Valentine's Day Cup
Bambarra Beach, Middle CaicosNo new date set yet.
The Valentine’s Day Cup is a model sailboat race and social event that takes place annually over the Valentine’s Day weekend on Middle Caicos. Model sailboat builders create their own miniature Caicos Sloops (a local style of sailboat) and compete for trophies in several races.
The event is held on picturesque Bambarra Beach, a quiet beach on the island’s north coast. It boasts incredibly shallow water that creates the perfect conditions for model sailboat racing.
The event can draw as many as 300 visitors to Bambarra, which on most days of the year sees less than a dozen people.
Middle Caicos and Bambarra Beach
Middle Caicos is the largest island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago and also the least populated, with less than 200 year-round residents. The population can easily triple during the Valentine’s Day Cup, which is the island’s largest event of the year.
Middle Caicos is home to several spectacular beaches, one of which is Bambarra Beach. This beach in Bambarra settlement has white sand and clear, calm, and warm water. Great shade is available on the beach, thanks to the many casuarina trees that grow along the shoreline.
There are several beach huts on-site that sell alcoholic drinks, fresh coconuts, and local food like cracked conch, jerk chicken with peas and rice, and lobster. If you visit Bambarra Beach in the months leading up to the event, you might see Valentine’s Day Cup participants practicing for the races.
What Happens at the Event
The Valentine’s Day Cup attracts competitors and spectators from across the islands and typically features live music and a beach barbecue. Local crafts are also available for purchase from the Middle Caicos Co-op, such as hand-woven baskets and hats and landscape paintings of scenes from around the island.
The event starts at 11:00 AM, with races following shortly after. There are several competition divisions, including the Ladies Open, Men’s Open, B-Class, and the Premier’s Cup. Each model Caicos Sloop is handmade, and the craftsmanship of these boats is quite remarkable. The hull is often carved from solid blocks of wood from the gumbo limbo tree (Bursera simaruba), which is a very soft and lightweight wood. Model boats range in size, but are typically between two and three feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) long and three to four feet (0.9 to 1.2 m) tall from hull to mast.
Participants are counted in by a judge. The model boats are tethered to a thin cord that competitors tug on to steer the vessel.
While the races are going on, most spectators eat, drink, and swim on the outskirts of the areas reserved for the race.
How to Attend
There is no way to drive from Providenciales to Middle Caicos. To get to the island, you’ll need to either charter a private plane to the Middle Caicos Airport (MDS), sail across on a private boat, or catch the passenger ferry to North Caicos, which is connected to Middle Caicos by a causeway.
Unless you have your own boat or can ride over on a friend’s, the ferry is the most affordable option. A return ticket to North Caicos costs $65 (2024 price) and takes about 25 minutes each way.
Caribbean Cruisin’ typically runs multiple vessels to accommodate extra passengers for the Valentine’s Day Cup. This is the most popular way to travel to Middle Caicos, so expect long lines. It’s best to arrive at the dock a minimum of 30 minutes early in order to secure a spot on the ferry during this event.
Once you’ve landed in Bellefield Landing, North Caicos, you’ll need a car to drive to Middle Caicos. The ferry often organizes a bus that makes this trip during the Valentine’s Day Cup. Rental cars must be booked well in advance during this time. Parking is available at Bambarra Beach.
If you’d like to spend the night on Middle Caicos, there are a few small hotels you can book, such as the Dragon Cay Resort. Note that taxis are virtually non-existent on Middle Caicos.
What to Bring and Other Considerations
Middle Caicos has very limited infrastructure and services. North Caicos is where many of the island’s residents go to get food, fuel, and supplies.
It’s best to bring a cooler with ice, drinks, and snacks for the day. There are a few huts on Bambarra Beach that sell food and drink, but wait times for food can be well over an hour during the Valentine’s Day Cup.
The mosquitoes on Middle Caicos can be relentless at times of the year, so packing insect repellent is a must. So is sunscreen.
Located in Bambarra Beach
Bambarra Beach is a picturesque beach located on Middle Caicos. The water here tends to be much calmer than most of the other Middle Caicos beaches, making it arguably the best beach for swimming. Bambarra Beach is also the home of the annual Valentine’s Day Cup model sailboat race.