Airgasm and Libertas Win Round Tortola
Libertas took line honours and overall victory in the 2025 Nanny Cay Round Tortola Race as light morning winds gave way to a steady breeze. In the multihull fleet Barney Crook’s Airgasm finished first, while several first-time entries and RBVIYC trainees also made notable showings.
Light winds and late-day rain showers made for a testing start to the 2025 Nanny Cay Round Tortola Race, but boats persevered and produced close racing in both monohull and multihull fleets, according to a Royal BVI Yacht Club press release reported by Virgin Islands News Online. The fleet was split into multihulls (four trimarans and one catamaran) and six monohulls.
The monohulls left the line at 9:35 AM in very light conditions and made slow progress east up the channel as rain briefly sucked out the breeze. The wind eventually filled in to a pleasant low teens, allowing boats to pick up speed for the remainder of the lap. Kevin Wrigley’s Libertas found a pocket of breeze and “snuck around” Beef Island while others were still searching for wind.
Libertas claimed line honours and the overall win on corrected time with 4:41:26. First-time entrants Alejandro Chometowski’s Y Por Qué No? and Paul Smedley’s Queen of the Stars were welcomed into the race; Y Por Qué No? finished second on corrected time with 6:05:15. Tattersall’s Jitterbug crossed the line in the final minutes to secure third overall on corrected time (6:16:24), narrowly beating Queen of the Stars (6:17:40).
Two boats crewed by adult sailing programme trainees from the Royal BVI Yacht Club — Rhythm and Blues and Off the Clock — were guided by Kay Reddy and coaches James Campbell and Meg Thickett. Unfortunately, the light winds and waning daylight forced both crews to retire (RTD) before completing the course.
The RBVIYC thanked Horizon Yacht Charters for supporting the programme and helping provide the opportunity for trainee sailors. The multihull fleet started at 10:35 AM and likewise endured a slow opening stage. Barney Crook’s Airgasm was first home after completing the lap in just over four hours and, on corrected time, claimed the multihull division win.
The smallest boat in the multihull fleet, a Hobie 18 sailed by Andrew and Christian Thompson (listed as Horizon Job), took second on corrected time, narrowly edging Chris Haycraft’s Ting a Ling 2 by just over a minute. Placings fourth and fifth went to Gilbo Simpson’s Jerk Pork and the crewed Ting a Ling.
Multihull results (corrected/raw times as reported): Barney Crook — Airgasm — 4:01:41 Andrew Thompson — Horizon Job (Hobie 18) — 4:12:13 Chris Haycraft — Ting a Ling 2 — 4:13:28 Gilbo Simpson — Jerk Pork — 4:46:40 Ting a Ling crew — 4:50:13 Monohull top finishers (corrected times): Kevin Wrigley — Libertas — 4:41:26 Alejandro Chometowski — Y Por Qué No? — 6:05:15 Robin Tattersall — Jitterbug — 6:16:24 Paul Smedley — Queen of the Stars — 6:17:40 The event showcased competitive local sailing talent and welcomed new participants to the Round Tortola tradition, highlighting the strength of club coaching and charter support in keeping island sailing active and accessible.
Primary source: VINO