ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK

Royal Seal of Approval
Louay Habib

Antigua Sailing Week has always been the venue for the big boats of the Caribbean and the 46th edition is no exception.  An international fleet will be competing in Racing Class One from Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Russia and the United Sates.  Antigua Sailing Week brings down the curtain on the Caribbean racing season and a celebrity cast is set to take centre stage.

Peter Harrison’s magnificent 115-foot ketch, Sojana was the star of the show in 2011, winning the Lord Nelson Trophy and the event overall.  In 2012 Sojana came desperately close to a second year of success, only to be beaten on countback by Geoff Hill’s Australian Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes.

“Sojana has crossed the Atlantic twice since last year’s regatta, and with a win in the Supermaxi class of the IMA Transat, will definitely be very competitive again this year,” said Sojana’s Captain, Marc Fitzgerald, who also confirmed that Sojana is delighted to have King Harald of Norway on board for Antigua Sailing Week.

Marc goes on to say, "King Harald has a huge amount of racing experience which will complement the regular crew, and has owned more Farr designs than Peter Harrison himself.  We are one of the largest yachts racing and, as such, we will hope for the big conditions that Antigua Sailing Week is well known for.  Sojana is in great shape having had a little refit after many miles of ocean sailing over the past 12 months and we will definitely be looking to win our class, having come so close last year.”

Sojana will once again face stiff opposition this year.  The 92-foot sloop Bristolian, skippered by Patrick Wynn, will be a force to contend with especially upwind in big breeze. Also racing in the big boat class is Jose Arozamena’s Farr 73 Maximizer, a previous winner of Class One at Antigua Sailing Week. Maximizer will be racing under the New York Yacht Club burgee with a crack crew led by Spanish round the world sailor Pachi Rivero and Danish grandmaster Ib Andersen, President of North Sails Europe.

The big boat class also boasts many glamorous blue water cruisers including:  Oyster 82, Starry Night of the Caribbean; Gareth Moody’s Oyster 72, Bill and Me; and Tony McBride’s Reichel Pugh 78, Idea of London. Greg Snowball’s Dream Catcher III has a fine racing pedigree and Christian Potthoff-Sewing’s Judel & Vrolijk 53, Auliana II is making her Antigua Sailing Week debut.

“Including over 30 bareboats not yet showing on the entry list, we now have over 70 yachts committed to Antigua Sailing Week 2013, which is well above the numbers we had at this time last year,” confirmed Kathy Lammers, Chairman of the Regatta Organising Committee. “With such a large number of big boats committed, we also expect a great turnout for the Yachting World Round Antigua Race, which will take place on the Saturday before Antigua Sailing Week officially begins.

Alison Sly-Adams, Head of Shoreside Organisation, confirms plans are well underway for fantastic shoreside activities after racing. “The new Management Team has now been in place for close to three years and it has continued to listen to competitors.  The format of a daily prize giving and all aspects of the regatta being based in and around English Harbour have proven very popular.  There is every indication that the 46th edition of Antigua Sailing Week is going to be a real cracker.”

The Notice of Race can be found online and if you would like to participate in the regatta, your entry can also be submitted online. There is also a myriad of charter opportunities available. To keep fully up-to-date and receive special offers about Antigua Sailing Week, subscribe to the newsletter by visiting the Antigua Sailing Week website.

Go to: www.sailingweek.com