Antigua’s 2026 Sailing Season in English Harbour

Antigua’s English Harbour was developed in the eighteenth century as one of the British Navy’s most important Caribbean bases. Its narrow entrance, fortified headlands and naturally sheltered anchorage made it strategically valuable, while Nelson’s Dockyard became the operational centre of naval activity in the region. The harbour’s spatial structure, defensive ring and working dock environment remain largely intact today.

That same geography now shapes Antigua’s sailing season. From February through April, offshore races and regattas are staged within and beyond the harbour’s protected waters. High-performance fleets gather beneath Fort Charlotte before heading into open sea, while classic wooden yachts assemble against the dockyard’s Georgian stonework. The setting is not incidental to these events; it defines their character.

For those planning to attend an event on Antigua’s sailing calendar, understanding how the season unfolds in English Harbour, and how the harbour itself functions during these weeks, becomes part of the experience.

Offshore Racing in February

Antigua’s sailing season opens with performance-focused racing centred on English Harbour. The RORC Nelson’s Cup Series brings competitive inshore and coastal courses to waters immediately beyond the harbour entrance, drawing experienced crews at the start of the Caribbean circuit.

Shortly afterwards, the RORC Caribbean 600 departs from beneath Fort Charlotte. The 600-nautical-mile course threads around eleven Caribbean islands before returning to Antigua, with yachts gathering inside the protected anchorage prior to departure. Over the following days, boats reappear at staggered intervals, completing one of the region’s most respected offshore challenges.

English Harbour During Race Week

During February racing, English Harbour functions as both operational base and natural amphitheatre. Crews move between dockyard briefings and final preparations while the harbour itself provides shelter before offshore passage.

The Inn at English Harbour sits directly across the water from Nelson’s Dockyard. Complimentary transfers operate from our private dock, allowing guests to reach the marina within minutes while remaining removed from dockside congestion once back ashore. The balance between proximity and separation defines the experience during race week.

April Regattas in English Harbour

April brings a concentrated sequence of racing to English Harbour. The Antigua Racing Cup introduces a focused programme of competitive coastal courses, drawing performance-oriented fleets to the waters off the harbour entrance. Shortly afterwards, Antigua Sailing Week continues the rhythm with point-to-point racing that uses the natural contours of the south coast.

During these weeks the harbour becomes visibly busier. Masts gather inside the anchorage, crews move between dockyard and marina, and race starts animate the headlands beyond Fort Charlotte. The geography that once sheltered naval fleets continues to provide the structure for modern competition, framing departure and return within a protected natural amphitheatre.

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta

Mid-April introduces a different atmosphere. The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta brings restored wooden yachts and traditionally rigged vessels back into English Harbour, where craftsmanship on the water mirrors craftsmanship in stone.

Against the Georgian façades of Nelson’s Dockyard, varnished hulls and timber spars feel visually aligned with their surroundings. The regatta’s courses are set just beyond the harbour entrance, allowing spectators to observe boats as they gather, tack and return beneath the same fortifications that once guarded the anchorage.

Among the sailing events in Antigua’s calendar, the Classic week most clearly expresses the harbour’s historical continuity.

Viewing the Racing from the Water

During key regattas, guests may experience the racing directly from the harbour itself. Our private dock provides access to complimentary boat transfers to Nelson’s Dockyard and the marina throughout the season, allowing efficient movement across the water.

For selected events, race viewing on the water can also be arranged, subject to capacity. Departing from our shoreline, guests are positioned near the start areas to observe fleets assembling before departure. The perspective offers proximity without the density of dockside crowds.

For the Classic Yacht Regatta’s Parade of Sail, additional viewing arrangements are made at Antigua Slipway, where guests may watch the procession in comfort before returning across the harbour.

Staying Within the Harbour Landscape

Antigua’s sailing season moves in stages, from offshore endurance racing in February to the concentration of regattas in April. Throughout that calendar, English Harbour remains the centre of activity.

To stay within the harbour during these weeks is to experience not only scheduled racing, but the rhythm that surrounds it. Fleets gather inside the anchorage before departure and return across the water at staggered intervals. From the shoreline of Freeman’s Bay, yachts can be observed assembling beyond the harbour entrance, their movement visible directly from the beach and terraces of our property.

Our position across the water from Nelson’s Dockyard allows guests to watch the harbour in motion while remaining removed from dockside congestion. Complimentary boat transfers operate from our private dock for those wishing to cross to the marina, yet much of the racing can be followed from the shoreline itself. During peak regatta periods, accommodation within English Harbour is limited and reservations are typically secured well in advance.