Rain showers, fast boats, and cold rum — Antigua Sailing Week 2025 is off to a flying start.

Antigua Sailing Week 2025 may have a smaller fleet, but make no mistake — the spirit, the racing, and the good times are as vibrant as ever. Walking the docks of English Harbour, it’s clear: serious racing and serious fun are still very much alive.

The regatta officially launched with the Peters & May Round Antigua Race, held under grey skies and heavy tropical rain. In true sailor spirit, the weather didn’t dampen the action — or the enthusiasm.

Roy Disney’s Pyewacket dominated the day, carving through the rain-slicked waters to claim victory.

“There were times we were only doing three knots,” Disney said, describing the slow crawl around the island’s lee shore. “But then we got round the corner and were holding steady at 17 knots — with bursts up to 20 under the squall lines. When you’re surfing at 20 knots, this boat is very special.”

It was a gritty, memorable start to the week — and a reminder that a little rain never stopped a real sailor.

On Sunday, the main class racing began, with fleets heading out for the first day of official competition. There’s a fresh twist this year: a special One Class Race for RS Elite boats, giving these slick one-design racers their own fiercely competitive playground.

On shore, the Antigua Yacht Club Regatta Village has become the vibrant social heart of the event, offering nightly live music, DJs, prize-givings, and all the sunset revelry sailors and spectators could ask for.

With rising costs of hosting large-scale events, this year’s organisers made the difficult decision not to stage the traditional “Reggae in the Park.” Instead, the energy has been redirected into Rum and Reggae nights at the Yacht Club — keeping spirits high and glasses full.

Bars at the Yacht Club open daily from 3pm, with drink specials (including English Harbour Rum promotions), while the opening ceremony on Saturday night welcomed visitors with the vibrant sounds of the Original Steel Orchestra.

The “Heineken Village” initiative is spreading the party across English Harbour’s bars and restaurants, turning the harbour into a sea of green caps, live music, and cold beers — a true sailor’s playground.

Sailors and visitors can also look forward to the much-loved Lay Day at Pigeon Point Beach, where a full day of dinghy racing, beach games, cocktail competitions, and dancing in the sand at Catherine’s Café awaits.

The week will come to a fitting close with the final prizegiving on the historic lawns of Nelson’s Dockyard, celebrating its 300th anniversary this year, which only a week ago saw the classic beauties of the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Winners will be awarded some of the Caribbean’s and sailing’s most coveted trophies in the shadow of the historic Copper & Lumber Store Hotel.

Antigua Sailing Week 2025 might look a little different, but it’s no less extraordinary. It’s proof that even as the world changes — even as sailing globally faces new challenges from rising costs to environmental concerns —  the spirit, passion, and sheer joy of sailing — and sailing in Antigua — remain as strong as ever.

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