April in Antigua! Let's go sailing..

Celebration of sailing for everyone!

This one is for all of you crazy sailors out there that love sunshine, salty hair and the odd Caribbean party! The tropical climate, trade winds and the ideal ocean swell make Antigua the ultimate place for any sailing adventure. Whether it's sailing around the island, cruising up and down the coast or hunting for the best beach spots. Antigua is the place to be! Antigua is perfect for sailing almost the entire year round, however, April is when the super yachts, classic yachts and cruising boats really come out of the depths!

April in Antigua is the perfect place for the 49th Antigua sailing week to be held. The starting date is the 24th April until the 29th April.  If you want to be right in the buzz of the sailing action then this is the place to be! Antigua sailing week is held in Falmouth and English harbor and will be full of extremely large sailing yachts all competing in different races. It's an awesome spectacle to watch and the parties are almost as large as the boats! Every year here in Antigua sailing week gets bigger and better and I have a feeling that this year is going to be the best one yet! Antigua sailing week is now gladly sponsored by Peters and May who are a large global marine transport company and thanks to this, people are now able to ship their yachts across oceans and we are starting to see people from all over the globe, shipping their boats to this huge event. 

Falmouth Harbor! Photo credit - Andre Phillip

If you love to see old, well kept, classic yachts then the Classic yacht regatta would be perfect for you! From the 13th to the 19th April all of the classic yachts assemble at Falmouth and English harbor for their official race week. It is an amazing sight to see as you enter the marinas and see all of these amazing classic yachts. It's also fantastic to see them in action! 

What defines a classic yacht? Yachts in this class must have a “look” that is true to a traditional design and must demonstrate excellent craftsmanship and tradition both on deck and in the hull. They may however, use modern technology in their rigs and as navigation. 

A traditional 'classic' yacht

Sailing week and Antigua's classic yacht regatta welcomes people from all over the world! Perhaps you're on a boat yourself?! There are lots of different places you can moor/anchor and watch all the happenings! There are three marinas on the South side of Antigua that will get you right in the middle of all the action. You have a choice of Nelsons Dockyard Marina or Falmouth Harbor Marina (although I'm pretty sure Falmouth will be fully booked with super yachts!) both have around 70 berths each and are stern to berths. There is also Catamaran Marina which is slightly further away from the action but close enough to be involved! About 30 minute walk away from the main buzz. There are also mooring buoys in Falmouth Harbor, owned by a guy called SeaPony (John Bentley). These are probably the best option! Or you can also drop anchor in Falmouth so long as it's not in the main channel which is clearly marked. 

Pelicans flying off one of the Five Islands just outside Jolly Harbor

If you have come for a bliss sailing adventure to discover Antigua's beautiful beaches and avoid all of the hoo-har, then you are still in the right place! Antigua is often overlooked by all of the Spring breakers from the USA so it's perfect for dodging the co-eds, however, the cruise ships are still coming in which means all of the shops, bars and restaurants will still be open for business! With all of the action happening in Falmouth and English harbor it could be an idea to head North if you wanted some peace and quiet! Places like, Deep Bay, Pinching bay or Dickenson Bay offer lovely calm beaches. Deep Bay is perfect for snorkeling as it has the wreck in the entrance to the bay and a lovely long stretch of beach to explore. Pinching Bay is a beautiful spot where you are likely to be the only ones there! There is no road leading to this beach, so unless you're on a boat there's no getting there! There's plenty to explore and lot's of snorkeling spots. Dickenson Bay has a few restaurants if you wanted to dine ashore as well as a store to top up your provisions and a beautiful beach to wander.