Think white, sun-drenched beaches, think clear turquoise seas, think balmy weather and a year-round summer. You're thinking of the BVI. Reliable tradewinds of 15-20 knots make for a great sailing experience in unchallenging waters with good support from the local operators. Adorned with beautiful coral and teeming with colourful tropical fish, BVI waters are perfect for snorkelling and scuba and the retiring locals are no strangers to visiting sailors. If you only visit the Caribbean once go to the the British Virgin Islands.

Lying just over 1000 miles from the equator, the British Virgin Islands enjoy a balmy, sub-tropical climate, plied by variable trade winds. Temperatures rarely drop below 77ºF (25ºC) in the winter or rise above 90ºF (32ºC) in the summer, with the average temperature normalizing at around 83ºF (28ºC), with slight variations between seasons. There is a deviation of only two hours of daylight between the June and December. Summer sunrises are around 5:00 am, with sunsets at around 7:00 pm. Rainfall in the BVI averages at 40 inches per year with 60% - 70% falling during the months of April through October.