ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB

The Antigua Yacht Club has undergone many improvements and alterations during 2010 and we are looking forward to further expansion and improvements during 2011.

Our reception and Admin offices are now located on the ground floor at the entrance to the club and there is a new Events Office on the Upper Deck.  This office will serve as a Regatta Office during the Classic Yacht Regatta and the RORC Caribbean 600.   It will be multi-functional – also serving as a classroom for RYA Yachtmaster theory courses, a private meeting room, etc.   There are also now plans underway to improve our sailing facilities i.e. new showers, toilets, changing rooms etc.

The Upper Deck will soon re-open as a Members’ Lounge  - open to members and their guests only, except during regattas and other special occasions.

Major renovations were also made to the kitchen and infrastructure of our restaurant, Cloggy’s, and further improvements are planned for 2011.

Yacht Club sailing has undergone significant growth with evermore people sailing and learning to sail.  Membership is growing year by year and our Youth Programme, which operates at weekend and during school holidays is often over-subscribed.  Laser racing for members takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and we encourage new sailors to join us by offering weekly, monthly,  seasonal and annual memberships.  Corporate memberships are also available whereby Owners/Captains can join their designated crew at attractive rates.

The new National Sailing Academy, formed in partnership with the Government in February 2010, commenced its teaching programme in September 2010.  The Yacht Club teaches the children and the Academy pays for the instruction.  The Academy, working with the schools, offers free sailing lessons to all Antiguan children from 8 – 18 years.  Although endorsed by Government, it is funded entirely by private subscription and we will be asking all yachts for a voluntary donation of US$1.00 per foot per year.  Our first school term saw us go from zero at start-up to 162 children a week by the end of the term.  It is intended to have the Academy additionally operating on both the east and west coasts of the Island. We are also looking for sponsors for a fleet of dinghies at US$4,000 each which can be marked with the sponsor’s name/logo if they wish.

Article by Elizabeth Jordan, Commodore – Antigua Yacht Club www.antiguayachtclub.com and President – National Sailing Academy www.nationalsailingacademy.org.

Photo courtesy National Sailing Academy.