How a BVI Airways Pilot Spends His Day Off:
Sailing Veritas to Norman Island
I can tell you each time I interact with BVI Airways, I’m impressed. I flew from Beef Island to St Maarten in order to catch a connecting flight to France and was only in air for a short 25 minutes (23 as Captain and CEO of BVI Airways Luke Smith told me).
Having extra time to get a croissant and a coffee in St Maarten before my connection was a plus, and it made the start of my European experience, which was a lot of traveling from there on in, pretty painless.
Veritas in its standing glory in the BVI. All photos courtesy of YachtShotsBVI.com.
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Luke knows the importance of that extra time, that down time, those precious, relaxing minutes or hours. And he knows how to make the most of them. His last down time was spent sailing to Norman Island with his family aboard Veritas—a 57’ classic yacht based out of Nanny Cay skippered by Todd Patterson. SV Veritas was built by the famed Abeking & Rasmussen yard in Germany in 1962 but now makes it home in the BVI.
Whilst Luke with wife Adrienne and daughter Olivia spoke of their day out snorkeling and sailing with Todd as one of their most relaxing days yet, the elegantly styled Veritas also enters classic yacht racing and does day charters for corporate events as well as private charters in the Caribbean—travelling further afield. When I look at it, I feel it's built for adventures on the high seas. Boasting a spacious teak deck, Sitka spruce spars and a mahogany coach house, Veritas is style from a day gone by and offers the classic yacht experience to those who can only savour it. Below decks, oversized portholes and pale wood accentuate the bright and airy living quarters and separate dining area. The interior layout and decor is a testimony to the luxury of a bygone but fondly remembered era, complete with lamps, brass compass and sextant.
As we sip coffee at Nanny Cay, Todd told me that he is no stranger to modern technology and makes sure that Veritas, though classic in appearance, has every technological asset on board to facilitate longer journeys on the ocean, including air conditioning to which he smiled and asked, “Hey, why not have it all?”
Salute to Norman Island, a day sail from Veritas berthed at Nanny Cay.
This attitude seemed to correspond with Luke and family’s experience. “You know I landed a flight from St Maarten,” he said, “we went sailing for a day and had the best experience ever and would have been able to fly back if I was scheduled, but wanting to enjoy the experience to the max, we made a full day and night of it. It’s one of the experiences we encourage visitors to the BVI to have.” With a flight time of 23 minutes, I’m not going to argue with that. And now I’m thinking that I could be in St Maarten tonight and back to the office for work in the morning…with croissants for everyone of course.
