Entries are open for Antigua Sailing Week 2023

Race, hunt, celebrate: Registrations for Antigua Sailing Week 2023 are open

by Antigua Sailing Week Dec 16 7:24 AM PST
April 29 – May 5, 2023

Antigua Sailing Week is back in 2023 for a week of exciting competitions on the water and fun celebrations on land, all set against the backdrop of the warm seas, strong winds and spectacular scenery of this historic Caribbean island.

The Notice of Race is now out and registrations are coming in from all over the world and it is expected that there will be over 100 yachts.

ASW kicks off the standalone 52-mile Peters & May Round Antigua Race on Saturday, April 29th. ASW Racing begins the next day with English Harbor Rum Race Day. Daily races continue through May 5th, not forgetting Wednesday’s Lay Day, a legendary culmination of the packed program ashore, known for unforgettable beach entertainment. CSA Racing, CSA Two-Handed Boats, CSA Multihulls, Classic, Sportboat and Cruising classes are all invited, and for the first time the event will coincide with the three-day Antigua Wingfoil Championships.

The entries pile up quickly. Peter Corr and his US team on King 40 Blitz will return to defend their 2022 overall victory achieved with an undefeated streak of CSA Division 4 first places.

“We won the Lord Nelson Trophy overall, which to be honest was a surprise,” says Peter. “I so enjoyed our time at Antigua Sailing Week and the crew made it possible. We had worked so closely together during the four previous regattas and it really was a complete team. Antigua is a great place, with beautiful seas and strong winds most of the time and of course great parties!” He adds: “I’m looking forward to returning in 2023 hoping to defend our title.”

Meanwhile, Andrea Merani’s Solaris 72 Black Pearl returns after a four-year absence to face the competition in the big boat class. At the same time, the more relaxed pace of the cruising divisions is attracting contenders like Gary O’Grady of Great Britain, who will be competing on his 29-foot Westerly Konsort Katy. Gary is traveling to Antigua Sailing Week for the first time, sailing both sides of the Atlantic in the ARC Rally.

“I’m really looking forward to being there,” he says. “Antigua Sailing Week is an event I’ve always dreamed of. Once we are done Peters & May will be sending Katy straight back to the UK for us to compete in the Round the Island (Isle of Wight) race in June.”

Several race proven entries are already leading the way for the good number of charter entries expected. Chartered boats traditionally make up a significant portion of the field and provide an easy solution for yacht crews sailing together in their home waters to fly in from corners of the world to participate. The Bénéteau First 47.7 EH01 will be driven by Andy Middleton, a veteran Antigua Sailing Week participant, the first boat in its Global Yacht Racing charter fleet. Individual seats can still be booked on board EH01.

Antigua Sailing Week’s official bareboat sponsor, Dream Yacht Charter, is offering charter packages on a range of yachts, all race-ready for the event’s bareboat classes. The events website also lists a number of other racing boats, many courtesy of LV Yachting, available for captained charter in CSA classes, from a Volvo 65/70 to a J122. Custom crew options are available on the Salona 45 Panacea. Charter entries of First 53 Yagiza and Swan 68 Defiance are already confirmed.

The multihull boats are also gearing up for a hot competition. Entries from Anthony McVeigh’s home Dragonfly 28 Bobby Dazzler and Guy Chester’s Crowther Tri 46 Oceans Tribute from Australia paved the way for a wide range of boats and crews in this class.

While many participants are based in the Caribbean and have crossed even more oceans to arrive in Antigua, there is still time for potential participants to bring their boats to Antigua courtesy of yacht shipping specialists Peters & May. Antigua Sailing Week also welcomes the support of discounted fares from Virgin Atlantic, which connects European competitors to the island by flying direct to Antigua from the UK.

Antigua Sailing Week uses the CSA rating system. Owners who do not already have a CSA certificate for their yacht or who need to revalidate an existing one can contact the Caribbean Sailing Association.

“We can’t wait for April to arrive and welcome the yachts to Falmouth Harbor for the start of another fantastic Antigua Sailing Week,” commented Race Manager Jaime Torres. “It’s going to be bigger and better than our Back-from-Covid event last year with more classes and closer racing in beautiful Antigua.”

Antigua Sailing Week first took place in 1968 and more than 50 years later is firmly established as one of the ‘big ones’ on the world sailing calendar. The high level of racing is only surpassed by the spectacular party scene. Music, fresh food from the grill and Antigua’s own plentiful supply of rum are the highlights of the après racing, including the awards ceremony after each race day and all the beach fun and entertainment of lay day. – / Marina Johnson

For more information about Antigua Sailing Week, please visit the official website: sailingweek.com

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