Sailors Shine at 2026 BVI Dinghy Championships
Strong winds and close racing marked the two-day 2026 BVI Dinghy Championships, which drew sailors from Antigua, St Thomas, St John and the Virgin Islands. Local youth made a strong showing in the Opti Green fleet while tight battles in the Opti Championship and ILCA classes produced exciting finishes.
Sparkling conditions on day one and more challenging winds on day two produced thrilling racing at the 2026 BVI Dinghy Championships, hosted by the Royal BVI Yacht Club with visiting crews from Antigua, St Thomas and St John. Winds of 10 to 14 knots on Saturday allowed fleets to complete multiple races: Opti Green finished six races, Opti Championship and ILCA fleets five each, and the RS Fevas three.
Sunday brought stronger winds above 17 knots, resulting in numerous capsizes and some gear failures — for some competitors it became a test of survival, while for others it was a day of exhilarating high-performance sailing. The Opti Championship produced one of the closest contests.
Seven sailors (2 Antigua, 3 Virgin Islands and 2 St Thomas) completed ten races across the regatta. Antigua’s Lluc Agusti and BVI’s Henry Clifton traded top results; after Saturday Clifton and Agusti were tied on points with Natalie Skoda (ISV) just a point back. With the discard kicking in after six races, every result mattered.
Agusti secured the title with three first-place finishes on Sunday, finishing ahead of Henry Clifton (2nd) and Natalia Skoda (3rd). The ILCA 6 fleet welcomed back sailors from Coral Bay Yacht Club, St John. After retiring from the first race with gear failure, Anais Craig (ISV) rattled off wins through Saturday and added two more on Sunday to claim the class.
Emma Paull (IVB) mounted a strong pursuit, winning the final three races to take second overall, with Zach Wilson (ISV) third. The largest entry was the Opti Green fleet — 13 young sailors (eight from St Thomas Yacht Club and five from Royal BVI Yacht Club). Many BVI competitors were new to regatta racing, having only begun training on April 21.
ISV’s Layla Ledee dominated, winning overall after eight races; local youngster Bobby Hensley finished as the first VI Green fleet sailor. In the ILCA 7 class, Andrew “Tubes” Thompson posted a Saturday clean sweep but retired Sunday, opening the door for St John’s Richard Burks to take the title.
Two-boat RS Feva racing also provided family-style competition, with Tim and Florence Paull taking the overall RS Feva honours. The regatta showcased growing youth participation in BVI sailing and the strength of inter-island competition.
Primary source: VINO