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Unprecedented storm forces iconic resort’s temporary closure; Plans for restoration are underway.

February 6, 2018 11:05 am

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Virgin Gorda, BVI (February 2, 2018) – The Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, leaving over 64 acres, one mile of shoreline and over 50 structures destroyed in its path. The task at hand for restoration of the iconic destination is extraordinary, but the Bitter End community is steadfast in its mission to restore Bitter End’s legacy. This week, Bitter End’s ownership family confirmed a temporary closure of the property with plans to announce a reopening date in the coming months.

Richard Hokin, Operating Owner, expressed, “Although Bitter End will be closed temporarily, there is no storm of any category that could extinguish our spirit. That spirit is a part of every one of us, past and present, who have experienced this special place. My family and I are committed to ensuring that Bitter End’s legacy continues on.”

BEYC’s ownership and team have been passionately involved in relief efforts to support their employees and the recovery of the territory. Their immediate focus has been on fundraising to support the recovery, with $800,000 raised to date.  This effort has been overwhelmingly supported by individual donations from Bitter End’s impassioned guests and a community of kindred spirits across the maritime and travel sectors. The fund also received two major gifts; one gift, most generously donated from an anonymous long-standing Bitter End guest in addition to a gift from the David Hokin Foundation. 100% of the funds are being directed to the Virgin Gorda community, focused on healthcare and education in addition to direct aid to Bitter End’s 178 employees who were employed at the time of the storm. Richard Hokin noted, “We are able to do this because of the remarkable bond, sense of community and love of place that exists between Bitter End’s team and its guests and friends who have demonstrated their commitment to the future. Our efforts to raise funds for the team and for the community will continue as an integral part of planning for Bitter End’s revival.”

BEYC now undertakes the task of restoring Bitter End to the iconic Caribbean destination it has been for the past fifty years and is excited to announce it has engaged world-renowned architectural firm Simplemente Madera, led by Matthew Falkiner, to assist in developing the resort’s next chapter. Simplemente Madera brings world class design to create beautiful spaces that enhance guest’s interaction with the natural environment, combining both simplicity and sophistication. Recent notable Simplemente Madera projects include Morgan’s Rock Hacienda, Jicaro Island Eco-Lodge, and Calala Island, all in Nicaragua. Simplemente Madera’s mission is a natural complement to Bitter End’s ecological philosophy with respect for the environment at the forefront of their work. “Bitter End’s new design will honor its legacy, allowing the natural beauty of the environment and bespoke experiences to capture center stage, enhanced by simplicity and responsibility in design and style,” said Richard Hokin. “It is important to us that North Sound continues to be the visually inviting destination it has been for generations, both for travelers and visiting mariners,” he added.

Bitter End is focused on having shorefront operations in full swing as soon as feasible, followed by continuous development across the 64-acre property. Hokin added, “The Bitter End community’s spirit and support have never has been stronger. That, especially, has strengthened our resolve to turn our challenge into the exciting opportunity of bending on new sails and continuing with the remarkable voyage that has been and will continue to be Bitter End.”

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BEYC Launches Irma Relief Fund to Support BEYC Employees & the Virgin Gorda Community

October 6, 2017 11:08 am

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On September 6, 2017, Irma, the strongest Atlantic hurricane in the past fifty years and the most powerful ever to strike the eastern Caribbean, caused massive destruction throughout the region. Irma’s eye and her most destructive winds passed directly over Bitter End, North Sound and the island of Virgin Gorda. The entire Virgin Gorda community was devastated, miraculously with only one storm-related fatality.

Just as Hurricane Irma relief efforts were being mobilized, another Category 5 storm, Hurricane Maria, battered the Caribbean, bringing more destruction and paralyzing supply lines and relief efforts. The combination of Irma and Maria destroyed or severely crippled most of the British Virgin Islands’ infrastructure, including water, electricity, transportation and communications. In Virgin Gorda, virtually all homes, businesses, healthcare and educational facilities were demolished or extensively damaged. the two storms have displaced thousands of people from their homes and employment, leaving a humanitarian crisis that will require immense resources and support to achieve recovery.

Bitter End has been our family’s business in Virgin Gorda for over forty years, and we are committed to helping rebuild the Virgin Gorda community and the greater BVI in any way we can. Today, we are asking for your support in the enormous task in front of us. Our mission began with our hands-on relief efforts in the Virgin Gorda and with the You Caring crowdsourcing fund we have created for our employees and the broader Virgin Gorda community that have lost so much to Irma. To make a donation, you can visit our fund by clicking the link here. 100% of the proceeds will go to rebuilding lives of a community that we all share a love for. The community will be grateful for every contribution; no amount is too small.

For those partners and friends of Bitter End who would like to support our efforts on a larger scale, be it individually or through corporate contributions, we have established a donor advised fund, known as the Bitter End Irma Relief Fund in partnership with The Resource Foundation to coordinate disaster relief efforts in Virgin Gorda. The Resource Foundation is a NY based non-profit organization that partners with local organizations to provide long‐term reconstruction and recovery assistance in areas afflicted by natural disasters. These organizations can quickly assess needs on the ground and develop initiatives that offer ongoing assistance in the medium and long-term so that victims can rebuild their homes, schools and healthcare facilities; and reestablish their businesses and restore their livelihoods. The Resource Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and all contributions to this fund are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers. To make a donation or to learn more about our partnership with The Resource Foundation, please visit our donor advised fund on their website at http://resourcefnd.org/funds/bitter-end-irma-relief-fund/. For more information on making a donation or the work we are doing in the region, please contact Kerri Quinn Jaffe, our Chief Marketing Officer at 203-656-5008 or kjaffe@beyc.com.

Throughout these challenging circumstances, it has become even more apparent that Bitter End is far more than a travel destination. It has reminded us that the BEYC experience transcends the typical family vacation, and that there is a real connection between BEYC visitors, and the people of Virgin Gorda. One annual Repeater Guest has recently stepped forward with a Donation Match Program. This family is matching “dollar for dollar” all donations up to $100,000! Help us reach our goal and please consider a donation today. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to this family for their overwhelming generosity.

Although it’s too soon to put a timeline on Bitter End’s recovery, there is no storm of any category that could extinguish our spirit and our dedication to that very special place in North Sound. This kindred spirit is a part of every one of us, past and present, who has experienced Bitter End’s magic. My family and I will do everything we can to find a way to make sure that the spirit and the substance of Bitter End continues on. Thank you in advance for your consideration of support for this important mission. And thank you all for your friendship over the years to Bitter End, Virgin Gorda and the entire BVI community.

Richard Hokin

Managing Owner, Bitter End Yacht Club

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Post Hurricane Irma Update #2

October 2, 2017 11:11 am

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Dear Friends of Bitter End,

When I last communicated, Lauren and I had set up camp in the southeast corner of Puerto Rico at Las Palmas to continue with Virgin Gorda humanitarian relief and recovery efforts and to begin planning Bitter End’s revival. Las Palmas is a key base for the “Puerto Rican Navy” that has been so committed to Virgin Gorda in Irma’s aftermath. Unfortunately, we forgot to disable the hurricane magnets and after a week in which we were able to make two productive visits to North Sound and the Valley as well as coordinate a number of evacuations, we found Maria bearing down on us. Two of the evacuees, Ingrid and Peter from Saba Rock, along with their two dogs and two cats, were our campmates and provided invaluable help in coping with Maria and her horrendous aftermath.

Not only has Maria devastated Puerto Rico and created a humanitarian crisis whose scale and impact on American citizens may be unprecedented, but she also has destroyed the lifeline that was so important to Virgin Gordians residents in the days following Irma. Now, our Puerto Rican Navy friends, whose energy, empathy, and generosity have been so valuable to Virgin Gorda, find themselves without power, water, fuel and communications for the foreseeable future. Lauren, Ingrid, Peter, and I were able to fly back to the mainland last Tuesday. We did not want to remain and unnecessarily add to the depletion of scarce resources that are critical to the Puerto Rican people themselves.

Once more, we will regroup and continue to make the best contribution possible to Virgin Gorda’s relief and recovery, part of which will include planning for Bitter End’s future.
Finally, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of those who have contributed to the relief efforts and to the Bitter End community for the overwhelming support and concern during this challenging time.

With gratitude,
Richard Hokin

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Post Hurricane Irma Update #1

September 16, 2017 11:14 am

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To the Friends of Bitter End,

We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming generosity of our Bitter End community in support of our colleagues and friends in Virgin Gorda who have lost so much in this storm. We are all heartbroken over what has transpired. Lauren and I arrived in Puerto Rico on the morning of September 8th, two days after Irma had torn through North Sound. We flew down on board a plane loaded with relief supplies for Virgin Gorda and we knew we were on the right track when one of Bitter End’s most loyal Puerto Rican families met us on the tarmac and began helping to unload the plane. It was just the beginning of the extraordinary generosity, energy and outpouring of affection for Bitter End and Virgin Gorda that we have seen over the past several days. They and their entire community are selflessly volunteering their boats, their homes, their time and all sorts of other resources to help the North Sound community as well as the rest of Virgin Gorda. Many others such as the aviation community are demonstrating similar dedication to Virgin Gorda.

We loaded up our Puerto Rican friends’ boats and immediately headed to Virgin Gorda, where we discharged supplies at a wreck-strewn Yacht Harbour before proceeding to North Sound and Bitter End. As you know, we had had no direct contact with our six colleagues that rode out Irma at Bitter End since communications went down around 10 AM on the day of the storm. Twenty-six hours elapsed before we learned via Necker that all at Bitter End were safe. It wasn’t until we arrived at Bitter End and received firsthand reports that we learned how incredibly harrowing and dangerous their experience had been. Now that we have spoken with more people from the community, our colleagues’ experience was no less frightening than many others’.

More important, it was clear that after surviving an unimaginable natural disaster, Virgin Gordians were facing an equally challenging and dangerous humanitarian disaster – no water, no power, no communications, limited supplies of critical pharmaceuticals, little in the way of medical personnel and facilities, food and fuel were in short supply and a critical absence of intact shelter. On Saturday morning, we were able to deliver supplies to the North Sound community and to evacuate Stacia, Joe and Scottie while Marcus, Chico and Mar chose to remain in Virgin Gorda. We also evacuated at least thirty others from North Sound and the Valley. Lauren and I will base in Puerto Rico for a while and travel back and forth to North Sound so we can help our Puerto Rican friends and North Sound neighbors deliver relief supplies and anything else that can help the people that are in need; and there are enormous needs ranging from medical, to security to a myriad of other resources. We also will be organizing Bitter End’s cleanup and planting the seeds for its recovery. It’s all truly daunting but worth every ounce of effort that goes into it.

A heartfelt thank you to our friends in the North Sound and all over the world for your support. We owe special thanks to our friends right here in Puerto Rico (also known as the Puerto Rican Navy Relief Efforts). This brigade of heroes continues to give tirelessly to the relief efforts. We ask all of you to please continue spreading awareness in your own communities. The best way to support the relief effort now is to make a donation, no matter how small, to one of the many funds set up to support those impacted by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean. It is a long road ahead. We will need everyone’s help as we journey down the path.

With gratitude,
Richard Hokin

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