Welcome to one of the finest and most protected sailing areas on the planet. The Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles is a well-known and much-loved "sailor's playground". It's the ultimate Caribbean yachting destination for those who know how to sail and anyone who has yet to try. With a brand new RYA sailing school at our base here on the BVI capital of Tortola, you can learn to sail from scratch in one of the world's most idyllic settings.

These islands have everything you could wish for in a sailing holiday. All year round, you can enjoy short hops from one blissful anchorage to another with easy line-of-sight cruising in steady, comfortable trade winds. This is a great choice for people of all ages and abilities, families or groups of friends and couples looking for a romantic getaway. If sailing isn't a passion already, you will fall in love with it by the time the BVI has finished with you.

Located in the northeast Caribbean, 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, the BVI stretch more than 30 miles around the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The waters between these tightly clustered islands are almost like lakes. Low-lying Anegada to the north has the furthest distance at 10-15nm from the rest of the island group. All cruising guides will advise you to give a wide berth to Horseshoe Reef that lies between Anegada and Virgin Gorda.

With a reputation for serious yacht racing and serious partying, this event is non-stop action and non-stop fun for all, on the water and ashore. Before, during and after the races, the Regatta Village takes on a carnival atmosphere with food, drinks, games, live music and lots of entertainment for everyone. Racing enthusiasts return year after year from all over the world for this major event in the worldwide yachting calendar to compete in the perfect conditions of warm, steady trade winds, and weave their way around these lush green islands of long sandy beaches.

Legendary pirates and buried treasure... Norman Island is a highlight in the BVI. Said to have inspired the story of Treasure Island, it's here you'll find the famous Caves - a top snorkeling spot at the mouth of the Bight. North of Norman also lie The Pelicans and The Indians, tall skinny rocks sticking up out of the water, that are a main attraction for a huge variety of undersea life. The Bight to the West of Norman Island is a safe, sheltered anchorage. Dine and dance and get into the party games on board the 1915 converted Willy T topsail schooner.

Swim or snorkel at The Baths, a unique rock formation with a myriad of secret pools and caves where you can take the cool walk through the tunnels to Devil's Bay where surf is sometimes ideal for body boarding or surfing. Visit the famous Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound or head for Spanish Town - a popular stop-over and the center of shopping and sailing activity on the southwest side of the island.

Named after a Dutch pirate, this is a hilly island of perfect anchorages and sandy beaches. White Bay is a yachting favorite. The Painkiller cocktail originated here at The Soggy Dollar Bar which got its name through people diving off their boats, swimming ashore and hanging up their wet dollars to dry and pay for their drinks. There are hammocks and places to relax for the day. In the evening, head to infamous Foxy's for great food and live music. Just offshore from Jost Van Dyke you can have fun on the desert island of Sandy Spit or opt for superb snorkeling at Green Cay reef.

The largest in the group between Virgin Gorda and St John, Peter Island has three very good anchorages and a marina. Sprat Bay has 20 berths and some mooring buoys available.

Known as The Drowned Island this wildlife sanctuary is a refuge for colonies of flamingos, herons and ospreys. It's also home to the endangered rock iguana, which can grow to five feet long. It's well worth the careful navigation through the reef and age-old shipwrecks to reach the endless fine white sand beaches for a cast-away experience.

St. Martin is divided between two principalities: French in the North and Dutch in the South, which makes for a perfect combination of Caribbean style with European food and flair.

Good winds and medium seas allow sailors to enjoy exhilarating open-water cruising. This is the ideal next Caribbean sailing destination after the BVI. It provides a good mix of island hopping and open blue water cruising. From there, venture out over longer passages (a few hours of sailing) to the sophisticated shores of St. Barts and St. Kitts. Or enjoy short hops from one fantastic beach and snorkeling spot to the other around St. Martin itself.

The Renaissance Islands, part of the Leeward group, include St. Martin, St. Barts and Anguilla. The islands are clustered and offer exhilarating but short line of sight passages, with a wide choice of anchorages. The conditions are slightly more challenging than the British Virgin Islands, but easier than the Windwards.

The area is famous for being sunny and breezy, with occasional showers and rainy days. Winds are nearly always NE to SE, 10 to 25 knots. They may be stronger in winter. The cruising is usually good all year round, although winter swells and the hurricane season (June to October) may affect your planning. The worst hurricane months are August and September.

Explore Antigua's 365 beaches and Nelson's Dockyard, plus the remote sanctuary of Barbuda's famous pink beaches.

The two separate islands that make up the joint country of Antigua and Barbuda may be within a 30 mile easy reach of each other, but they are world's apart when it comes to character and lifestyle. Antigua is a party place where you can join the locals in a 'jump-up', dance to steel drums all night and enjoy duty-free shopping and all kinds of water sports. The unspoiled sister island of Barbuda with perfect pink sandy beaches and wild birds is where to go when you really want to get away from it all.

With warm, steady trade winds and so many idyllic safe harbors, Antigua is a fantastic yachting destination. Neighboring Barbuda is so undeveloped that it sometimes seems deserted, a tranquil paradise with pink beaches and complete solitude. Both islands offer a great range of anchorages.

This local sailing week has evolved into an international event attracting competitors from all over the world. Thousands flock to enjoy the party atmosphere and the non-stop social scene. The boats involved are packed with Olympic and round the world sailors so it's a chance to compete against the cream of the crop.

Racing enthusiasts return year after year from all over the world for this major event in the worldwide yachting calendar to compete in the perfect conditions of warm, steady trade winds.

There's world class diving and snorkeling at Pidgeon Island, and quaint fishing villages on the Ille de Saintes.

Sailors will enjoy the island's calm lagoons and coves, easterly trade winds and line-of-sight sailing. Exhilarating open-water cruising to the shared central sailing area encompassing Iles des Saintes, Marie Galante and Dominica affords you the chance to see some of the most undeveloped islands and amazing rainforests that the Caribbean has to offer. Some sailors also opt for one-way sailing to St. Martin and Antigua.

Guadeloupe itself is a mix of French sophistication with a relaxed, Caribbean feel. Further exploration of the area will take you to striking cliffs, volcanoes, waterfalls, wild countryside and gorgeous green backdrops. And from golf to diving to parachute jumping, the islands that make up the Guadeloupe area are filled with fun activities for everyone.

Our Bas du Fort base at the fully equiped marina in Gosier is part of a large complex with a selection of cafés, bakeries and excellent restaurants. There is a marina supermarket approx. 10 minutes walk from the base and a larger supermarket approx. 5 minutes away by taxi. A trip to Pointe-a-Pitre will take you into the lively atmosphere of the traditional Creole fruit and vegetable markets. From the base, exhilarating open-water sailing encompassing Iles des Saintes, Marie Galante and Dominica offers the chance to see some of the most undeveloped islands and amazing rainforests that the Caribbean has to offer.

Martinique is one of the showcases of the French Caribbean. The capital, Fort de France, fully lives up to that description celebrating every aspect of the island's all-encompassing French culture with style and panache. If it weren't for the tropical climate, it could almost be Paris. Shops sell the latest goods from France, art galleries, theatres and museums encompass French culture, while other parts of this popular tourist destination offer visitors the classic Caribbean package.

There are flawless beaches - white sand on the south coast, black in the north, secluded coves for swimming and snorkeling, reefs, unspoiled fishing villages, hot springs, lush rainforests, rugged peaks and exotic flowers and fruit everywhere.

Just a short ride from the airport is Sunsail's base at Le Marin. The marina is set at the end of a beautiful lagoon and boasts all the facilities you could wish for: well-stocked chandleries, a supermarket for provisions and a variety of restaurants.

Fort de France, the island's commercial center and principal city is well worth a visit, while Anse D'Arlet is a popular, photogenic anchorage. Scenic highlights include the peaks of Carbet and Mont Pelée, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain on the island, plus trail upon trail through legendary tropical rainforest. But wherever you explore, you're likely to discover croissants and baguettes to remind you that you're in a corner of the Caribbean that is unmistakably French.

Filming spot for both of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines offer stunning beauty, excellent cruising conditions and line-of-site sailing. This charter destination is known for strong winds, but experienced sailors will find that the conditions are similar to sailing on the Long Island Sound, San Francisco Bay or the Great Lakes. Summer is also an ideal time to visit, as the winds are lighter, the seas calmer and the weather patterns are the most stable of the Caribbean. The Grenadines are a great "next charter" after the BVI, since there is a good combination of island hopping and line of sight navigation, and open blue water sailing.

You will find exceptional snorkeling and diving throughout the Grenadines, especially in the world-renowned Tobago Cays national park. Don't be surprised to see turtles, and at certain times of the year, you may be accompanied by dolphins and even whales while out on the water.

St. Vincent is a great island to set aside some time to visit the interior. A volcano, rainforest, and waterfalls make for a beautiful day doing a land tour in combination with your sailing vacation.

Sunsail has a stylish base at its very own Lagoon Hotel and Marina on the southern shore of St. Vincent. From here you can visit the small bustling capital Kingstown, or beautiful beaches like Villa along the south coast. You can also take your dinghy across to the exclusive Young Island Resort, with its own bar, restaurant and very secluded cottages.