The Virgin Islands are a magical Caribbean archipelago of more than forty islands and cays. They seem to have been created expressly for the pleasures of yachting and water sports. Located about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico; volcanic in origin, the BVI's feature rugged mountain peaks rising from the blue Caribbean Sea with unusual names such as Great Dog, Fallen Jerusalem, Prickly Pear and Pelican Island. The islands, many of them uninhabited and attainable only by yacht, offer solitude and a simplicity of living unknown to most people.

The islands' peculiar names were first given by Columbus in 1493. He named the scattered islands as a group in honor of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins who, according to history were murdered by the pagan Huns in the 13th century.

Rich in sailing lore the Sir Francis Drake Channel, named for that fabled round-the-world voyager and privateer, constitutes an "inland sea" in the middle of the Caribbean. Sheltered by the surrounding islands, the channel, with its calm seas and easterly trade winds, has become a favorite cruising ground with yachtsmen from around the world.

There is a slow tempo that runs through the BVI. You can feel it in the air and hear it in the speech of the islanders. It takes a while for visitors to slow down to the relaxed pace of life and absence of a schedule.