Antigua Sailing Week Announces New Format

Jim Vos, a longtime supporter of Antigua Sailing Week, keeps it local with a young Antiguan crew on his RP37 Warthog. Paul Wyeth

Key highlights of The Antigua Racing Cup

• A new platform for high-performance sailing in the Caribbean
• Convenient four-day race schedule
• Ideal calendar position for campaigning boats, race charters, one-design racing and professional sailors as well as Corinthian crews on our core racer-cruisers and race charter boats.

Key highlights of Antigua Sailing Week:

• A return to destination sailing, point to point around Antigua
• A new, shorter format to better fit into people’s vacation schedules
• An option to cruise point to point or race

Once upon a time, and especially in the heyday of big-boat racing, Antigua Sailing Week was the hot regatta of the Caribbean racing calendar, drawing international teams, large yachts, and an eclectic mix of professional and amateur sailors. The regatta, however, has evolved over the years to accommodate the changing desires of high-level race teams that are looking for a more focused racing schedule and the wishes of the cruising and charter-boat sailors looking for a less rigorous and more scenic experience. Satisfying both groups has never been easy, but organizers now have a new solution: one event for the hardcore racers, and another for those seeking a more a laid-back tour of Antigua and Barbuda.

According to an press release issued in late July, the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment announced the creation of The Antigua Racing Cup (April 9 to 12, 2026). The Antigua Racing Cup, organizers say, “is an event for racing purists—those who prefer high-energy, coastal racing with a fast-paced schedule and a focus on spirited competition.”

The event will provide four days of coastal racing, based out of English Harbor, and its scheduling is “strategically placed in the calendar to allow teams to compete and then head off to their summer events.”

View of English Harbour from Shirley Heights, Antigua, one of the post-race views in the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority

Antigua Sailing Week proper, which will take place from April 22 to 26, 2026, will then return to its traditional point-to-point courses, as each day’s races will finish at a different destination.

“Antigua Sailing Week will entertain a mix of boat types and crews, and is tailored to cruisers, rally-style participants and bareboat charter groups,” organizers say. Courses will be point-to-point for rally racers, with additional marks added for teams that prefer more challenging and longer coastal-style races.

“The Antigua Racing Cup is for those on tight schedules who want a fast, focused, and fiercely fun regatta, while Antigua Sailing Week returns to its cruising roots,” said Race Manager Jaime Torres. “Having two separate events, each with a narrower focus, will allow us to deliver a more immersive and enriching yachting experience to a wider audience.”

Sir Richard Matthew’s Team Oystercatcher, sailing the chartered J/122 Liquid at Antigua Sailing Week. Paul Wyeth/Antigua Sailing Week

On the repositioning of Antigua Sailing Week and the creation of the new Antigua Racing Cup, Minister of Tourism, Charles “Max” Fernandez says, “This exciting new and strategic direction comes after consulting with all our stakeholders, both at the community level and those directly involved in the yachting sector. We anticipate a period of sailing in Antigua that better serves everyone, dedicated racers and social cruisers, while celebrating everything we love about sailing in Antigua & Barbuda”.

In addition to Antigua Sailing Week and the new Antigua Racing Cup, the sailing calendar will also feature the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta with the introduction of a Model Boat Race which will be an exciting draw for the entire family showcasing boats built by the local yachting community.

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