Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Racing with the Pros
ONDECK Ocean Racing,
a company
based in Portsmouth, England, main-
tains an armada of high-tech racing
ships—Farr 65s and Farr 40s—which
some experts say are the most techno-
logically advanced wind-operated rac-
ing vessels anywhere. With Kevlar hulls
and either aluminum or carbon-fiber
masts, they set out between three and
four times a day, weather conditions
permitting, with groups of between 6
and 12 participants in each boatload.
They then race against one another in
circumstances that simulate Olympic
racing conditions for experiences that
are wild, foamy, and even scary.
ONDECK recommends that passengers
allocate 3 hours for an experience that
invariably includes about 2 hours sail-
ing. Expect blustery winds and the pos-
sibility of getting drenched as part of
the process. Adults pay $99 per jaunt.
The
headquarters
is at 9100 Haven-
sight, Ste. 1 (
&
843/971-0700;
www.
ondeckgroup.com).
3
scuba dives, costs $429. An advanced open-water certification course, including five
dives that can be accomplished in 2 days, goes for $425. You can also enjoy local
snorkeling for $55.
DIVE IN!,
in the Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, Smith Bay Road, Route 36
(
&
866/434-8346,
ext. 2144, in the U.S., or 340/777-5255; www.diveinusvi.com),
is a well-recommended, complete diving center that offers some of the finest services
in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including professional instruction (beginner to advanced),
daily beach and boat dives, custom dive packages, snorkeling trips, and a full-service
PADI dive center. An introductory resort course costs $105, with a one-tank dive
going for $80 and two-tank dives costing $110. A six-dive pass costs $300.
With
Homer's Scuba and Snorkel Tours
(
&
866/719-1856
or 340/774-7606;
www.nightsnorkel.com), you're provided with a submersible flashlight, glow stick,
and wet suit, and taken on an eerie
underwater experience at night to
meet the denizens of the deep. Various
sea creatures such as an octopus will
glide before you. The cost is $50 per
person, and tours are conducted Tues-
day to Saturday with reservations
required.
TENNIS
The best tennis on the
island is at the
Wyndham Sugar Bay
Beach Club,
6500 Estate Smith Bay (
&
340/777-7100
), which has three Laykold
courts lit at night and a pro shop. Nonguests pay $8 per hour.
Another good resort for tennis is the
Bolongo Bay Beach Resort,
Bolongo Bay
(
&
340/775-1800
), which has two courts that are lit until 8pm. They're free to
members and hotel guests, but cost $10 per hour for nonguests.
Marriott Frenchman's Reef Tennis Courts,
Flamboyant Point (
&
340/776-
8500
), has two courts. Again, nonguests are charged $15 per hour per court. Lights
stay on until 10pm.
Impressions
Men who settle at St. Thomas have
most probably roughed it elsewhere
unsuccessfully.
—Anthony Trollope,
The West Indies
and the Spanish Main,
1859
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