To answer a couple of questions it certainly appears the boaters played by the rules. I have seen nothing about a fly by of the soggy dollar and don’t believe they entered white bay or even within a mile of Jost. Sailboats are allowed to tack and transit as a right of innocent passage under UNCLOS. The BVI has the right even under UNCLOS to restrict passage. There are however procedures such as publishing a notice to Mariners they failed to follow.
When the first boat was seized it was published by several sources they snorkeled at the Indians and were heading for the WillyT. I even suspected that was true because it made sense. Why else would the BVI stop and detain them? As it turns out what makes no sense is the actions of BVI customs. A little bit of common sense goes a long way. The big loser in this is the BVI. It has become worldwide news. I was texted by a friend in Europe who read the story in a local newspaper.