A new chapter for Caribbean racing - The Antigua Racing Cup 2026
by Antigua Racing Cup 19 Nov 22:44 NZDT
April 9-12, 2026
VOR 70, Roy Disney's Pyewacket , WINNERS OF CSA 2 racing during ASW 2025 - the perfect fleet for Antigua Racing Cup 2026 © Paul Wyeth
As Antigua prepares to roll out its inaugural Regatta Month next year, the flagship event, the Antigua Racing Cup, is already poised to make waves in the racing scene across the Caribbean.
The Antigua Racing Cup (ARC) is set to debut April 9-12, 2026, where the spirit of pure competition and professional race management, meet the vibrant energy of Antigua's sailing community and the island's world famous hospitality.
Continuously striving for innovation, the Ministry of Tourism and Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, supported by the National Parks Authority & the wider yachting community along with other local stakeholders, has steered confidently into the wind with the launch of the Antigua Racing Cup, a high-performance regatta designed to build on Antigua Sailing Week and cement Antigua and Barbuda's reputation as a marquee destination for Caribbean racing. The Antigua Racing Cup (ARC) is a bold new addition to the island's sailing calendar, crafted to complement and extend the legacy of Antigua Sailing Week while carving out its own identity.
The Antigua Racing Cup (ARC) is being positioned as a sailors-first regatta, designed to deliver pure, high-level competition off Antigua's south coast, with Nelson's Dockyard serving as both the Regatta Village and the social heartbeat of the event.
Key Features of the Antigua Racing Cup
- Racing-Centric Format: The regatta is designed around the needs and wants of racing sailors only, ensuring that the courses, scheduling, and race management are optimized for performance and fairness.
- South Coast Theatre: Antigua's south coast, with its steady trade winds and dramatic seascapes, provides the perfect natural amphitheater for intense, tactical racing.
- Nelson's Dockyard Hub: This UNESCO World Heritage Site doubles as the Regatta Village, offering sailors and teams a historic yet vibrant base for logistics, camaraderie, and post-race celebrations.
- Social Energy: While the ARC is competition-first, the Dockyard ensures the social side of sailing is not neglected—expect lively gatherings, prize-giving's and cultural showcases that highlight Antigua's maritime heritage.
Why It Matters
- For sailors: It's a chance to compete in a regatta designed entirely around their needs, with challenging courses and world-class race management.
- For Antigua: It strengthens the island's identity as a premier sailing destination, not just for spectacle but for serious competition.
- For the region: It adds depth to the Caribbean racing calendar, ensuring Antigua remains a central hub for international yachting.
"The Antigua Racing Cup is built for sailors who thrive on tight courses, strong trades, and want to kick back ashore," said Race Manager Jaime Torres. "It fills a natural gap in the Caribbean calendar with a regatta focused purely on top-class racing. From the start line to dockside, the Antigua Racing Cup will deliver the high standards sailors expect from the world's great racing venues. The Antigua Racing Cup is designed from the water up, to challenge some of the world's best racing teams with loads of racing in Antigua's epic conditions without the distraction of cruising boats."
Racing Format: Pure Competition at Every Level
Monohulls will enjoy racing under dual scoring (CSA and IRC), seamlessly managed with Nautical Cloud regatta software, ensuring that both regional and international competitors can race on equal terms and get almost immediate results under both rules. On the water, maxis and offshore multihulls will have the opportunity to stretch their legs with longer racetracks over a wide range of wind angles. At the same time, smaller boats will enjoy tighter, tactical racing with a mix of windward/leeward and reaching leg courses.
Dedicated One-Design divisions will feature the RS Elite and Petticrow Dragon fleets and possibly Diam high-performance trimarans, all bringing precision one-design racing into Antigua's renowned trade wind conditions.
Antigua: The Beating Heart of Caribbean Sailing
With its rich maritime heritage and world-class facilities, Antigua remains the beating heart of Caribbean sailing. From the iconic RORC Caribbean 600 to Antigua Classics, the island has become synonymous with spectacular conditions, warm hospitality, and phenomenal racing.
The Regatta Village at Nelson's Dockyard will provide the perfect backdrop for four days of high-intensity sailing and relaxed Caribbean camaraderie as, sailors and members of the community gather for dock parties and daily prize-giving ceremonies, against the backdrop of island-style hospitality.
Whether you're racing a grand-prix machine, a performance cruiser, or a One-Design class, the Antigua Racing Cup offers sailors from around the world the chance to experience competitive, exciting, and unforgettable Caribbean racing.
Antigua is ready to create new history. Join us and be part of the Antigua Racing Cup from the beginning. Entries are open, with the Notice of Race published on Nautical Cloud.