Left: the St Thomas International Regatta in the US Virgin Islands is one of the largest one-design racing events in the Caribbean. With a fleet of IC24 keelboats available to charter, teams of sailors can fly in and race without having to worry about the organisational hassles and expense of boat transport and logistics. Eighteen IC24 teams were on the start line this year, enjoying some very close fought racing. There’s also a one-design fleet of Hobie Wave catamarans. The islands’ reliable medium-to-strong breezes are another attraction and an experienced team of professional race officers pride themselves on setting interesting courses, using islands, cays and rocks as marks rather than just relying on buoys. The regatta also offers handicap racing in four divisions
regattas and a new event mid-February, the St. Maarten Multihull Challenge. After this, the season changes gear with the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s demanding, yet ever popular Caribbean 600 in February.
‘The 600nm course sees more than 30 nations competing,’ says RORC racing manager Chris Stone. ‘The race starts and finishes in Antigua and threads around 11 Caribbean Islands, but the committee is examining options to reversing the course. After 10 years we think it is important to set the next challenge for the new and returning sailors.’
While the race is considered to be at the tough end of offshore racing, the event has inspired an increasing number of double- handed entries which are starting to develop a new class at other events. Antigua Sailing Week also had a double- handed classes this year and plan to continue for 2020.
The St Maarten Heineken Regatta in March is the next major event on the calendar, a well-known and easy to get to four-day series that caters for all types and classes of boats.
New in 2020, the superyacht season in the region gets off to a later start as the Superyacht Challenge Antigua moves to mid-March, but makes it easier to follow on to the biggest superyacht event, the St Barths Bucket – a showcase for some of the world’s largest, finest and fastest yachts as the superyacht scene descends on the chic French island. As much a spectacular parade of sail as it is a serious event, this is a regatta that has a real wow factor for spectators.
After that, the theme swings to the other end of the scale as the focus moves to the St. Thomas International Regatta at the end of March. While this event has its own slice of glamour, one of the big appeals is that it claims to have the largest one-design fleet of the major Caribbean regattas. ‘The IC24s offer handicap-free racing,’ explains Carol Bareuther. ‘Plus, because
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the IC24s are charter boats, it encourages sailors to fly in and sail rather than having the expense of boat transport and logistics. ‘In addition, we can boast about good racing too. I’m sure all events can say the same, but we bring a long-time team of professional race officers down from the US and make a conscious effort to not offer one-size-fits-all race courses. To do this we provide the traditional Caribbean style using islands, cays and rocks as marks when possible, in addition to buoys’. Moving across the Channel one of largest international regattas in the Caribbean continues an almost a 50-year tradition of cutting-edge racing. The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival has long been a “must do” race with almost 100 entries last year from 18 countries. With its superb scenery, the regatta started using all three bodies of water, an ocean, a sea and a channel along with 51 islands to create top racing for the 15 classes over the race week. The race committee uses this vast archipelago of the islands to give racers an opportunity to tour and explore. The world’s largest charter company, The Moorings, offers a great selection of monohulls and multihulls to race. ‘Setting the bar higher each year for new and returning sailors has been our goal for almost half a century. Known as the friendly regatta, the competitors return year after year for more great racing and to uphold or up their game to win,’ said regatta director Judy Petz.
Next stop in 2020 is Antigua Classics week, which hosts an impressive display of yachts from a very different era and next year will move to an earlier slot in the calendar. ‘This is a truly world-class event where like-minded people from all over the globe gather together to share their passion for racing some of the world’s finest classic, vintage and traditional yachts,’ says regatta coordinator Leslie Arnold. ‘Set against a unique, historic backdrop, with four main race days, a singlehanded race, concours d’elégance
and winding down with traditional gig racing and cream teas, this is a must on any serious sailor’s bucket list.’ In April, St Barths is the focus once again, this time for some serious racing in big seas and open waters in Les Voiles de St Barths – another spectacular display of some of the world’s best yachts and crews in action.
Then it is time for the season’s grand finale, the best known of them all, Antigua Sailing Week. In recent years the race format as well as the activities ashore have been reviewed to refine this event. The race management team has listened to the competitors once again and for next year will be introducing a number of changes including some longer courses with some new marks that mean that the courses can be more varied.
The daily prizegiving continues to be an extremely popular feature, especially as it brings a focus to each day and brings people together to help create the very thing that the event has been famous for, its social side.
Antigua Sailing Week is also popular with those left to sort out the end of season logistics. ‘One of the big advantages of this island and the timing of the event is that you can ship directly out of Antigua back to Europe,’ says Sly-Adams. ‘There are good facilities for all, including for the big boats, so it makes good sense for many to finish their Caribbean season here’. But there are some who still can’t get enough Caribbean racing.
One of the most recent additions to the calendar is proving to be very popular with those who are heading back to the USA or making their way to Europe. ‘The Antigua to Bermuda race was set up in 2017 to have some fun racing up from the Caribbean to the America’s Cup in Bermuda and it has continued as boats have realised how beautiful the course is,’ says race director Les Crane. ‘One thousand miles of warm water, along with the safety of knowing you are surrounded by other alert racers and set up for a good party at the start and finish. For some, it’s the perfect way to end their Caribbean season’.
For a full listing of regattas and race charters check out
Caribbean-sailing.com q
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