Antigua Bermuda Race 2026: The Return of the Atlantic Adventure
Timed perfectly to follow Antigua Sailing Week (April 22–26) and lead into SailGP Bermuda (May 9–10), this 935-nautical-mile blue-water challenge is ready to reclaim its place among the most thrilling ocean passages in the western Atlantic.
Run by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) in partnership with Antigua Sailing Week, and proudly supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Goslings Rum, and Fairhaven Shipyard, the 2026 edition promises to deliver everything the race has become known for — big seas, big miles, and even bigger stories.
From Caribbean Trade Winds to North Atlantic Swell
The course is pure offshore gold. Once the fleet clears English Harbour and slips past Barbuda, it’s nothing but open blue for nearly 1,000 nautical miles — a full week of ocean racing across trade-wind territory, then into the shifting systems of the subtropics.
Crews will trade the turquoise calm of the Caribbean for rolling Atlantic swells, long reaching legs, and nights lit only by stars and phosphorescence. It’s the kind of sailing that reminds competitors why they fell in love with the sport in the first place: self-reliance, endurance, and the quiet rhythm of a yacht surging through open water.
By the time they reach Bermuda, they’ll have experienced a complete ocean microcosm — from the warmth of the trade winds to the cool Atlantic air that greets them at the finish.
As one competitor put it: “This isn’t just a race. It’s a journey into the deep heart of the Atlantic.”
Voices from the Fleet: Hermes II and the Joy of Ocean Racing
Few boats capture the spirit of the race quite like Hermes II, a Canadian Pogo 12.50 that has now raced the Antigua Bermuda twice. Her skipper Meg Reilley summed it up perfectly in 2022:
“Every year I look forward to the Antigua Bermuda Race — and I think Hermes does too. She gets to stretch her legs and surf real ocean waves.
The first few days can be a sleigh ride — reaching in the trades, Hermes just coasts between waves, holding double-digit speeds with barely a sound. You set the trim, and she drives herself. You just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
That effortless rhythm — part power, part poetry — is what draws many to this race. Whether you’re a professional sailor or an adventurous cruiser, it offers a pure taste of long-distance ocean racing without the logistical demands of a full transatlantic.
Open to All: From Superyachts to Double-Handed Adventurers
One of the charms of the Antigua Bermuda Race is its inclusivity. It’s open to:
IRC and CSA Racing Yachts
Cruiser-Racers and Performance Cruisers
Superyachts
Multihulls
Classic Yachts
Double-Handed Teams
There’s even a CSA Motor Sailing Handicap Division, allowing yachts to use their engines for propulsion — with a time penalty applied — ensuring every boat, no matter her configuration, can enjoy the challenge and still post a result.
The race operates under World Sailing Offshore Safety Category 1, with additional offshore communications requirements — ensuring safety remains as much a part of the event as competition.
Timing Is Everything
Race Chairman and RBYC Past Commodore Les Crane explained the strategic timing:
“The Antigua Bermuda Race is perfectly placed at the end of Antigua Sailing Week, when many yachts are preparing to head north to North America or east toward Europe.
With today’s high ocean freight costs, this race gives owners a safe, cost-effective, and highly enjoyable alternative to shipping their yachts. It’s a proper ocean passage — with competition and camaraderie built in.”
Originally revived as a feeder race for the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda, the course has become a natural migration route for yachts leaving the Caribbean at the close of the season. Its timing, distance, and festive start make it one of the most compelling offshore opportunities of the spring calendar.
A Race of Many Moods
No two Antigua Bermuda Races are ever the same. Some years deliver dream conditions, with powerful trade-wind surfs and record-breaking runs. Other editions serve up the opposite — long stretches of glassy calm where navigation, sail handling, and patience decide the winners.
Over its four previous editions, crews have faced it all — heavy squalls, smooth calms, tactical gambles, and moments of transcendent beauty. It’s that variety that keeps sailors coming back, year after year.
As Crane put it,
“The Antigua Bermuda Race delivers a true transatlantic experience, without the time, cost, or logistical burden of crossing the whole ocean.”
Beyond the Finish Line: Bermuda Awaits
Finishing in Bermuda is its own reward. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club transforms into a sailor’s paradise — a welcome sight of pink-hued sunsets, dark rum cocktails, and familiar faces.
There are dockside celebrations, awards ceremonies, and the kind of camaraderie that only comes after a week of shared ocean miles. Goslings Rum flows freely, tales grow taller, and the race’s unofficial motto — “Sail hard, arrive happy” — comes to life on the quays of Hamilton Harbour.
A Legendary Passage, Reborn
For many crews, the Antigua Bermuda Race 2026 will mark both a return to adventure and a bridge between seasons — the perfect conclusion to the Caribbean regatta circuit and a launching point for transatlantic ambitions.
Nine hundred and thirty-five nautical miles of open ocean, one of sailing’s most iconic routes, and the promise of both challenge and celebration — the race is back, and it’s ready to remind the world what blue-water racing is all about.