English Harbour Regatta Articles

Five Hours Flat Out in the Trades as Antigua Racing Cup Exploded Into Life

Antigua Racing Cup 2026: Trade Winds Delivered a Blistering Opening Day If there was any doubt about what the Antigua Racing Cup was going to be, it disappeared within the first hour. This wasn’t a gentle warm-up. It was straight into it. Out off Nelson’s Dockyard, the fleet met exactly what Antigua does best — proper trade wind sailing. A gradient easterly breeze sat firmly in the high teens, with gusts pushing beyond 20 knots, and just enough variation late in the day to keep tacticians honest.
Antigua Racing Cup 2026: Trade Winds Delivered a Blistering Opening Day
© Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing Cup

Fast water Hard racing No passengers

08-05-2026

Trade Winds and Tactical Nerve Hand Leopard 3 the IMA Maxi Crown in Antigua

Leopard 3 Seals Come-From-Behind Victory at the 2026 RORC Nelson’s Cup
© Tim Wright/RORC
Two final coastal races — one of 20 nautical miles, the second 10 — were set against the dramatic backdrop of Fort Charlotte, perched high above the leeward end of the starting line. From there, race officer Nigel Biggs and his team oversaw a start sequence that has quickly become one of the most distinctive in international maxi racing: sheer cliffs, narrow tactical margins, and 100-foot yachts tacking within metres of each other.
11-03-2026