Smooth sailing in Antigua & Barbuda

Although Antigua & Barbuda may be best known for its idyllic white-sand beaches, wonderful nature and translucent, turquoise seas, for one group of people, it is the offshore, indigo waters that hold the real magic of the islands.

As one of the best places for sailing in the region - if not the world – Antigua’s twin harbours of English Harbour and Falmouth are arguably the yachting centre of the West Indies. With the warm, constant tradewinds and balmy seas, the islands have become a mecca for sailors from across the globe.

It doesn’t hurt that the island is dotted with numerous picturesque bays offering safe anchorage and top-class yachting services and maintenance. Nor that once on terra firma, there is a wonderful variety of restaurants and entertainment for those important après-sailing moments, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nelson’s Dockyard for a culture fix.

Add into the mix, easy access from North America and London as well as fabulous hotels and resorts to accommodate participants and spectators, and it isn’t any wonder why Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) is one of the most popular regattas in the world.

And it’s not just ASW bringing in the international sailing crowd. Events like the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, the Superyacht Challenge, the RORC Caribbean 600 (which in 2023 will be expanded into a series) and the reintroduced Antigua-to-Bermuda Race all feature on next year’s calendar. And with Optinam, the Optimist North American Championships, back in July, it truly is a bumper year for sailing in the twin islands.

For those who choose to stay longer on the islands or become citizens of this twin-island nation, it isn’t just the sea, sand and beauty that attracts them. Good healthcare, excellent education, including the fourth landed campus of the University of the West Indies, and a range of banking services and high-speed internet make living and working in Antigua & Barbuda very comfortable indeed.

Antigua & Barbuda’s CBI programme is one of the best in the Caribbean and is in the top five of the Professional Wealth Management’s CBI 2021 Index carried out by the International Financial Times Group. Citizenship to the islands allows visa-free travel to 165 jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and Schengen area.

Photocred: Paul Wyeth