Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta

In the 1960s, classic yachts chartering in English Harbour challenged each other to informal races to Guadeloupe at season’s end, leading to the formation of Antigua Sailing Week in 1967.

Over the next decades, modern racing yachts outnumbered the classics, prompting captains Uli Pruesse and Kenny Coombs to launch the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in 1987 after a meeting aboard the schooner Aschanti of Saba.

The event has since grown with support from a dedicated committee and notable participants, such as Elizabeth Meyer’s refitted Endeavour and Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s Spirit of St Kitts in 1991.

Early sponsor CSR introduced the Concours d’Élégance, gaining wider attention through Boat International Magazine.