The second Antigua Racing Cup will run 17–21 March 2027, positioning itself as a regular stop for international racing programs in the Caribbean.
The regatta sits between the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in early March and the BVI Spring Regatta, fitting into a natural Caribbean sequence that also includes the RORC Caribbean 600 starting from Antigua in February. Organisers say the March dates allow European and North American teams more racing before the northern season begins.
Racing takes place on Antigua's south coast, where easterly trade winds in the high teens to twenties and one-to-two-metre ocean swells roll in from thousands of miles of open Atlantic. The Race Committee tailors courses to each class: tight windward/leewards for smaller performance boats, longer reaching legs for larger yachts and offshore multihulls. Virtual marks allow courses to be set where the sailing is best. Scoring is available under both CSA and IRC.
The 2026 inaugural edition drew 21 boats across nine races, with 11 dual-scoring under both rules. In CSA 2, Steve Rigby's GS46 Belladonna and the Antiguan RP37 Warthog, skippered by Jules Mitchell, finished tied on points, with Belladonna winning on countback. Bruce Chafee's Reichel/Pugh 42 Rikki placed third in CSA 2 and won IRC 1 with five race victories.
The 2027 fleet is already taking shape. Martin Zonnenberg's J/111 Quickdraw, skippered by Scott MacGregor, brings offshore racing experience including the Newport Bermuda Race and J/111 Championships. Ed Bell's Kerr 46 makes its Caribbean debut. Olympic bronze medallist Ossie Stewart will campaign the RS Elite Aeolus, with organisers hoping to build a one-design fleet from the significant number of Elite boats already based in Antigua.
The event is based at Nelson's Dockyard, with daily prize-givings and evening gatherings where crews debrief the day's racing. The new CSA Majors Trophy links Antigua Racing Cup with the RORC Nelson's Series, Caribbean 600, Heineken Regatta and BVI Spring Regatta into a single Caribbean CSA championship.
