The Virgin Islands form one of the world most celebrated sailing circuits, a closed-loop island-hopping route that connects St Thomas and St John in the west to Virgin Gorda and Anegada in the east through 50 nautical miles of trade wind reaching conditions. Nineteen sailing yachts from the charter fleet cover this combined destination, craft ranging from 15-metre performance catamarans to 50-metre sailing superyachts, all benefiting from the same reliable northeast trade wind that has made the Caribbean sailing circuit a global benchmark. The route between the two jurisdictions follows the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a broad strait enclosed by islands on both sides that moderates the swell while preserving the wind. Customs clearance between the US and British jurisdictions is a single stop at Road Town or West End on Tortola, a procedure that most captains manage in under an hour without disrupting the day programme. Norman Island, Jost Van Dyke, Peter Island and Cooper Island are among the anchorages that fall between the two jurisdictions, providing variety that a single-country circuit cannot match. Weekly charter rates for sailing yachts in the Virgin Islands range from around 30,000 euros for a 15-metre catamaran to 150,000 euros for a larger sailing superyacht, with the advance provisioning allowance of approximately 30% covering fuel, marina fees and provisioning across both sides of the border. The combined Virgin Islands circuit is as complete a sailing experience as any single-week charter in the world provides.
