The British Virgin Islands consist of more than 50 islands and cays, including Tortola and Virgin Gorda.

Last fall, Capt. Ryan Cecil (United) participated in a unique event serving as crew aboard a 52-foot yacht sailing in the Moorings Interline Regatta. Part race, part festival, the regatta—which some consider to be a best-kept vacation/excursion secret—has been drawing airline pilots and other employees from around the world for three decades.

“The competition takes place in the British Virgin Islands,” said Cecil, who’s participated in the flotilla for the past two years. “In 2015, a first officer I flew with told me about the event, and a friend who had a boat in the competition was looking for someone to sub for a crewmember who’d dropped out at the last minute,” Cecil remarked. He noted that, like himself, the other sailors were former Continental employees. Appropriately, their vessel was called the ExCon.

In 2016, the absent crewmember returned, compelling Cecil to look for another craft. He contacted Moorings directly and was put in touch with a Norwegian crew of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) employees sailing a Jeanneau-brand yacht. They all spoke English and extended Cecil a warm welcome.

The 35th annual Moorings Interline Regatta took place Oct. 11–18, 2016. Cecil flew into Terrance Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, driving to nearby Tortola to meet up with his crew. On board the yacht, Cecil was usually assigned the jib, a triangular sail at the front of the boat, but filled in where he was most needed. The group spent several days practicing before their first official race on October 14.

During the regatta, the team participated in seven heats competing with 11 other boats in the race’s “C,” or largest, class. Events ranged from short runs taking 20 to 30 minutes to longer distances typically lasting several hours, and race courses weaved throughout the country’s chain of islands.

Cecil acknowledged that the start is often the most challenging phase of a race. “Everyone is in constant motion, and you’re trying to figure out where the winds are the best. The key is to cross the starting line as close to when the horn sounds as possible,” he remarked.

Ryan enjoys beautiful weather and some downtime between heats.

Any sailors worth their salt have a couple of tricks up their sleeves, and the skipper of the SAS ship didn’t disappoint. Cecil recalled, “During one of the short races, everyone was essentially lined up when the horn went off, with our boat in the farthest upwind spot. While the others headed straight out, our captain took an almost immediate 90-degree turn, separating us from the crowd. This move turned out to be a great strategy as we finished at least a minute ahead of everyone else.”

Cecil observed that along with a good strategy, those manning the helm need to know their rights of way. He noted that when yachts are maneuvering in close proximity and at risk of collision, the boat on the port side (left) must give way to the vessel on the starboard (right). Cecil recalled that during tense points in the race, the captain would revert to his native language, barking out commands in Norwegian. “That made for a fun learning curve,” he said.

The final heat featured a longer course taking nearly three hours to complete. The winds were good that day, and the team placed a strong second. However, the boat’s overall performance in all seven events was good enough to secure a first-place trophy.

Cecil hopes to return next year if his schedule and circumstances permit. He noted that in addition to race participants, many spectators attend the regatta, viewing the event from large catamarans and enjoying the nightly festivities held at different venues, including Leverick Bay Resort on Virgin Gorda. “It’s a lot of fun and a great way to meet people from other countries who work in our industry.”