ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK

Antiguan youths Maurice Belgrave and Anthony Hall on the podium at KPMG Race Day as part of Team Sojana.

Leading professional services company KPMG has renewed its commitment to Antigua Sailing Week for 2019.  As a key part of its 2019 agreement is sponsorship of the very successful Youth to Keel Programme (Y2K) which will be celebrated on the KPMG Race Day on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

Y2K was piloted during ASW 2018 when 15 Antigua youths were individually placed on board keel boats racing across the classes.  The Programme provides a structured pathway allowing youth dinghy sailors to gain valuable keelboat experience.  In addition, two youth teams raced head to head in CSA 7 with the Antiguan team winning their class overall.

Youth team on NSA Spirit during the 2018 Antigua Sailing Week.

Jules Mitchell, skipper of the winning boat NSA Spirit and a past youth sailor first gained experience in ASW at the age of 11 in local boat Blue Peter and has raced in every one since.  Of the Youth to Keel programme he says, ‘I would encourage everyone to sign up for the progamme and gain experience on board a keel boat.  It is very different to dinghy sailing and offers other options in terms of leisure and career opportunities. If you are an aspiring sailor it is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.’

KPMG principals fraternizing with yacht crew during KPMG afternoon prize giving ceremony.

KPMG are delighted to be back at Antigua Sailing Week and supporting the Youth to Keel Programme. Christopher Brome, Partner, Advisory, says, ‘Antigua Sailing Week brings invaluable international, regional and local exposure to our brand and is an opportunity for us to network with our customers and visiting yachtsmen.  We are also delighted that our sponsorship will support the opportunity for Antigua youths to gain very valuable experience on the water and for some will be the launch pad for their careers in yachting.’

KPMG’s offices in Antigua and the wider Eastern Caribbean operate across the region with a specific understanding of the cultural, economic and political facets of each individual economy.  In-depth industry knowledge is available through the global KPMG network which provides access to skilled professionals, across a wide range of industry sectors.

Antigua Sailing Week will be launching the 2019 Y2K programme to potential youth participants at the upcoming National Sailing Academy Open Day taking place on Sunday, December 2, 2019 from 12 – 5 pm.  The day is an opportunity for youths and adults who are interested in learning to sail to enjoy a complimentary Discover Sailing Lesson in the beautiful shallow and protected waters of Falmouth Harbour.