Momentum Growing as Sailing Legends and Amateurs Prepare for 20th Annual Pro Am Regatta Week at Bitter End Yacht Club.

VIRGIN GORDA, British Virgin Islands -- World's great sailors convene at Bitter End to sail with resort guests in one-of-a-kind milestone event

Preparations are well underway for the much anticipated 20th Annual Pro Am Regatta, being held at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands, October 28 - November 4, 2006. This year, the week long competition will feature a unique combination of fleet and match racing, and will be highlighted by the long awaited exhibition match "showdown" between sailing legends Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard. Along with one lucky amateur guest crewmember, Coutts and Cayard will face off aboard matched Hobie Getaways for bragging rights and to raise money for the Hokin Scholarship fund.

"Interest is running particularly high for our 20th Anniversary milestone Pro Am Regatta week," said Dana Hokin, Bitter End Yacht Club Owner and Managing Partner. "Both amateurs and the legends of sailing who will participate are looking forward to this year's competition and the lively social schedule that awaits them off the water, too. And, I am also pleased to announce that Banco Popular has joined the rapidly growing list of premier sponsors for this unique event."

The 2006 Pro Am Regatta sponsorship roster currently includes title sponsor Vineyard Vines (resort wear and accessories), Mount Gay Rum, RoadTown Wholesale (distributors of Mount Gay Rum), Musto International (foul-weather gear maker), Corum Watches, Winward Production's Ultimate Sailing Calendar, Sail Magazine, Highland Spring Mineral Water, Greg Norman Estates (wine), Penfolds (wine), Extrasport (life vests), Racing in Paradise (boat builder, manager and charter outfitter), and Banco Popular.

In addition to Coutts and Cayard, professional participants at this Year's Pro Am Regatta include Ken Read, two-time Pro Am winner, two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, five-time J-24 World Champion and Etchells World Champion; Dawn Riley, Whitbread and America's Cup veteran, President of the Women's Sports Foundation and America True; Dave Perry, one of the best-known sailors of the last 30 years, both as a world class racer, and as an inspirational author and educator; Lowell North, Founder of North Sails and Olympic Gold Medalist; Keith Musto, 2005 Pro Am winner, the U.K.'s best known dinghy sailor and Olympic Medalist; Rod Johnstone, 1st Annual Pro Am host, 2000 Pro Am winner and J-boat designer; Bruce Kirby, 1st Annual Pro Am host, two-time World Champion in I-14s, two-time Canadian Olympian, Father (designer) of the Laser, Sonar and Ideal 18 and penned America's Cup racers for Canada (Canada 1 and 2), and Butch Ulmer, 1999 Pro Am winner and founder of U.K. Sails.

Pro Am Regatta guests will also be able to watch a number of other well known sailing pros in action, such as Andrew Waters, Fred Ruebeck, Colin Rathbun, Mike Masters, Mark Plaxton, Garry Turpin, Arjan Stoof, and Racing in Paradise's owners, Richard Wooldridge and Chris Haycraft. These sailors are serious contenders on the Caribbean circuit that includes the Rolex Regatta and the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival.

The 5th Annual Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championships will also take place during Pro Am Regatta Week and Bitter End guests can enjoy an array of non-sailing activities that include lively cocktail parties, theme dinners, informational seminars, snorkeling, an excursion to beautiful Anegada island, scuba diving, windsurfing and beachcombing.

For more information on the 20th Annual Pro Am Regatta or to reserve your space among the stars of the sailing world, please call 800.872.2392, email [e-mail] or cruise the web at www.beyc.com.

About Bitter End Yacht Club

Stretching along a mile of unspoiled beach and expansive marina waterfront on the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, Bitter End Yacht Club is the ultimate Caribbean destination for the watersports enthusiast. The North Sound - one of the largest, most protected noncommercial harbors in the Caribbean - is a must-visit destination for sailors, experts and novices alike. Bitter End's calm, clear waters and steady year-long trade winds distinguish it from other resorts in the BVI and worldwide. Originally made up of a shorefront pub and five rustic cottages, Bitter End was purchased by Chicago's Hokin family in 1973 and retains the spirit of a family retreat.

The resort includes more than 85 beachfront guest rooms, the world's largest complimentary fleet of more than 100 watercrafts, 70 moorings and 20 slips, an on-site sailing school, regularly scheduled snorkeling excursions, kiteboarding, Spa at Bitter End, two restaurants, on-site bakery, dive shop, the Emporium (provisioning), Bitter End Outfitters (vacation gear), shops, freshwater pool and several private beaches.

Bitter End Yacht Club is consistently recognized by leading travel publications as one of the top Caribbean vacation destinations. Recent accolades include Outside Traveler's 2005 "Top Twelve Pure and Unspoiled Resorts in the Caribbean," Islands' 2006 Caribbean Guide "27 Great Caribbean Vacations," Brides' 2006 "The Sexiest Stays in the Caribbean" and the 2006 "100 Best Romantic Resorts of the World" book (5th edition). For more information or to make reservations, call toll-free at 800-872-2392, direct at [phone] or e-mail at [e-mail]. Cruise the web site at www.beyc.com.