Kids, some as young as seven, are perched in a Sunfish docked at the Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda. They are learning about rigging, rudders and such de rigeur nautical terms as "starboard," "port" and "mast" before their instructor heads them out for a hands-on sail in the splendid turquoise waters. Vacation at the Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda, and you and your children can morph from landlubbers to savvy sailors. Sailing is the prime past time of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Along with fair winds, the British Virgin Islands are known for abundant harbors as more than 60 islands and uninhabited cays offer safe anchorage within a stretch of 80 nautical kilometers. With so many bays and secluded coves, BVI has always attracted sailors, including pirates. Ever sing "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum" on a long family car ride? Legend has it that the ditty was inspired by the BVI islet where the notorious Blackbeard marooned 15 of his fellow swashbucklers along with one sword and a single bottle of rum.
The Bitter End Yacht Club, accessible only by water, is one of the best places in the Caribbean to learn to sail. The nautical term "Bitter End" refers to the end of a rope, but it's also a perfect name for this resort, as it is located on the last spit of land before the open ocean. The resort attracts both experienced sailors, some docking their yachts at the property's marina, as well as wannabes who don't know their aft from a rudder but who are willing to learn. The best part of the Bitter End is everyone loves the ocean and no one cares or bothers to know who is sitting beside them at dinner, even if it's neighboring Necker Island owner and Virgin Airlines and Records owner Richard Branson in his khaki shorts and flip-flops. The year-round sailing school offers a variety of hands-on courses as well as special classes for children at select times.
The laidback resort, where dressing for dinner typically means donning a clean T-shirt, offers 85 accommodations split between beachfront and hillside units. The windows, while screened to keep out bugs, are glass-less, meaning you'll fall asleep to the sounds of the surf below and wake to spectacular sunrises.
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