Antigua Sailing Week - Myriad of charter opportunities still available

by Trish Jenkins on 31 Oct 2012 Antigua Sailing Week is the granddaddy of all the Caribbean sailing regattas and the 46th edition looks like it's going to be a cracker. Big breeze, warm seas and some of the greatest parties on the Caribbean regatta circuit make Antigua Sailing Week, the 'must do' regatta of the Caribbean season.

High demand means that opportunities are being taken up fast. However, there is a myriad of charter opportunities still available for individuals or small groups looking to join a team or for bareboat charter.

Antigua Sailing Week sponsor Sunsail is experiencing very high demand for its bareboat charter fleet: 'We have had amazing interest for Antigua Sailing Week,' commented Sunsail's Louise Neville. 'Six months before the regatta we are sold out for Antigua Sailing Week - well, for the yachts that are at our base in Antigua anyway, but we are definitely bringing across yachts from other locations to meet the excess demand.'

Eight days on a Sunsail 41 Premier Yacht with three cabins/two heads, including Race Entry fees starts at £4,860 (excluding flights, transfers, fuel and collision damage waiver, etc.)http://www.sunsail.co.uk.

German based, KH+P Yacht Charter has organised trips to Antigua Sailing Week for many years and has a reputation for offering excellent support and service to its clients, as well as producing fantastic results on the race course. Last year yachts organised by KH+P took the top five places in the Overall Bareboat Class.

'KH+P will once again be organising yachts for Antigua Sailing Week. We already have yachts fully booked or reserved but we still have some availability,' confirmed KH+P's Hartmut Holtmann. http://www.khp-yachtcharter.com

At the end of November, over 200 yachts will be taking part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) and many of the yachts have Antigua Sailing Week firmly in their calendar. Several yachts competing in the ARC offer charter opportunities including Quokka, Northern Child and Global Yacht Racing.

Deep Blue Racing's campaign boasts two weeks of quality race training and awesome racing on Grand Soleil 43 Quokka. Philippe Falle will be running a campaign with a podium finish being a realistic goal. The price per person is £1,995, which includes accommodation in a crew house overlooking English Harbour and everything required for racing. http://www.deepblueracing.com

Husband and wife team, Christian and Lucy Reynolds are competing in the ARC with their Swan 51, Northern Child: 'Big seas and good wind make Antigua Sailing Week ideal for Swans', said Lucy Reynolds. 'Northern Child has always enjoyed great competition in its class. Also this year, we have several other Swans available for charter.'

At the moment there are six places left aboard Northern Child, which often has a real mix of nationalities on board. Prices start from £1,450, which includes everything needed during racing and sailors can also live aboard for no additional cost, subject to availability.
Global Yacht Racing has two yachts heading for Antigua in the ARC, as director Andy Middleton explains: 'Our First 47.7, EHO1 is fully booked but we have eight spaces available on our First 40.7, Albion, from £,450 per person. The price includes three days of race training before the event and all yacht costs.'

Girls for Sail director, Annie O'Sullivan has been coming to Antigua Sailing Week for years providing an all-girl sailing experience: 'I can't believe that this will be the 13th year. I have to say that after a bit of a shakeup Antigua Sailing Week is back to its best, the current organising committee is doing a fantastic job. It is a very well-run event with great sailing and so much to enjoy after racing. Girls for Sail always seems to be invited to the best parties! This year we are aiming to have two yachts at Antigua Sailing Week and one of them will be non-spinnaker, which will be ideal for beginners. We still have some availability but places are filling up fast. I was especially delighted to see that we have had interest from America this year and also from wives and girlfriends of some of the regular visitors. Roll on Antigua Sailing Week - it is my favourite regatta of the Caribbean!'
Girls for Sail offers a two-week package for £1790, which includes accommodation aboard and everything required to race.

Lorna Archer from Britannia Events reports that they have two yachts fully crewed for Antigua Sailing Week: 'We are entering two yachts for the regatta; First 40, Lancelot II and a First 40.7, crewed by a team from Sailing Logic. There are no individual places available at the moment but we may be opening up a third boat with individual spaces available so watch this space. http://www.britanniaevents.co.uk
Antigua Sailing Week website