(Bitter End, Tortola, BVI)-
This year marks the 30th edition of this adult fantasy camp held
annually in the British Virgin Islands, being sailed from October 22nd
to 29th. The event has an all-star line-up of world-famous sailors
that take on the resort’s guests as crew! How fun could that be?! What
is the common denominator for all seven “pros” sailing in the event?
You guessed it- all have sailed, raced, crewed or won World
Championships on various J’s over the course of time.Ed Baird – Two-time America’s Cup winner (1995, 2007), six Pro Am titles, and World Champion in the Laser, J/24, and TP52. Ed competed in the inaugural Pro Am, and this year will be inducted into the US National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Steve Benjamin – US Sailing’s 2015 Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year on the heels of winning 11 major one design and offshore events and has raced various J’s like J/22s, J/24s and J/105s.
Taylor Canfield – Two-time Pro Am winner and current defending champion, Canfield competes at the highest level of the international match racing, and is currently ranked #1 in the world. Taylor grew up in St Thomas and has raced locally on various IC24s, J/24s, J/22s, J/70s and J/105s.
JJ Fetter –
A two-time Olympic medalist, four-time US Rolex Yachtswomen of the
Year, and competitor in the 1995 America’s Cup. JJ has raced J/22s,
J/24s. JJ was an inductee in the 2015 class of the US National Sailing
Hall of Fame.Anthony Kotoun – Winner of 13 World, National, and North American championships in various one design classes, but most notably was the winner of the J/24 World Championship, sailed in the famous Newport Fleet #50 J/24 fleet for decades and has also raced J/70s in the Worlds and Midwinters. Plus, he was the 2014 Pro-Am titlist.
Dave Perry – Five-time US Match Race Champion along with countless National and North American titles. Among the leading rules advisors in the world, Dave is a noted author on the subject and in high demand as an advisor for America’s Cup and Olympic teams. Dave has raced J/22s, J/24s, J/105s, J/35s and J/44s.
Dave Ullman – With World titles in the 470 (3) and Melges 24 (1), Dave has won national championships in nearly all the prominent one-design dinghy classes. Dave won the MORC Internationals in J/24s and has raced J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/105s and J/120s. Through his work with the US Olympic team, Dave was selected as 2015 US Sailing National Coach of the Year and this year will be inducted into the US National Sailing Hall of Fame.
A variety of sailing and social events combine professional sailors with amateur resort guests amid the splendor of Caribbean sailing. There is even an event that excludes the pros: the Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championship. And, coincidentally, the Master of Ceremonies for that event and the Pro-Am happens to be Tom Leweck, founder of the Scuttlebutt Sailing newsletter and also a long-time J sailor- ranging from J/22s, J/24s, J/105s, J/109s and J/120s in the Southern California offshore circuits and MEXORC in Puerto Vallarta. Learn more about the Bitter End YC Pro-Am Regatta here
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