ANTIGUANICE YACHTING INSIDER NEWSLETTER

The Karibik Trophy Event, now in its 21st year, was originally created by Lufthansa Airlines, the INTERBOOT Boat Show in Germany and KH+P yachtcharter to promote Caribbean destinations to Germans addicted to yachting and water sports.  In November this event will return to Antigua where it all started 21 years ago!  Since that time Lufthansa stopped its flights into the Caribbean but Air France picked up where Lufthansa left off, breathing new life into the event.  Every two years or so, the program switches between Antigua and the British Virgin Islands in an effort to provide variety to those who enjoy it so much that they return for a repeat experience!

Participants are representatives of important yacht clubs in Germany, Switzerland and Austria (and occasionally of other countries), as well as managers from various companies and institutions, so it is a very interesting clientele with the ability to promote Antigua as a destination to their networks at home.  Many of these participants have also entered Antigua Sailing Week over the years.  Aside from complete bareboat crews, opportunities are available for singles, couples and so on to book cabins on yachts with skippers provided by KH+P.  Some of these skippers are becoming fairly well known in Antigua as a result of the success and fun they have had while participating in ASW.

The event will begin this year with the arrival of participants in Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe on the 20th of November.  The following day they will sail south to Marie Galante and Dominica and then head north again towards Antigua via The Saintes and Deshaies prior to their arrival in English Harbour on November 26th.  The number of entries this year is similar to that of 2007 and Antigua will host several days of the program as it has done before.  At present there are 12 confirmed entries with a total of about 80 participants, with more entries expected in the coming few weeks.

The provisional program for Antigua includes arrival from Guadeloupe on Friday, November 26 and then sailing in Antiguan waters until Monday, November 29 after which the final awards party will be held in Jolly Harbour.  The flotilla will then head to Barbuda for November 30th and December 1st, before it moves on to St. Barths and St. Maarten where the event finishes and participants depart for home.

New this year will be a visit from a German television team to Antigua and Barbuda for the purpose of reporting on the islands including a feature on the yachting industry.  The crew will arrive during the last days the Karibik Trophy Event spends in Antigua but will follow the flotilla to Barbuda and then return to Antigua to do further reporting.  The television crew will be hosted in part during their stay in Antigua by representatives of the Antigua Tourist Board Germany.

Social events will include a welcome party in Nelson’s Dockyard on the afternoon of November 26, an afternoon get together at Antigua Yacht Club on November 28 and a final awards party at Jolly Beach Resort on the evening of November 29 where the television crews will also be in attendance.

So if you see a flotilla of yachts out enjoying themselves on the water during the final days of November, it could well be that it’s participants of the Kiribik Trophy Event.  When they return to shore, why not say hello and welcome them back to Antigua once again!

Article written by Kathy Lammers with information supplied by Hartmut Holtmann of KH+P yachtcharter.