26 April – 1 May 2020
Antigua Sailing Week started in 1968 when a group of friends got together to hold a regatta. A number of the friends were hoteliers and part of their objective in creating the regatta was to extend the winter season by getting people to stay in Antigua a little longer – or to come specifically to participate in the event which would, in turn, extend the end of the current season.
So in 1968, the Antigua Hotel Association sponsored the very first Antigua Sailing Week which was held from the 8th through the 15th of June with participating boats from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Invitations were extended far and wide via travel agents, inviting everyone to come to the ‘Island for All Seasons’ – Antigua. Festivities included a three-day ‘Lord Nelson Regatta’ with sailing yachts of up to 135-feet in length, powerboat races, deep-sea fishing and Sunfish sailing contests. There was also a two-day race among Antigua’s workboat fishermen whose boats had been freshly painted in bold Caribbean colours specifically for the event.
The Antiguan Government and Antigua Sailing Week Committee went to great lengths to welcome visitors and ensure they had a good time. For those not on the water but looking for a way to be part of the action, there were beach and verandah parties from which the events could be observed; alternatively, a small fee could be paid for a spot to race on a participating boat.
