Racing in Paradise, Airgasm3 Triumph
Racing in Paradise dominated the monohull fleet with a clean sweep to claim the monohull title, while Airgasm3 edged out Ting a Ling 2 to win the trimaran division in the Royal BVIYC's closing races for 2025. The club thanked sponsors and its race committee after three competitive races for each fleet.
Racing in Paradise and Airgasm3 closed out the 2025 sailing season in the Virgin Islands with decisive victories, the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club (RBVIYC) reported. Three trimarans and two monohulls took to the water for three races apiece. In the monohull fleet the IC24 Racing in Paradise, sailed by James Campbell, Kay Reddy, Gilbo Simpson and Imogen New, recorded a perfect score — three first-place finishes — to claim the monohull title.
Never far behind on corrected time was Bleue, a Beneteau F210 sailed by Martin van Houten and Pat Nolan, which posted consistent results across the series to finish second overall. The trimaran fleet produced close, exciting racing. Barney Crook’s Corsair 31D Airgasm3 took the overall trimaran crown with two firsts and a second.
The winning margin in race two over Chris Haycraft’s Ting a Ling 2 was just 36 seconds on corrected time, underscoring how tight the competition was. Ting a Ling 2 returned to win race three but finished second overall on the series scores. Richard Wooldridge and the Triple Jack team (Kelsall 47) completed the podium after posting two third-place finishes and a DNS in the final race.
Full results reported by the RBVIYC: Monohull 1. Racing in Paradise, IC24 — James Campbell, Kay Reddy, Gilbo Simpson, Imogen New — 1, 1, 1 2. Bleue, Beneteau F210 — Martin van Houten & Pat Nolan — 2, 2, 2 Trimaran 1. Airgasm3, Corsair 31D — Barney Crook — 1, 1, 2 2. Ting a Ling 2, Corsair 31 — Chris Haycraft — 2, 2, 1 3.
Triple Jack, Kelsall 47 — Richard Wooldridge — 3, 3, DNS In a press release the RBVIYC extended appreciation to Golden Hind Chandlery for continued sponsorship, and thanked Race Committee members Colm, Alex and Tamsin along with all competitors for making the finale a success. Local regattas such as this play an important role in sustaining the Territory’s strong sailing culture and supporting recreational and competitive opportunities for BVI residents and visiting sailors alike.
As the club wraps up its 2025 on-water calendar, crews and supporters look ahead to future events that continue to showcase the BVI as a premier sailing destination in the Caribbean.
Primary source: VINO