| Antigua Racing Cup Delivers a Blistering Opening Day |
 Antigua Racing Cup Delivers a Blistering Opening Day © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup |
| Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua – April 9, 2026: The Antigua Racing Cup burst into life in full trade wind conditions off Antigua’s south coast. The gradient easterly breeze in the high ‘teens, with gusts topping 20 knots produced phenomenal tropical racing conditions. The wind speed moderated slightly towards the end of the day, adding another dynamic to strategy. The Race Committee set two technical race courses for CSA 2, 3 and 4 and one long 24nm course for the big boats in CSA 1. It was a demanding opening day, with three classes taking on a five-leg windward leeward courses for Race 1. The opening action featured a punishing five mile beat and a fast, full blooded reciprocal run back down the track. Race 2 delivered a tighter windward leeward contest that put boat handling, crew work and endurance under even greater pressure. The international fleet was treated to nearly five hours of high octane racing in spectacular Caribbean conditions. Provisional results are in, revealing close battles for the podium in the majority of the CSA classes. Adrian Lee’s HH66 Catamaran Lee Overlay Partners III had a fantastic day, fizzing along at over 20 knots through the Caribbean surf. Built with ultra-high modulus C-Foil appendages, and a rotating wing mast Lee Overlay Partners III is the fastest boat at the Antigua Racing Cup and one of the fastest boats racing in the Caribbean. |
 Adrian Lee’s HH66 Catamaran Lee Overlay Partners III © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupCSA 1Dan Gribble’s Tripp 65 Custom Prevail (USA) hit the after burners in the big boat class, taking line honours and the corrected time win with an elapsed time of 3 Hrs 17 Mins in the 24nm race. Second was Lennart Davidsson’s S&S 79 Kialoa III with a corrected CSA time of 14 minutes 23 seconds behind the winner. Third went to John McMonigal’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag (GBR), skippered by Carl Raynes, 6 minutes 57 seconds behind Kialoa III on corrected time. Dan Gribble’s Tripp 65 Custom Prevail © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup John McMonigal’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag & Lennart Davidsson’s S&S 79 Kialoa III © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupCSA 2In Race 1, Steve Rigby’s Grand Soleil 46 Belladonna (GBR) took the corrected time win for Race One by 1 minute 43 seconds from Jim Vos’ RP37 Warthog, (ANT) skippered by Jules Mitchell. Third went to Bruce Chafee’s RP42 Rikki (USA).In Race 2, Warthog fought back, taking the corrected time win by just 71 seconds after CSA time correction from Belladonna, with Rikki taking third once again. Steve Rigby’s Grand Soleil 46 Belladonna © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup CSA 2 fleet start off the Pillars of Hercules in Antigua © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupCSA 3Race 1 went to Poul Hoj-Jensen’s Danish Blue (ANT) with a corrected time win, 2 minutes 31 seconds from Katy Campbell’s Salona 45 Panacea X (CAN). A close battle for third was won by Mark Zamaria’s A40 Team Strada Awakening. Just 54 seconds behind on CSA corrected time was Bernie Evan-Wong’s Mumm 36 High Tension (ANT). J-aguar powered by Heat Wave, skippered by Gary Weisberg (USA), was just 69 seconds off the podium.In Race 2, Danish Blue took their second bullet, beating Panacea X by just over 3 minutes after CSA time correction. J-Aguar Powered by Heat Wave was 1 minute 23 seconds behind Panacea X to take third.  CSA 3 start on the first day of racing © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup Poul Hoj-Jensen’s Danish Blue in CSA3 © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup |
| CSA 4In Race 1, Ashley Rhodes’ Melges 24 Whiplash (ANT) took a comfortable corrected time win for Race 1. In second place, 5 minutes 44 seconds behind was Sigma 38 The Project, skippered by Lee Oldak (USA). Third was Jean-Mallory Rousseau’s First Class 10 Montebello Pepsi (FRA) from Guadeloupe, just 41 seconds behind The Project. In Race 2, Whiplash made it two in a row, taking the corrected time victory from The Project by 5 minutes 08 seconds after CSA time correction. Third was Patrick Holloran’s First 40.7 Caipirinha (GBR) with a corrected time of 2 minutes 32 seconds behind The Project. Caipirinha took third by just 8 seconds from Steven Goddard’s First 36 Faenol (GBR).  Ashley Rhodes’ Antiguan Melges 24 Whiplash © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup CSA 4 fleet start © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupHere is what a few of the victorious teams had to say:CSA 1 – Prevail’s Dan Gribble“It is fantastic to be here for the Antigua Racing Cup. We had been in Antigua before on another boat and I remember seeing Prevail on the dock and thinking what a cool boat she was. Later on we bought her, and to bring her back here to go racing feels very special. We got a good, clean air start today, and once the boat was dialled-up she felt really good. Prevail is a fast cruising boat with all the comforts, but when you get breeze in the mid-teens she really comes alive. That is what makes Antigua such a great place to sail. Coming from Southern California, where the wind can often be light, to race here in 15 to 20 knots in warm trade winds is just superb. Ashore, the camaraderie has been great as well. It is always fun meeting sailors from all over the world.” CSA 2 – Belladonna’s Jeremy Smart“Two great races today in absolute champagne sailing conditions with warm water and sunshine. It was really everything you want from racing in Antigua. CSA 2 was very tight, with boats trading places upwind and downwind in both races, so it already feels like this is shaping up to be a fantastic regatta with close, fun racing throughout the fleet.“In the first race the stronger breeze suited us well. We played slightly offshore near Shirley Heights and that worked in our favour, then downwind we were able to make good gains with our symmetrical set up. The second race was more complicated. It took us a while to get clear air on the first beat, and there were lighter patches near the top mark that made things tricky, especially in conditions that did not really suit our boat. Even so, it was a brilliant day on the water.”CSA 3 – Danish Blue’s Karl James MBE“Today really delivered what the Antigua Racing Cup promised, proper racing on a technical course. It was not straightforward at all because the currents and the wind made every leg a tactical exercise. On the first beat we could see more adverse current under the cliffs because of the line of sargassum weed, so we stayed out of that. Then on the run we came back inshore with the current line and that helped us pass Panacea X. That was very satisfying. What I always try to do is use local knowledge as a guide, not a rulebook, because sailing is fluid and you have to adapt to what is actually happening on the water. It was also special to have a real mix of generations on board today, with sailors I have coached over the years alongside the experience of Poul Høj-Jensen. It was a fantastic Antigua day.” CSA 4 – Whiplash’s Ashley Rhodes“We had a long upwind leg in Race 1, which is not usually our favourite on Whiplash, but we handled it well and had a lot of fun. What makes this boat special is that she is an all-Antiguan team, with my brother back on board, a close friend running tactics, and three young sailors in the crew. From the start, I wanted Whiplash to be a pathway for kids coming out of dinghy sailing and into keelboats, so that is something I am very proud of. My moment of the day was the way the crew reacted to a couple of breakages on board. They dealt with it brilliantly, got us going again almost immediately, and we probably only lost about 20 seconds.” The daily prize giving at the Antigua Racing Cup is where the stories really come alive. It is the perfect chance for teams from around the world to come together after a full-on day on the water, swap tales from the racecourse, and enjoy an added hour of complimentary English Harbour Rum and Amstel Beer. With the trade winds still buzzing and the adrenaline not quite gone, the atmosphere is lively, loud and full of smiles. Winners are always grinners, and some of the day’s top performers had plenty to celebrate. Racing at the first edition of the Antigua Racing Cup continues tomorrow, Friday 10 April. A similar forecast is expected with full trade winds expected to continue. Stay tuned for regular updates via the official regatta website and social media channels: www.antiguaracingcup.com. ENDS/.. Louay Habib/Antigua Racing Cup |
| DAY 1 PRIZEGIVING © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup |
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| The Antigua Racing Cup is the opening chapter of a powerful three-part celebration of racing in Antigua during AprilThree events that define sailboat racing in the CaribbeanFrom 08–12 April 2026, the inaugural Antigua Racing Cup delivers for the high-end racersAntigua Classic Yacht Regatta follows from April 15-19, appealing to classic and spirit-of-tradition yachts.The month concludes with the wonderfully re-imagined Antigua Sailing Week from 22–26 April, focused on destination sailing and point-to-point racing around Antigua, proudly continuing a legacy as one of the world’s oldest and most established sailing regattasSupported by Antigua and Barbuda. The Antigua Racing Cup is proudly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, and National Parks Antigua, whose continued backing reinforces Antigua’s position as a world leading destination for high quality sailing and marine sportFor Antigua Racing Cup online entry and Race Documents: https://arc.nautical-cloud.com/For Antigua Sailing Week: https://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/50418For a CSA Rating: https://caribbean-sailing.com/ratings/For an IRC Rating: https://www.caribbean-sailing.com/irc/Event website: https://antiguaracingcup.com |
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