This is a new event designed for teams who already have a boat in the Caribbean and want one more serious week at sea before heading north. The focus is simple. Tight logistics, expert race management and four days of fast racing in a row.
Antigua and Barbuda is about to make its debut. Antigua Racing Cup A new performance regatta specially created to provide a clean entry into the Caribbean racing season from 9 to 12 April 2026.
The event serves as a natural extension of the region’s existing spring circuits, targeting high-octane racing teams already active in major events such as the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, BVI Spring Regatta, RORC Caribbean 600, ARC and transatlantic participants in the RORC Transatlantic Race.
Regatta built around performance
Organizers are promoting the Antigua Racing Cup as a quality-first event aimed at performance-oriented teams rather than a mass participation festival regatta.
The race course is tailored to the boats competing, with the flexibility of virtual markings allowing precise and rapid adaptation to conditions. An international panel of judges oversees the regatta, ensuring a professional structure and consistency of results.
Core identity is competitive. Clear class divisions, fair racing, and a course design that allows the boats to perform as intended.
Why Antigua is right for you
Antigua already functions as one of the most established sailing hubs in the Caribbean, with a deep infrastructure for visiting programs including boat yards, shipping options, marine services and an experienced race management base.
The Antigua Racing Cup is centered on the island’s south coast, using racecourses close to Falmouth and English Harbour. This is a meaningful benefit for crews managing fatigue, schedules and turnaround times.
Shorter travel times to the course allow teams to spend more time racing and less time driving the cars. This is especially useful for ocean races or crews embarking on tight Caribbean schedules.
Designed to complement circuits
Timing is one of the main selling points.
The Antigua Racing Cup will be held in early April at a logical moment in the season. After the winter sea events and major spring regattas, boats and crews move back to Europe and North America for the summer campaign.
The Antigua Racing Cup is designed to capture boats already in the area rather than trying to pull them away from other events, giving the Caribbean season a condensed and professional finish to four days.
Dual scoring: CSA and IRC
A notable competitive feature is dual scoring in both CSA and IRC. This is to reflect the mixed fleets that regularly appear at Caribbean regattas.
Race organizers and competitors have pointed to dual scoring as a practical solution to making the event more inclusive for visiting international teams and regional Caribbean programs without forcing owners to change how they campaign their boats.
The goal is to lower the barriers for teams to get through the circuit and create a more seamless transition between ocean and inland racing.
Initial propulsion with multihulls
The list of items is already starting to take shape, including the first multihull addition, Adrian Lee’s HH66. Lee Overlay Partners III.
The initial composition of the team reflects the intent of the regatta. This means attracting an already active program from across the Caribbean, including returning Antigua Sailing Week participants, overseas veterans and regionally based high-performance boats.
Antigua’s new anchor event
The Antigua Racing Cup also reinforces Antigua’s long-standing position as one of the Caribbean’s most important sailing destinations, anchored by English Harbour, Falmouth Harbour, and the island’s established regatta culture.
The event, with the support of the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Tourism, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Board and the National Park of Antigua, further strengthens the destination’s strategy to leverage sailing and water sports as key pillars of tourism.
Set to debut in April 2026, the Antigua Racing Cup aims to become a serious new fixture on the Caribbean racing calendar. Built for teams who want to be focused, professional, and fast.
