The British Virgin Islands Shipping Registry have announced that they added two new ports of registry for those wishing to fly the red ensign of the island nation.

Now in addition to Road Harbour it is possible to register a yacht in Gorda Sound and White Bay.

The advantage is that superyacht owners can now choose the wording on the stern of the boat yet still belong to one country on red ensign flag state with 60 islands and over 70 safe superyacht anchorages

Under the UK Red Ensign Group of registries, the BVI holds Category 1 status, similar to that of Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar and Isle of Man and is permitted to register vessels, trading internationally, including –

• General cargo ships of unlimited tonnage;
• Yachts of up to 3000 gross tons; and
• Vessels previously covered under Category 2.

Such vessels will need to be certificated under international conventions and surveys and inspections will need to be carried out anywhere in the world.