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Attended by yacht crews coming from 26 different countries, the 46th edition of Antigua Sailing Week was a real international affair. Few would doubt that the sailing waters around Antigua offer one of the best race tracks anywhere in the world and English as well as Falmouth Harbours provide some of the best facilities, hotels, restaurants as well as bars in the fabulous yacht charter destination – the Caribbean.

Antigua Sailing Week 2013 - Photo credit to Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com

However having the best ingredients for success is not enough. Combining those raw materials requires dedication and expertise and for a regatta, that should always start with the race management. Antigua Sailing Week’s tag line is ‘where sailing comes first’ and above all else providing well-run, competitive racing has been the key to the regatta’s success in recent years.

“Having listened to the positive feedback from competitors, we made very few changes to the format for racing this year,” commented Chairman of the Race Committee, Kathy Lammers. “The fleet was divided to give the smaller boats and bareboats a style of race course to suit them and likewise for the bigger faster boats. Racing for all was designed to keep them out on the water for about three to four hours, with everyone returning to shore at roughly the same time to enjoy the social activities. Class splits were designed to race similar boats, generally with similar ratings, against each other. This is not an exact science but by racing similar yachts in each class, it makes for fairer results and everybody enjoys close racing.”

By Antiguan standards, weather conditions were lighter than usual with wind speeds varying from 20 to 10 knots during the week. Only one day produced fully powered Trade Wind weather but the full schedule of racing was completed and the lighter winds created some tactical conundrums for the competitors.

With 10 yachts of 60 feet or more racing, Antigua Sailing Week had one of the largest numbers of big boats for many years. CSA 1 was composed of high performance racing yachts crewed by professional sailors from the America’s Cup, Olympics, Volvo Ocean Race and Vendée Globe. The winner was Eduardo Wong Lu Vega’s Peruvian Soto 48, Kuankun. The team from Peru does not have that level of competition back home and had to sail intelligently to get the better of RP78 Whisper, skippered by His Majesty, King Harald V of Norway.

CSA 2 was mainly composed of high performance cruising yachts. Christian Potthoff-Sewing’s JV53, Auliana was dwarfed by the bigger yachts in the class but the German team revelled in the lighter conditions to win the class. British Frers 94, Bristolian, skippered by Patrick Wynn, and Hector Velarde’s Peruvian Nelson Marek 92 superyacht Locura enjoyed some fantastic boat on boat racing. Locura was the victor after time correction but Bristolian won more line honours. No doubt the two crews shared the gentlemen’s bet of a case of champagne.

CSA 3 was composed of lightweight performance yachts and included last year’s overall winner, Richard Wesslund’s American J/120, El Ocaso and the much fancied American Swan 42, Arethusa skippered by Phil Lotz. Arethusa sailed a near perfect regatta to take the class win and The Lord Nelson Trophy for the best performance by any yacht at the regatta. Peter Peake’s Trinidadian team on RP37, Slippery came third but only just. Slippery beat the young Antiguan National Sailing Academy’s Digicel Challenger by just 32 seconds in the last race, to take the last podium place.

The honours in CSA 4 were contested between three race charter yachts. Antigua Sailing Week has seen a growth in these well prepared competitive yachts often sailed by a group of friends or individuals brought together as a team. The class was decided in the very last race with Philippe Falle’s Deep Blue Racing Team taking the title, sailing British Grand Soleil 43, Quokka. Two British First 40s put up a great fight all week. Lucy Reynolds’ Southern Child and Jeremy Thorp’s Lancelot II were second and third respectively.

For regulars to Antigua, Carlo Falcone’s Caccia alla Volpe and Ross Applebey’s need little introduction and the two yachts swapped the lead no less than four times in CSA 5. The class was composed of displacement cruisers and Caccia alla Volpe was the lightest of all, which probably suited the conditions. However, Scarlet Oyster sailed well to push Caccia alla Volpe all the way and it was not until the last race that Caccia alla Volpe secured victory.

Geoffrey Pidduck’s Six Meter, Biwi Magic romped to victory in CSA 6, winning all seven races. Pidduck has competed at Antigua Sailing Week for nearly 40 years and has never managed a perfect score before – a fantastic accomplishment for a helmsman who is 60 years older than his bowman! Antigua’s talisman sailor, Sir Hugh Bailey has been competing at Antigua Sailing Week for decades but this year his CS40 U-Go was a new entry for his team. Well prepared and expertly sailed, U-Go also achieved a perfect scoreline of wins in CSA 7B. CSA 7A was won by the Uruguayan team sailing Jeanneau 57, Batucada.

With 29 yachts split into two Bareboat divisions, some of the most competitive sailing at Antigua Sailing Week is in the Bareboat classes. Alfred Geisser’s Swiss team was returning to Antigua Sailing Week, having won the overall Bareboat title in 2011 and its Dufour 455, KH+P Sea You Later was a force to contend with winning all bar two races to win Bareboat 1 and the Sunsail Trophy for best Bareboat overall. In Bareboat 2 there was a battle royal between Christoph Nielsen’s German team racing KH+P Bageal and Coleman Garvey’s Irish team racing Warvor. After seven races the two yachts were tied on points but KH+P Bageal was awarded the class win by virtue of number of race wins.

Antigua Sailing Week also offers fantastic after-race parties with some of the best bands and DJs entertaining the crowds late into the evening.

On Tuesday night or Lay Day eve, Nelson’s Dockyard became a cool open-air night club for thousands of revellers with live music from Tian Winter and his Iconic band and DJ’s Private Ryan of Trinidad and Woogie of the United States spinning dance tunes into the night.

Lay Day on Wednesday is more than just a day away from the race course. Pigeon Beach is walking distance from the main marinas and the Nonsuch Bay RS Elite Challenge provided a marvellous fleet racing spectacle for hundreds of spectators. Nonsuch Bay Resort also provided a fantastic beach barbeque under the watchful eye of its award winning Caribbean Chef of the Year, Mitchell Husbands.

The final awards party on Friday evening heralded the end of the week and crews gathered in Nelson’s Dockyard for one final time along with dignitaries including Dame Louise Lake-Tack, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, and the Honourable John Maginley, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, to celebrate the winners, dine on fantastic seafood and dance late into the night. Many crews commented that the grand finale was the best awards party they had ever attended, not just in Antigua but in the Caribbean.

Antigua Sailing Week is the longest running and most prestigious regatta in the Caribbean catering for a huge variety of yachts and competitors. The 47th Edition of Antigua Sailing Week will take place from April 26 to May 2, 2014.

Friday, May 3, saw the final day 5 of this year’s Antigua Sailing Week, marked by the tension on the dock as the international fleet sailed out to the combat area. With plenty of class winners yet to be decided, the pressure was heightened by tricky conditions. The wind was seldom over 10 knots and there were huge wind holes appearing all over the racing area.

Winner CSA 4, Quokka 8, Grand Soleil 43, Philippe Falle of Deep Blue Racing - Photo credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com

However, the Race Committee did an excellent job getting in a fair race for all classes. Starts are always important, especially in light airs and several yachts could not control their urgency enough, resulting in several individual recalls and two general recalls. The last day of racing at Antigua Sailing Week was not for the faint hearted.

In CSA 1, Eduardo Wong Lu Vega’s Soto 48 sailing yacht Kuankun scored its sixth win of the series. Time and time again the Peruvian boat has been launched off the start line and into clear air. It was a great day for Simonas Steponavicius’ Volvo 60 yacht Ambersail. The Lithuanian team used its enormous Code Zero sail to great effect to take second place and celebrated in style with several crew somersaulting off the back of the boat for a refreshing swim. Derek Saunders’ British Farr 60 yacht Venomous got the best start of the day and sailed well to take third. In CSA 2, Christian Potthoff-Sewing’s German JV53 yacht Auliana scored her third win in a row to win the class title, X-612 Nix was second overall and Hector Velarde’s NM92 yacht Locura was third.

Winner CSA 1, Kuankun, Soto 48, Eduardo Wong Lu Vega - Photo credit: T. Wright/photoaction.com

In CSA 3, Phil Lotz’s American Swan 42 yacht Arethusa finished the regatta in style by winning the last race and also winning the class title. Richard Wesslund’s El Ocaso struggled in the light airs and could only come sixth today but the team from Florida finished second for the series. It went to the wire for the last podium spot. Antigua’s National Sailing Academy sailors lost out by an agonising 32 seconds to Peter Peake’s Trinidadian RP37, Slippery for third in class.

CSA 3 winner, Arethusa, Swan 42, Philip Lotz - Photo credit: T. Stoerkle - Photography

CSA 4 produced one of the most competitive series of races at Antigua Sailing Week with four different yachts all winning races. Philippe Falle’s Deep Blue Racing Team sailing Grand Soleil 43 yacht Quokka held its nerve to win the last race and the class title. Lucy Reynolds’ First 40 yacht Southern Child was second in class, edging out Jeremy Thorp’s First 40 yacht Lancelot II into third.

“Absolutely thrilled and delighted for the team,” grinned Philippe, after crossing the line. “That is definitely the most competitive regatta that we have sailed this season and my heart was pounding when our start was affected by an individual recall. It could have easily been a very bad moment. All credit to Southern Child and Lancelot II, they both sailed extremely well and put a lot of pressure on us creating some fantastic racing.”

Winner CSA 5, Caccia alla Volpe, one off, Carlo Falcone - Photo credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com

In CSA 5, Carlo Falcone’s Caccia alla Volpe got a dream start at the pin end of the line and sailed into clean air and sped away from the fleet. Ross Applebey’s Scarlet Oyster tried in vain to catch its rivals but being a far heavier boat, it was impossible unless Carlo’s team made a mistake. Caccia alla Volpe sailed a near perfect race to take the gun and the class title.

“Right to the wire,” smiled Carlo Falcone shortly after crossing the finish line. “That was the closest match I have had for many, many years. We had to sail perfectly to beat Scarlet Oyster, who put up an incredible fight. I am sure both crews will meet up at the prize giving and share our story together. It was a hard fought battle and I have great respect for the Scarlet Oyster crew.”

Geoffrey Pidduck claims he is going to retire soon – if he does it will be on a high. At 75 years of age, Pidduck is the oldest helmsman at Antigua Sailing Week and his years of experience and zest for racing produced a perfect scoreline of seven straight wins in CSA 6 for the Antiguan Six Metre, Biwi Magic. “I have been competing at Antigua Sailing Week since the 1970s and I have never had a perfect scoreline. They say you should go out on a high but my wife says I shouldn’t give up, so we will see.”

Winner CSA 7B, Ugo, CS40, Sir Hugh Bailey - Photo by T. Wright/photoaction.com

Geoffrey Pidduck made a remarkable achievement at Antigua Sailing Week but he was not alone. Sir Hugh Bailey’s Antiguan CS 40, U-Go emulated Biwi Magic’s scoreline to win CSA 7B with a perfect seven bullets. In CSA 7A, Jorge Born’s Uruguayan Jeanneau 57, Batucada won the last race of the series to take the class title with Alain Charlot’s French Beneteau 473 yacht Ormeau in second place and Phil Munday’s British Jeanneau 52.2 sailing yacht Great Escape of Southampton in third.

In Bareboat 1, Alfred Geisser’s Swiss KH+P Sea You Later wrapped up the title with a day to spare. Thomas Priebus’ German Cayenne won the last race of the series to win a close battle for second place with Paul Solomon’s Where The Wild Things Are taking third in class. There was a dramatic conclusion in Bareboat 2, with Coleman Garvey’s Irish Warvor and Christoph Nielsen’s German KH+P Bageal match racing in the final race in a struggle to win the class. Warvor beat KH+P Bagealto the line but failed to put a boat between themselves and their rivals. KH+P Bageal and Warvor were equal on points but KH+P Bageal was awarded the class win by virtue of a greater number of first places. KH+P Balaou skippered by Alexander Pfeiffer was third.

Whilst the Class winners at Antigua Sailing Week deserve high praise, not everyone gets to taste victory but the smiles on the dockside after today’s final race were testament to a highly successful regatta. Global Yacht Racing’s Andy Middleton’s sailing First 47.7 yacht Team Shambles was fifth in a highly competitive class. Charter skipper Alistair Goodwin was celebrating his 50th birthday with friends and family. “We have had a fantastic time and this has been a very memorable way to celebrate. Andy has really looked after us so well and this has been a really welcoming regatta.”

Global Yacht Racing also has a little bet with fellow competitor, Swan 51 Northern Child, which involves wearing a dress at the prize giving. “Northern Child had the better of us most of the season but tonight I fully expect their skipper Christian and First Mate Tim to be correctly attired. I am sure Christian will slip into one of his wife’s dresses but Tim is a big lad and he will need to find something for the fuller figure!” laughed Andy Middleton.

Hundreds of competitors are expected to attend tonight’s Final Awards Party, where prizes will be awarded including the prize for the best yacht at the regatta, The Lord Nelson Trophy. There are a number of boat names being whispered around the docks but the winner of Antigua Sailing Week’s most prestigious prize is very much undecided. After the prize giving, 1761° will be play a live set of rock anthems to get the party started and DJ Nez will be spinning dance tunes grooving into the night.