Antigua Yacht Club hosts 2025 Caribbean Dinghy Championship
The Antigua Yacht Club (AYC) will host the 2025 Caribbean Dinghy Championship (CDC), sanctioned by the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA), from October 24–26, 2025. The 2025 CDC will feature competition across six classes, include youth, senior, and inclusive sailing: Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, the Topper Fusion (double-handed), and the RS Venture (double-handed/adaptive).
Team Antigua will enter the 2025 championship as the defending Nations Cup champions.
Salty Dawgs Plan 2025 Rally
Plans are well underway for the 15th Salty Dawg Sailing Association Caribbean Rally. Vessels can choose to depart from either Hampton, Virginia, with an anticipated departure date of November 1, 2025 (weather permitting), bound for either Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco, Bahamas or Antigua or Newport, Rhode Island, bound for Antigua, with an anticipated departure date in late October. Vessels destined for Antigua will also have the option to stop briefly in Bermuda.
The passage to Antigua should take about 12 days while the passage to the Bahamas should take about 5 days.
The Salty Dawg Sailing Association lists the benefits of participating in the rally:
- Pre-departure education and support from the SDSA team, outside experts and sponsors
- Leadership by seasoned sailors who volunteer their time and knowledge to help cruisers realize their sailing dreams
- Twenty-four-hour tracking and SDSA shoreside emergency support services to help ensure a well-run and safe rally for all
- Emergency “concierge” style 24/7 medical support by George Washington Maritime Medical Services
- Pre departure and daily en route weather forecasting and routing by Chris Parker at Marine Weather Center
- Position tracking map
- Pre departure and arrival social events and camaraderie
To register or for more information go to https://www.saltydawgsailing.org/caribbean–rally
St. Thomas International Regatta 2026
The St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) is taking a tack toward tradition by moving the event’s date to Easter weekend, April 3-5, 2026. The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) aims to honor this tradition in 2026 with a combined holiday and quintessential beachfront Caribbean vibe. STIR invites CSA Bareboat, IC24, VX One, Hobie Waves, and One Design classes with a minimum length of 19 feet to enter. The Notice of Race will be available in the early fall when registration opens.
Caribbean Regatta Logistics, owned and operated by St. Thomas native Ben Beer, can assist owners and teams in bringing their boats to race. Contact Beerfor details (benbeer13@gmail.com) or the regatta website (stthomasinternationalregatta.com/faq/caribbean-regatta-logistics).
The STSC (stthomassailingcenter.com/racing/st-thomas-international-regatta) has limited Hobie Waves and IC24s available for race charter for STIR 2026.
Additionally, UK-based companies Sail Racing Academy (www.sailracingacademy.org/tour/st-thomas-international-regatta-2026) and LV Yachting (lvyachting.com/events/st-thomas-international-regatta/) offer race charters for STIR 2026.
For more information, contact Regatta co-director Pat Bailey (simpleislandboy51@gmail.com) or visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com
New CMC Race Format Promises More Fun
The Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race for January 2026 will add a new feature to its distance races, with podium spots determined by CSA ratings. The new awards will recognize vessels winning based on speed over a specific course.
Interviews with multihull owners and skippers have indicated that racing to a rating is fun; but racing with respect to flat out speed adds a new dimension, which will be even more fun.
“Multihull design development is roaring forward with innovations in hull forms, build materials, foils, sails, etc. meaning that owners of the most modern design yachts can reach speeds unheard of in previous years,” says CMC chair Petro Jonker. “The CMC wants to encourage entries from owners of these builds who delight in their ability to race from point A to point B. We expect that this feature will create an even more diverse and impressive entry list.”
New Events Highlight New Look for AYC Racing Program
The Antigua Yacht Club has begun a plan to revamp its club racing program with a new events committee under the leadership of well-known racer Sandy Mair, with a brief to tighten up on procedures, including advance publicity, exposure for sponsors, and race organization at a proper professional level.
Mair has produced a new program. The traditional pre-Christmas Budget Marine Jol Byerley Hightide Series (now in its 25th annual edition), the Boxing Day Barrel, and the Sandy Island Race will be joined by two new events — a Small Boat weekend (in mid-January) which will feature the Antigua National Championship for the RS Elite Class, and the West Coast Cup held between the Antigua Yacht Club and Jolly Harbour Yacht Club, culminating in a final event in Carlisle Bay in March.
All yachtsmen in the region are encouraged to include these events on their schedule. For more information, please contact 460-1799 or events@yachtclub.ag.
