The 2026 Back to School Regatta and ILCA Masters Championship got underway off Nanny Cay on September 19, marking what the Royal BVI Yacht Club described as a "glorious start" to the new sailing season.
Racing began shortly after 10 a.m. with 9 ILCA 6s and 7s, one RSFeva boat, and a fleet of 10 Optimists competing on the trapezoid course.
In the ILCA 7 class, Samuel Allen and Colm Crilly battled throughout the five-race series, entering the final race tied on points. Allen prevailed in the decisive race to claim the Back to School title, while Crilly took the ILCA 7 Masters trophy. Ethan George and Thor Downing returned to club racing after a few years away, and Richard Brown made his debut in dinghy racing, showing steady improvement.
Emme De Villers dominated the ILCA 6 fleet, winning both the Back to School and Masters titles. Kelsie Foley pressed hard throughout, taking two race wins but finishing two points behind De Villers. Kit Arton rounded out the top three with two second-place finishes, while Yegâne Güley finished fourth.
In the RSFeva category, the father-daughter team of Gilbo and Zephyr Simpson won by default, as they were the only RSFeva entry.
Aerin Westlake claimed the Optimist fleet title, winning all but one race. Henry Clifton finished second; both sailors are set to age out of the class by year's end. Piper Bailey and Arun Bissondutt, who returned after the summer break, finished third and fourth respectively. Eden Iversen from St Thomas joined after the first race and finished fifth overall.
The Optimist Green Fleet saw four BVI sailors competing, none of whom were racing Optimists a year earlier. Bobby Hensley, who began sailing just a year ago, impressed with five first-place finishes and challenged even some of the main fleet competitors. Toby Evans, Sean Stacey, and Jervis Tucker-Davis also competed, with the club noting their marked improvements through training. Serena Iversen from St Thomas joined the green fleet after race one.
According to the Royal BVI Yacht Club, the green fleet sailors "gave it their all" and "really showed the improvements that they have made through their training."
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