Doors open for Antigua Sailing Week 2016

Daily prize-givings at Antigua Yacht Club where the post race meeting of minds happens © Paul Wyeth / www.pwpictures.com

Entries are now open for Antigua Sailing Week, the Caribbean's longest running regatta, which will host its 49th edition from April 23 – 29 2016. This year the organizers are delighted to announce that for yachts arriving and returning to Europe, Peters & May are offering shipping routes direct from Antigua in both directions.

Craig Stanbury, Operations Director for the Racing Division at Peters & May commented, "Peters & May have two ships with loading windows going out to the Caribbean at the start of high season and two more ships with loading windows after the season has ended. We have a long history in the Caribbean and well established contacts, which allows Peters & May to offer a reliable service and cost effective service to yacht owners. Besides making good business sense to develop options for customers, we see this service as a way of supporting regattas for the good of all. Peters & May have confirmed all the details with the relevant port authorities."

The dates agreed mean that UK and Europe bound race boats, which over the last few years have had to be shipped out from other islands, will now have time to race at Antigua Sailing Week and then be shipped out the following week.

Loading Windows:

25 October - 10 November 2015: Palma/Genoa to Antigua
15 November – 25 November 2015: Southampton to Tortola (Antigua upon sufficient cargo)
5 May – 20 May 2016: Antigua to Southampton
5 May – 20 May 2016: Antigua to Genoa/Palma

Antigua Sailing Week 2016 kicks off with two stand alone long distance races which are not part of the regatta series. The Guadeloupe to Antigua Race is on Friday 22nd April and the Pearns Point Round Antigua Race taking place on Saturday 23rd April. Racing at Antigua Sailing Week, on the spectacular south coast of Antigua, starts on Sunday 24th April and concludes Friday 29th April with the legendary Antigua Sailing Week Awards Ceremony & After Party at Nelson's Dockyard. There are daily prize giving's after racing where you meet the competition and nobody misses the Big Party Night on Tuesday evening and the recovery Lay Day Beach Party the day after, featuring the Nonsuch Bay RS Elite Challenge, on Pigeon Point.

With the trade winds pumping and a significant sea state, there is nowhere in the world that can provide the conditions that the giants of the sailing world revel in off the south coast of Antigua. One of the early entries for Antigua Sailing Week 2016 is Philip Rann's Reichel Pugh 90, La Bête, skippered by John Burnie.

"La Bête is the former Rambler 90, the first racing we will do on the new yacht in the Caribbean will definitely be the RORC Caribbean 600 in February and we fully intend to enter all the races for Antigua Sailing Week as well – we are now standing by to do battle!! Antigua Sailing Week is a must do event in the Caribbean." commented John Burnie.

Enter 2016 here www.sailingweek.com/v4/results/2016-entries

Provisional Race & Party Schedule www.sailingweek.com/v4/schedule/event-schedule

To receive pricing and book shipping with Peters & May contact Steven Stanbury in the first instance:

Event website: www.sailingweek.com