Antigua Sailing Week 2014
One of the Caribbean’s premier sailing events, Antigua Sailing Week 2014 will attract over 100 boats from over 20 countries. The event draws more than 1,500 participants and some 5,000 spectators every year. Races begin at Nelson’s Dockyard in St. Johns. Each year, the event begins with the conclusion of a race between Guadeloupe to Antigua. The week then begins with a race around the picturesque island of Antigua before five days of regatta racing. Antigua Sailing Week 2014 will run from 26 April to 2 May.
Antigua Sailing Week was first organised in 1968 by a group of friends in the hopes to attract visitors to the island following the end of the popular winter season. The original intent was to promote Antigua as a year-round destination with a world-class sailing competition. The inaugural Antigua Sailing Week saw boats from the Caribbean, Canada and the United States participate. The week-long event included a three-day regatta with sailing yachts, a two-day race among workboat fishermen on the island, powerboat races and deep-sea fishing. In 1988, the event’s classic sailing class race was split off to create the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta.
Antigua Sailing Week features one of the most prestigious international regattas in the world. The regatta attracts entries from across the Caribbean and around the world. The regatta attracts serious competitors with state-of-the-art and high-performance racing vessels. In 2013, world-class teams include Jose Arozamena’s Farr 73 Maximizer, Hector Verlarde’s Nelson Marek 92 Locura, Patrick Wynn’s 94-foot German Frers CNB Bristolian, and King Harald of Norway’s RP 78 Whisper. The Regatta is held for CSA Monohull, CSA Bareboat and Multihull classes. Races for subdivisions within each class are also staged throughout the competition.
For five days during Antigua Sailing Week 2014, boats compete as spectators cheer on from stunning vantage points on the island. Visitors can also watch races during the week from dedicated spectator boats travelling alongside competing yachts and cruising boats. Throughout the week, special events are held alongside competitive sailing. Parties are held at beaches, restaurants and bars, as well as at Nelson’s Dockyard and the Antigua Yacht Club. On the final day of Antigua Sailing Week, the event closes with a ball and awards presentation with representatives of the island’s government, skippers and crews and owners.
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