Bravo 1 & Charlie 1 2018 Adventures Day 15 – Challenge Day Sail Went Off With Ease & Confidence

written by Captain, Alex Elliott
July 7, 2018

Challenge Day finally arrived! For those readers who don’t know, Challenge Day consists of a completely unassisted sail from point A to point B, with challenges in between. We left Anagada this morning at 8:30a.m., destined for Cane Garden Bay back on Tortola. The skipper, navigator and first mate (all students) of each boat were briefed by staff at 7:00 sharp, given compass bearings and hazards and sent on their way. They roused the crew, had a hearty, well-needed breakfast and set sail. The wind was pushing hard from the south-east, generating massive swell and tricky conditions, but our crews prevailed. The sail went flawlessly for both Zanzibar and Mayotte, both arriving downwind with ease.

Cane Garden Bay boasts some of the most beautiful sights the BVI has to offer, with Windows-desktop-stock-photo beaches and rolling hills hidden behind shrubbery, despite last years’ hurricanes’ decimation. The boats were cleaned and readied for Sail Caribbean’s Tradition of Chili Cook off that night! Zanzibar offered a real-life opera experience as their themed meal, while Mayotte offered an episode of Storage Wars. A couple of  special visiting guest judges then came aboard to test our chili and enjoy our hospitality. We debriefed the Challenge day and then went to sleep, satisfied with our performances.