Sailing in the BVIs

A post for the sailors amoung our readership.

Sailing here is fantastic because the many islands shelter the area from the ocean swells so we are in fairly flat water with a good breeze. Added to which the distances are short so its rarely more than two hours at sea betwen beautiful places. Yesterday we hoisted full sail and had a marvelous close reach (wind coming from about 60 degrees off the bow) for five miles. Standing in the cockpit, letting the autopilot steer whilst I eased and tightened the mainsheet in response to the gusts off the shore - it was like being back in a racing boat playing the breeze for every ounce of speed. It was just such fun to be sailing our great big house like that, burning off the forty foot charter boats and even leaving behind the ones who, bizarely, were motoring the same route (why charter a sailing boat in one of the best sailing areas in the world and then motor?!)

The photo says it all. Sparkling sailing on a big powerful yacht in perfect weather.