- Picturesque backdrop and versatile conditions
- "Wide variety of courses attracts regatta sailors"
- Close race to the end
- Competitive and Caribbean laid-back
- Regatta with tradition and international flair
- Large German participation
- Falling participant numbers
- Antigua Sailing Week repositions itself
While the sailing season on the North and Baltic Seas is just beginning, it is coming to an end in the Caribbean with Antigua Sailing Week. This traditional event at the end of April is one of the oldest in the region. It is the festive finale for regatta crews in particular, before many of them return to Europe or North America with their boats. The atmosphere at the 56th edition was correspondingly exuberant. Despite a drop in the number of participants, it impressed with exciting races on the water and Caribbean vibes on land.
Picturesque backdrop and versatile conditions
A total of 53 crews from 16 nations competed against the picturesque backdrop of Antigua. The conditions off the coast of English Harbour were varied. An ideal start on Sunday with trade winds between 12 and 16 knots was followed by a Monday characterised by squalls and changeable winds. For the rest of the week, moderate winds of between 7 and 15 knots prevailed.
Moreover, it wasn't just the weather that provided plenty of variety at this year's Antigua Sailing Week; the diversity of the participating boat classes was also impressive. These ranged from 24-foot one-design yachts and charter yachts to race-proven classics such as the 79-foot Sparkman & Stephens "Kialoa III" and modern Volvo racers such as Roy Disney's "Pyewacket".
"Wide variety of courses attracts regatta sailors"
The special feature: 70-foot carbon fibre racing machines sailed in the same field as charter cruiser yachts. This mix presented a challenge, according to Jaime Torres, Race Manager of Antigua Sailing Week. He tried to find an answer to this with a wide variety of courses.
"For the big boats, we planned long stretches where they could stretch their legs and unfurl their big sails." The rest of the fleet completed shorter courses along the south coast of Antigua, passing Nelson's Dockyard and Willoughby Bay. These ranged from four to over 20 nautical miles. According to Torres, it is this variety of courses that attracts sailors to Antigua every year.
Close race to the end
Roy Disney's "Pyewacket" ultimately dominated the small field in the first racing class and secured first place ahead of the VO65 "Sisi" (AUT) and "Sailing Poland" (GBR). The results in the other racing classes were less clear-cut: the "Wave Walker", a Swan 58 flying the US flag, took victory in the second class. In the largest group, the CSA 4, the team from the Italian "Caccia Alla Volpe", led by skipper Carlo Falcone, a former Olympic sailor, was able to defend its lead.
Britain's Steve Rigby and his team confidently led the third regatta group with "El Ocaso", a chartered J122. This enabled them to secure the Lord Nelson Trophy for the third time in a row. This honours the winner of racing classes two, three or four with the fastest corrected overall time.
"It was really competitive, so despite the boat's successes in the past, we are very pleased. It feels like the most competitive regatta El Ocaso has ever taken part in." Steve Rigby, "El Ocaso" skipper
In the bareboat class, where international amateur crews sail against each other on charter boats, the Swiss crew skippered by Jakob Oetiker came out on top. The boats competed in a total of ten different classes.
All other results you will find here on the page of the Antigua Sailing Week
Competitive and Caribbean laid-back
In addition to the competitive races on the water, many sailors also appreciate the varied annual supporting programme on land. According to the organisers, daily award ceremonies, live concerts and various events are not only intended to encourage interaction between the international crews. They are also intended to provide opportunities for interaction with locals and other visitors. This also includes festival-like events such as "Reggae & Rum" and Lay Day on the neighbouring Pigeon Point Beach.
Regatta with tradition and international flair
Since its inception in 1968, Antigua Sailing Week has grown into a major international event. Its initial aim was to extend the season in the Caribbean and act as a marketing tool for Antigua, says Alison Sly-Adams. She is the president of Antigua Sailing Week. "It is now considered the grandmother of Caribbean regattas."
In addition to local and North American teams, crews from Austria, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ireland and other countries also took part this year. The German-speaking crews are usually particularly well represented in the bareboat charter class. This year, three crews took sixth, seventh and tenth place.
Large German participation
Every year, the race also attracts numerous German-speaking crews to the Caribbean. According to the organisers, this is also thanks to Hartmut Holtmann's many years of commitment. The charter company KH+P has brought more crews to Antigua Sailing Week than any other organisation. In 1997, the participation of German-speaking teams reached its peak with 40 crews, including support boats. In the record years, a total of around 250 crews took part in Antigua Sailing Week.
Falling participant numbers
But those days are a thing of the past. In recent years, the number of participants has fallen steadily and, according to the organisers, has levelled off at around 100 boats. The coronavirus pandemic also had an impact, as Antigua Sailing Week had to be cancelled two years in a row.
And the number of participants has continued to fall: In 2025, there were only 53 crews. The organisers explain this with an increasingly busy regatta calendar in the Caribbean. In addition to Antigua Sailing Week, the island also hosts the RORC Caribbean 600 in February and the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta takes place in April. In addition, the regatta season starts earlier in the Mediterranean and on the US East Coast, which is why many racing yachts return earlier from the Caribbean.
Antigua Sailing Week repositions itself
According to Sly-Adams, there are plans to adapt Antigua Sailing Week accordingly in the coming years. One aim is to bring forward the date of the event, although the exact date has yet to be finalised. In addition, the class division is to be restructured in order to do justice to the changing ratio of racers, cruisers and charter boats. Next year, there will also be an Antigua Race Week from 18 to 22 March, which will focus on the racing classes.
