Local News
AMAZING RECORDS, WARM WINDS AND UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS
50th Edition of the BVI Spring Regatta First Day
The Cape 31 Flying Jenny took first in Class and won the Nanny Cay Cup recording the fastest corrected time of 4:19:17 in the race around Tortola on the first day of the British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival.
“We have an amazing team around Sandy. Sandy has pulled together a cool race team. She is using the Caribbean as our winter training and then we will go back to the United Kingdom with the boat where there is a fleet of about twenty Cape 31s, and then we will do a full season in the UK,” shared Josie Giddon, navigator for the Cape 31 owned and skippered by Sandy Askew, on the regatta’s web page.
It was the first time the Nanny Cay Cup race took place in the territory since the 2019 regatta.
The British sailor added: “Today was amazing, we’re sailing in paradise. It was long and a lot of concentration was needed; a long upwind then around the back of the island. The typology of the island was really interesting as was the weather – the clouds which played into the game – and we just kept on pushing. We were over at the start, well we thought we were over, and cleared, the other Cape Adrenalin was in front of us at the beginning, but we kept on eating away using the land and the typology.”
Nemo, the HH66 owned and skippered by Todd Slyngstad from California, United States was first across the line with the fastest elapsed time of 2:58:05, corrected to 4:28:53. The standing Round Tortola record is owned by Slyngstad’s brother Greg, owner and skipper of Fujin, a Bieker 53 catamaran, with a fastest elapsed time of 1:57:16 won in 2019.
“We had fun, it was a great day, although we did break the mainsheet just before the finish,” Todd Slyngstad commented. “It exploded and it’s not an easy fix, we’ll be on it all day. Our container with spares is in St Marten, but lucky we have a very nice neighbour – Mach Schnell’s container is here and they have helped us out which is really great. I’m going to owe them a really nice bottle of wine.”
General Manager of Nanny Cay, host sponsor of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, welcomed all sailors and spectators, adding: “I’d like to welcome all those coming to Nanny Cay for the first time, and those who are returning, welcome back – it’s great to see everyone. We really love hosting this event so thank you for coming. Conditions looked ideal today and the racing looked great, so I hope you all had a wonderful time out there racing.”
A total of 70 boats from around the world are competing in the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival 50th Anniversary between March 27 – April 2.
Information taken from the bvispringregatta.org
Soaring electricity bills, rising fuel prices and increasing import costs are placing growing pressure on households and businesses across the British Virgin Islands, prompting Claude Skelton Cline to warn during his Honestly Speaking radio program on May 19 that the territory should prepare for more difficult economic conditions and consider whether emergency measures may be needed to ease the burden.
Speaking on ZBVI Radio, Skelton Cline said the territory was entering a period of prolonged financial strain and urged residents, businesses and government officials to plan accordingly.
“The most dangerous position to be in right now is to be unprepared,” Skelton Cline said. “This thing is only going to intensify.”
Skelton Cline said higher utility costs were affecting nearly every sector of the economy, from households struggling to pay monthly bills to businesses facing decisions about staffing and operating expenses.
“These monthly utility bills are so exorbitant,” he said. “There is a domino effect of whether you can keep the same amount of staff.”
He questioned whether the government should consider using reserve funds and other measures to help stabilize fuel prices and provide relief to consumers.
“At what point does any of that trigger that creates a national state of emergency in this country?” Skelton Cline asked.
Skelton Cline noted that the territory has reserve funds and argued that policymakers should examine whether some of those resources could be used to reduce the impact of rising costs.
“There’s no reason why we should not be locking in fuel prices,” he said.
In addition to government action, Skelton Cline encouraged residents to take practical steps to reduce household expenses, including limiting electricity use and unplugging appliances when not in use.
“There are some things that are beyond our control, but there are some things that are within our control,” he said. “We must control those things.”
Skelton Cline said the British Virgin Islands had navigated difficult economic periods before and urged residents not to lose confidence.
“We cannot surrender to our frustration,” he said. “We cannot surrender to our cynicism and our skepticism.”
His comments come as consumers and business owners continue to face higher costs for electricity, fuel and imported goods, increasing concerns about the broader impact on employment, household budgets and the territory’s economy.
The Virgin Islands Icon Awards has announced 64 nominees across 13 categories for its 2026 ceremony, recognizing individuals and organizations for contributions in fields including sports, entrepreneurship, media, music, agriculture and public service, founder and executive producer Kareem Nelson Hull said.
The Virgin Islands Icon Awards was established to recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the social, cultural and economic development of the Territory.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development is monitoring an outbreak of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius that has resulted in several confirmed cases and three deaths, but Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, Minister for Health and Social Development, and Dr. Ronald Georges, Chief Medical Officer, said Monday that the risk to the Virgin Islands remains low.
The ministry said the reported cases involve passengers and crew aboard the Dutch expedition vessel, which was operating outside the Caribbean region. Health officials said there is no evidence of any cases in the Virgin Islands or elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Honourable Wheatley said the ministry is working with regional and international partners, including the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), to monitor the situation and strengthen surveillance systems.
“At this time, the risk to the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands, is considered low,” Dr. Georges said. “We are utilizing enhanced surveillance systems and maintaining routine port health inspections and preparedness protocols to ensure the continued protection of public health.”
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious disease that is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is extremely uncommon.
The ministry said the rodent species typically associated with the virus are not commonly found in Caribbean environments, further reducing the likelihood of local transmission.
Residents are advised to avoid contact with rodents and areas where they may be present, safely clean and disinfect areas contaminated by rodent waste, maintain proper sanitation and waste disposal, and seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as fever or respiratory distress.
Early symptoms of hantavirus can resemble the flu but may progress to more serious respiratory complications if not treated promptly.
“We will continue to work closely with regional and international partners to ensure that any potential risks are identified early and managed effectively,” Dr. Georges said. “Protecting the health and safety of our residents remains our top priority.”
The Ministry of Health and Social Development said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
Rising Costs Will Intensify, Skelton Cline Warns as He Suggests Emergency Measures
Coronavirus disease 2019
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