The Peters & May Round Antigua Race was blessed with gorgeous conditions. The stand-alone race prior to Antigua Sailing Week was held in a warm gradient wind of 10-14 knots, just south of east, with a smooth sea state.

The overall winner, lifting the Peters & May Round Antigua Race Trophy, was Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader (GBR). Second was Jim Vos’ RP37 Warthog (ANT) and third overall, winner of the CSA Racing Class and Monohull Line Honours, was Woody Cullen’s Swan 58 Wavewalker (USA). Justin Scott’s Outremer 51 Uhuru (USA) was the winner of the CSA Cruising Multihull Class, winning the Peters & May Multihull Line Honours Trophy.

The Peters & May Round Antigua Race is the perfect way for any team to tune up for Antigua Sailing Week. Local boats are also welcome to enter, even if they are not racing at the famous regatta.

All of the Dawn Treader team are from the UK, including three members of the Bell Family. Ed, Cate and their son George Bell are racing with friends from home, with Mark Spearman as Boat Captain. George Bell is taking time out before going to university and has raced thousands of miles on Dawn Treader this year, including the RORC Transatlantic Race and the RORC Caribbean 600.

“This is my first time at Antigua Sailing Week and the Peters & May Round Antigua Race was a great event to get the team up-to-speed,” smiled George Bell. “We had great competition on the water with Apollo and we were checking our watches at every mark rounding against Warthog on corrected time. I will be going back to the UK after Antigua Sailing Week and all the Dawn Treader crew want a really enjoyable last Caribbean regatta for a great send off.”

After Antigua Sailing Week, Dawn Treader along with many other racing and cruising boats will be shipped back to the UK by Peters & May. Craig Stanbury, Peters & May Global Director of Operations for Racing has been coming to Antigua for over 20 years and explains why Peters & May have supported the Round Antigua Race since 2016 and will continue to do so.

“Peters & May love supporting Antigua Sailing Week and I personally have a big place in my heart for Antigua,” commented Stanbury. “I love everything about Antigua; the people, the friendliness, and it is a wonderful place to come sailing. The Round Antigua Race is the perfect fit for Peters & May and our sponsorship allows us to give something back to sailing. Peters & May are very proud to be involved and support Antigua Sailing Week to give boat owners the option to ship their boats to and from the Caribbean.”

While the Racing classes were set a full anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Antigua of approximately 50 miles, the Cruising classes and smaller race boats were set a 25-mile course, taking in the headlands on the south side of Antigua, plus a taste of Atlantic racing off the windward side of Antigua.

The winner of the Almost Round Antigua Race was Donald MacDonald’s Salona 38 Bonkers (GBR). Andreas Bock’s KK28 Karin (GER) took Line Honours for the race, but was second after CSA time correction by under three minutes. Third was Bernie Evan-Wong’s Cal 40 Huey Too (ANT). Justin Scott’s Outremer 51 Uhuru (USA) was the winner of the CSA Cruising Multihull Class.

“A beautiful day with classic Antiguan conditions for the Peters & May Round Antigua Race,” commented Jaime Torres, Antigua Sailing Week’s Race Manager. “Getting a gentle start to the event was just perfect as none of the teams were too challenged. We are expecting the wind to pick up during the five days of racing for the 55th edition of Antigua Sailing Week.”

The Peters & May Round Antigua Race Prizegiving at the Antigua Yacht Club also included the awards for the second edition of the Antigua Wingfoil Championships, which comprised of three thrilling days of racing, including new records and great camaraderie among the competitors.

Local wingfoiler Idani Edwards emerged as the undisputed star of the event, claiming victory in every race and setting a new long-distance record of just 29 minutes. Reflecting on his success, Idani exclaimed, "I am absolutely thrilled with this event! We had a blast, with fantastic racing and incredible Antiguan conditions!"

After racing, Antigua Sailing Week was officially opened with Antigua Sailing Week President Alison Sly-Adams welcoming to the stage Guest of Honour, Hon. 'Max' Fernandez. The Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation & Investment gave a rousing speech, welcoming all of the 750 competitors from 22 different countries to Antigua Sailing Week. Live entertainment at the Antigua Yacht Club included wonderful cultural artists and the Original Steel Orchestra, which panned a spirited rendition of the National Anthem of Antigua & Barbuda.

Racing for the 55th edition of Antigua Sailing Week starts tomorrow, Sunday, April 28 with English Harbour Rum Race Day.