Antigua Racing Cup 2026 Day 3
by Louay Habib / Antigua Racing Cup 12 Apr 18:09 NZST
8-12 April 2026
The penultimate day of racing at the Antigua Racing Cup was delayed due to allow a big rain squall to pass through. The wind speed and direction was in a state of flux all day. The first race of the day started in sub-ten knots. Sunshine and cloud cover added complexity all day and another dimension to racing at the Antigua Racing Cup.
The one-race discard kicked in for CSA 2, 3 and 4 who had two races today. Their combat zone was predominantly windward leeward legs between the iconic Antiguan landmark Shirley Heights and the entrance to Falmouth Harbour. The race area included a reaching leg offshore, giving a variety of wind angles.
CSA 1
A stunning course of approximately 22nm was set for the big boat class. Upwind as far east as Willoughby Bay, followed by a downwind slide to a virtual mark five miles offshore. A tight reach towards Boggy Peak, the highest point of Antigua, was followed by a stunning beat outside Cades Reef to finish.
Dan Gribble's Tripp 65 Prevail (USA) took line honours in an elapsed time of just over three hours and their fourth bullet for the regatta after CSA time correction. After breaking their bowsprit yesterday, Lennart Davidsson's S&S 79 Kialoa III was back out racing and secured second place ahead of John McMonigal's Oyster 82 Zig Zag (GBR), skippered by Carl Raynes.
CSA 2
Two races today kept the class wide open and beautifully poised going into the final day. In Race 6, Steve Rigby's GS46 Belladonna (GBR) took the CSA corrected time win by 1 minute 20 seconds from Donald Nicholson's J/121 Apollo (USA). RP37 Warthog (ANT), skippered by Jules Mitchell was just 36 seconds further back in third. Race 7 saw Warthog hit back in style, taking the corrected time win by 1 minute 41 seconds from Bruce Chafee's Reichel Pugh 42 Rikki (USA), while Belladonna was only 23 seconds behind Rikki in third. After seven races, the overall standings could not be closer, with Belladonna and Warthog tied at the top on 9 points apiece, while Rikki remains third overall on 16 points. CSA 2 has been the tightest contests of the regatta, with momentum shifting from race to race and almost nothing separating the leading teams.
CSA 3
Poul Hoj Jensen's Danish Blue (ANT) tightened her grip on the class with two more race wins. In Race 6, Danish Blue beat Katy Campbell's Panacea X (CAN) by 2 minutes 41 seconds on CSA corrected time, with Team Strada Awaken (GBR) third. In Race 7, Danish Blue did it again, taking the corrected time win by 2 minutes 50 seconds from Panacea X, while Bernie Evan-Wong's High Tension (ANT) took third, just 1 minute 20 seconds further back. After seven races, Danish Blue leads CSA 3 overall on 6 points, with Panacea X second on 11 points and Team Strada Awaken third on 21 points. Behind them, J-Aguar Powered by Heat Wave (USA) is fourth on 22 points, just one point off the podium.
CSA 4
Ashley Rhodes' Melges 24 Whiplash (ANT) continued her remarkable unbeaten run with two more race wins. In Race 6, Whiplash beat Sigma 38 The Project, skippered by Lee Oldak (USA), by 12 minutes 29 seconds on CSA corrected time, with Jean-Mallory Rousseau's Montebello Pepsi (FRA) third, just 37 seconds behind. Race 7 was far tighter, with Whiplash edging The Project by just 15 seconds, while Montebello Pepsi took third. After seven races, Whiplash leads CSA 4 overall on a perfect 7 points, with The Project second on 12 points and Montebello Pepsi third on 17 points. The lead is commanding, but behind Whiplash the fight for the remaining podium places is still alive.
Here is what some of the sailors had to say:
CSA 1 - Kialoa's Lennart Davidsson (Skipper)
The legendary maxi broke her experimental bowsprit yesterday at the Antigua Racing Cup. The spar was fashioned from the spinnaker pole of another famous maxi Intrum Justitia. It was great to see Kialoa back racing today.
"We had a beautiful course today but tactically we were offshore most of the time as the wind was more stable away from land and at times the current was better offshore as well. Much of the crew for this regatta are from the Swan 65 Saida which is also a Sparkman Stephens design but Kialoa is much bigger. The crew is from many countries, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and we have Antiguans from the Y2K youth programme. As with any boat, you have to work as a team and we are doing that very well. We believe that the weather will be much more stable tomorrow and hopefully not too heavy and that will suit Kialoa."
CSA 2 - Warthog's Ozani Lafond & Belladonna's Jeremy Smart
With Belladonna and Warthog locked together at the top of CSA 2, the final day promises a fascinating battle between two very different boats. "For us, probably 14 to 16 knots on a windward leeward course would be ideal," said Belladonna's Jeremy Smart. "We are a bigger, heavier boat, so we need a bit of breeze to punch through the waves and get going. It has been great racing against these guys. We have been tied on points every day of the regatta so far, which is crazy, and it is going to be tight tomorrow for sure."
Warthog's Ozani Lafond saw it differently: "I would say 18 to 20 knots, because then we can really make the most of our downwind speed. On the runs we can be quite strong, especially if we can extend and make the most of the longer distance. It is going to come down to who sails the cleanest race."
Together, their views sum up a duel shaped by contrasting strengths, mutual respect and almost nothing separating them.
CSA 3 - Danish Blue's Shanoy Malone
At just 19, Shanoy Malone is part of a new generation of Antiguan sailors making their mark alongside some of the most respected names in the sport. Malone represents the strength of the island's pathway from youth sailing to high performance keelboat racing.
"Racing on Danish Blue at the Antigua Racing Cup is a special experience for me. I started sailing when I was six, worked my way through the youth system, and now I am lining up with legends of the sport. When I am on the bow, my job is to think ahead, keep everything smooth, and make sure the manoeuvres happen quietly and cleanly so the team can stay in the groove. Having my dad on board, along with Karl James and Poul Høj-Jensen, makes it an incredible place to learn. They have so much knowledge and every race is a chance to raise my level. What inspires me most is that this regatta gives young Antiguan sailors the chance to race hard in a high level format on home waters. It makes me proud and it makes me want to do my job better every single time we go out."
CSA 4 - Montebello Pepsi's Jean-Mallory Rousseau
"We came to the Antigua Racing Cup because it offered exactly the kind of competition we were looking for, close to our home Guadeloupe, but with an international feel and a proper racing format. Montebello Pepsi is used to lining up against very different designs, and that is part of what makes this regatta so interesting. You are always fighting on corrected time but also racing the boats around you in real time, and that pushes everyone to sail better.
For tomorrow, our aim is simple, we will give absolutely everything in the first race and fight as hard as we can. After that, depending on the overall standings, we may do something special and swap crew positions for the final race, just to thank the whole team and let everyone enjoy a different role. That spirit matters, because if you want to stay strong as a team, you have to stay united."
In Nelson's Dockyard, the Antigua Racing Cup moved from race mode to social mode. After a full day on the water, crews gathered ashore with plenty to talk about, replaying the decisive moments, swapping stories with fellow competitors, and enjoying the relaxed hospitality of complimentary English Harbour Rum and Amstel Beer. The after-party is the focal point of the event, where the intensity of racing gives way to laughter and analysis before the final challenge begins tomorrow.
Racing at the first edition of the Antigua Racing Cup concludes tomorrow, Sunday 12 April with the final Prizegiving to be held in Nelson's Dockyard. Stay tuned for regular updates via the official regatta website, www.antiguaracingcup.com