With less than a month to go to this year’s 48th edition of Antigua Sailing Week, more than 100 yachts have registered to participate in the Caribbean‘s longest running regatta, with more entries expected over the upcoming weeks. Antigua Sailing Week is expected to welcome several thousand sailors and party revellers to Falmouth Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard for the Caribbean’s most famous sailing event, annually hosted by the beautiful Antigua yacht charter destination.
Phaedo^3, Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70 © Ocean Images and Phaedo^3
Lloyd Thornburg’s ballistic record-breaking MOD 70 trimaran Phaedo^3, is joining a number of high profile yachts competing at the last big showdown of the Caribbean sailing season.
“I always look forward to coming to Antigua, it is just a wonderful place to race,” commented Lloyd Thornburg. “It is has to be one of the best places to sail anywhere in the world and the party atmosphere ashore just adds to that. We have a lot of friends in Antigua and the organisers put on a great event. Phaedo^3 will be take part in the Guadeloupe to Antigua Race on April 24 and the Round Antigua Race on April 25 and if the conditions are right and the crew performs, we have the capability of setting new records for both.
The lime green trimaran Phaedo^3 has already shown its capability to smash records. Prior to demolishing last month’s RORC Caribbean 600 record, Phaedo^3 sped around Antigua in training, completing the course in 2 hours, 44 minutes, 15 seconds, hitting 35 knots of boat speed.
Jean-Paul Riviere’s Finot-Conq 100, Nomad IV ©Tim Wright and Photoaction.com
According to Gunboat founder, Peter Johnstone, the long awaited debut of the G4 will be at Antigua Sailing Week. Eduardo Perez’s G4, vivid orange catamaran Timbalero 3 designed by Nigel Irens, is the latest generation of foiling catamarans capable of phenomenal speed. Former A-Cat World Champion Mischa Heemskerk, also part of the design team, is expected to be on board. Eduardo Perez was last at Antigua Sailing Week in 2011, winning the Gunboat class with Cucu Belle. The brand new Gunboat 55 Toccata will also be racing at Antigua Sailing Week. Owned by Chris and Carolyn Groobey, the couple plan to cruise Toccata back to Newport Rhode Island after Antigua Sailing Week and compete in this summer’s Transatlantic Race and events in Europe.
The largest monohull registered to date for Antigua Sailing Week is Jean-Paul Riviere’s Finot-Conq 100 superyacht Nomad IV. The magnificent scarlet red French yacht has a towering 47 metre mast and is one of the fastest cruising yachts in the world. The gold hulled Farr 95 charter yacht Dharma, built by Southern Wind will be the closest match on the water to Nomad IV.
Entries for Antigua Sailing Week are divided into a large number of classes which are designed to match the boats into competitive fleets. From the world’s fastest yachts to family and friends racing their own pride and joy, Antigua Sailing Week has a wide appeal with five days of competitive racing off the rugged south coast of Antigua plus two optional days of racing including around Antigua and the race from Guadeloupe. Antigua Sailing Week is a highly competitive regatta held in one of the world’s finest sailing locations. The party atmosphere onshore – well that is legendary.
Whole boat and individual places are still available for anyone who wants to fly in and race.
