ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB

The yacht "High Tide" that inspired the series and has sailed almost every edition. Photo by sv-zanshin

This year will be the 24th time that the Antigua Yacht Club will be mixing its Christmas Celebrations with a series of yacht races.  The Christmas series, known as the High Tide Series, has stood out for bringing together visitors and locals in friendly sportsmanlike racing and at the after race events that follow at the Antigua Yacht Club. The event was originally founded by Jol Byerley in 1991 when the mid-week racing, for which Antigua was famous, had declined and is followed by the New Year’s event, the Nelsons Pursuit Race, on the last day of the year.  

This year the High Tide Series will be sponsored by Budget Marine and organized by Sandy Mair. 

A total of five races will take place, of which two on Sunday 20th December, one on Wednesday 23rd December and two on Saturday 26th December.  The fifth and final race of the series is incorporated in the traditional AYC Boxing Day Race.

Races will be between one and one and half hours except for race 5 which will be longer. The entry fee for the series will be ECD 100 and ECD 50 if you only enter the Boxing Day Race. The event will accommodate all types of keel boats, and the racing class will require CSA certificates. Non-rated boats will be fitted in as best as possible in classes that may be mixed. In particular work boats will be protected from racing boats. The greater the entries, the easier it is to have great classes!

Courses will be in the environs of Falmouth Harbour. There will be no skippers meeting, all questions and information are to be handled by e-mail. Registration will be at the AYC office if not by email to cricketant112@gmail.com.

An after race get together is traditional after every race with a grand final prize giving and closing party that will take place at the AYC on Sunday 26th after the racing.

Budget Marine, the principal sponsor, is the largest chandlery chain in the Caribbean. With three chandleries in Antigua located in Jolly Harbour, English Harbour and North Sound they offer Antiguan boaters a wide range of marine products.