provided us with more space for the local vendor night which was hosted under tents on the beach. We also were happy with the display area for the organisers and sponsors as it was conveniently located right next to the docks. Having a chandlery and boatyard on site was also of added value to the yacht captains.”

Everyone seemed to enjoy the new location.  The setting, one broker commented, is more reflective of the tropical setting to which they send their guests.

The crewed yacht industry in the BVI generates more than $35 million dollars of business annually from high net-worth sailing charter guests who cruise the islands and enjoy the hospitality and natural beauty of the territory.

The Charter Yacht Society (CYS) is a non-profit organization which was founded in 1982 by independent owners of crewed yachts in the BVI. It is the only BVI government recognized body within the crewed charter industry. The society represents the organized voice of individual yachts and their crew. The CYS advocates, educates and promotes.

Sol is the largest petroleum company in the BVI and supplies the marine community at Hodges Creek, Nanny Cay Marina, the Moorings, Village Cay, Bitter End, Peter Island, Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, and Leverick Bay. Sol is a committed supporter of community initiatives including the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, the Royal BVI Sailing Club Junior Sailing Programme, Virgin Islands Search and Rescue, the Leverick Bay Poker Run, the Green VI Glass Studio and is a partner of the BVI Athletics Association.