RORC Nelson’s Cup Series 2026 - Race Ready in Antigua
RORC Nelson’s Cup 2026: Antigua’s Final Proving Ground Before the Caribbean 600
The Caribbean campaign is shifting up a gear.
The format is deceptively simple: two days of tight coastal racing in the waters off Falmouth and English Harbour, followed by the Antigua 360 — a full circumnavigation of the island. But simplicity is not the same as ease. The Nelson’s Cup compresses decision-making, exposes weaknesses and demands precision in conditions that mirror exactly what crews will face offshore days later.
Training miles are valuable. But proper racing against serious opposition is irreplaceable.
Maxi precision under Caribbean pressure
The IRC Maxi Class this year reads like a headline act. Farr 100 Leopard 3, RP100 Galateia and Mills 100 V form a trio of 100-footers that would dominate any Mediterranean regatta. Add Wendy Schmidt’s Botin 85 Deep Blue and the Mills 72 Balthasar and the margins tighten further.
Yet this is not the Mediterranean.
The Caribbean sea state changes everything. The waves are bigger. The loads are higher. The breeze rarely relents. Boats are driven hard — and systems are tested continuously. Ken Read, sailing master aboard the 100ft maxi V, describes the environment with characteristic clarity: owners are deeply invested, expectations are high and the boats are refined to the point where tiny mistakes carry large consequences. The Nelson’s Cup magnifies that reality because the racing is close, intense and unforgiving.
Bouwe Bekking, racing aboard Balthasar, sees Antigua as a venue that consistently delivers exactly what top teams require: wind, organisation and racecourses that reward detail. “If you want to be competitive here,” he notes, “the boat has to stay in one piece.”
That balance between pushing and preserving defines Caribbean maxi racing.
IRC Zero: detail and discipline
At the sharp end of IRC Zero, Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 52 Rán returns with Steve Hayles navigating. Alongside Frederic Puzin’s Daguet 5 and James Neville’s Ino Noir, the competition becomes a study in incremental gains.
Inshore racing during the Nelson’s Cup exposes nuances that offshore legs can hide. Slight shifts in wind angle, small differences in sail crossover, a degree or two of steering — over a short course, these details become visible and measurable. Then the Antigua 360 stretches that learning into open-water decision-making.
Experience meets adaptation
The fleet is not solely professional programmes. One of the enduring strengths of the Nelson’s Cup is its blend of world-class maxi teams and ambitious Corinthian crews racing the same water.
Dee Caffari arrives fresh from a non-stop circumnavigation completed in under 58 days and now lines up aboard Swan 58 WaveWalker. She describes the regatta as “active recovery” — but also as a critical sharpening tool. Short races allow immediate feedback. Mistakes can be corrected the same day. Offshore, lessons often arrive too late.
That accelerated learning curve matters in a venue where heat, physical strain and Atlantic sea state combine to test even experienced crews.
Class40 character and Welsh rivalry
Adding variety to the fleet is Mike Hennessey’s Class40 Scowling Dragon. Racing under IRC against boats optimised for the rule, Hennessey embraces the mismatch with humour but also intent. If the boat is in Antigua, he argues, it should be racing — and racing hard.
Meanwhile, the Welsh Dragon flies proudly in the Caribbean breeze. Pwllheli Sailing Club fields Mojito, Jackknife and Faenol, carrying friendly rivalries from Welsh waters into Antiguan sunshine. Jackknife, fresh from a strong RORC Transatlantic performance, relishes the opportunity to line up against larger, better-funded programmes on the same start line.
That diversity — professional precision alongside smart amateur seamanship — is not incidental. It is fundamental to the character of RORC racing.
Why the Nelson’s Cup matters
The RORC Nelson’s Cup has evolved from a prelude into a cornerstone of the Caribbean calendar. It is where sail plans are refined, systems are stress-tested, watch routines are sharpened and decision-making is put under pressure before the Atlantic miles begin.
Two days of coastal intensity. One island circumnavigation. Then the 600-mile offshore test.
In Antigua, preparation becomes performance. By the time the fleet turns north for the start of the Caribbean 600, those who have raced hard in the Nelson’s Cup will not be guessing.
RORC NELSON’S CUP PROGRAMME:
Mon 16 Feb: 1700 - Skippers Briefing + Welcome - AYC
Tues 17 Feb: Race Day 1 - Vicinity of Falmouth/English Harbour, Daily Prizegiving - AYC Bar
Weds 18 Feb: Race Day 2 - Vicinity of Falmouth/English Harbour, Daily Prizegiving - AYC Bar
Thurs 19 Feb onwards: Lay-Day/ Reserve Day/International Maxi Association Race Day 3 - Vicinity of Falmouth/English Harbour, RORC Nelson’s Cup Series Prizegiving (Maxis) - after racing - AYC Bar
Fri 20 Feb: Antigua 360 Round Antigua Race - Start off Fort Charlotte, Nelson’s Cup Prizegiving, AYC Lawn