Jost Van Dyke sits on the northern edge of the British Virgin Islands, directly in the path of the northeast trades, and a sailing charter here benefits from some of the most consistent 15- to 20-knot wind in the Caribbean. The approach from Road Town is a broad reach past Little Harbour and Great Harbour, sails set hard, and the island’s silhouette grows slowly out of the trade-wind haze. It is the kind of arrival that reminds guests why they chose to charter a sailing yacht.
The sailing charter fleet available for BVI itineraries runs to around 19 published crewed yachts, encompassing sloops, ketches and modern performance sailing cats. The BVI’s sheltered passages mean that even guests new to offshore sailing can manage a full week without discomfort, while more experienced sailors will find the Drake Channel reach and the beat to windward from Norman Island to Virgin Gorda properly challenging.
Weekly charter rates for sailing yachts in the BVI begin at approximately 50,000 euros for a well-crewed 25-metre sloop and rise toward 120,000 euros for a flagship 40-metre performance sailing vessel with full racing specification. The advance provisioning allowance of roughly 30 percent covers fuel for engine-assisted passages, provisioning and marina fees. January through April is the peak season, when the trade wind is at its most reliable.
From Jost Van Dyke’s Great Harbour a sailing circuit can begin with an early morning departure on a beam reach to Sandy Cay, arriving before the first powerboats, then pressing east to Virgin Gorda under full canvas, threading the passages between the Dogs and arriving at Gorda Sound for an evening anchorage behind Prickly Pear Island. The passage back to Jost Van Dyke the following day is a fast downwind run.
