by Brian Major
Last updated: 7:40 AM ET, Tue April 1, 2025
As befits a
collection of islands blessed with year-around warm temperatures, Caribbean
destinations maintain a treasured sailing tradition, as boat-making, sailing
and the culture tied to seafaring are all part of the region’s past and
present.
That tradition
will continue throughout 2025 as countries around the Caribbean weigh anchor
for a series of boat races, festivals and seagoing celebrations.
The British
Virgin Islands (B.V.I.) Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival got underway earlier this month
and continues through April 6. The event features seven days of “friendly and
fun” yacht racing around the B.V.I., a locale long synonymous with
island-hopping vacations.
The Regatta
will feature 150 vessels from around the world racing across three-course areas.
Bare boat, offshore multihull, gun boats and other large performance multihull vessels
will participate in the week’s festivities.
As is standard
for Caribbean sailing festivals, the event will also showcase local cuisine and
offer travelers opportunities for community interaction, with farewell parties
and barbecues planned to accompany the week’s boat races.
Later this
spring travelers can venture south from the B.V.I. to the U.S. Virgin Islands,
where the St. Croix International Regatta will take place on April 11 to 13 at
the St. Croix Yacht Club.
Highlighted by three days of competition across the
waters of Teague Bay, the regatta will offer multiple-class sailing, from cruising
yachts to “one-design” vessels, racing through the Buck Island Channel’s unmatched
scenery.
Evenings at St.
Croix Yacht Club will showcase island cuisine and culture, with live Cruzan
music, fire dancers, local seafood, a pig roast and rum punch specialties on
the menu. Camaraderie between competitors and spectators makes the regatta “a
must-attend social occasion,” in the words of the Caribbean Events website.
Further south, SVG
Sailing Week in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is scheduled for April 13 to 21. The event will
blend sailing races with cultural immersion and authentic Vincentian cuisine at
local gatherings pulsating with island music.
SVG Sailing
Week’s multi-island format will showcase the archipelago’s most popular natural
features, from St. Vincent’s volcanic landscapes to Mayreau’s hidden beaches.
Two individual
regattas are planned: the Bougainvillea Cup (April 13 to 15), will navigate from
the mainland through the Grenadines, with race legs to Union Island, Mayreau
and Canouan.
Next, the Bequia
Easter Regatta (April 16 to 21), will offer twin events: the Around Bequia Race
and the Admiralty Bay Triangle. Following the racing, spectators and crew will gather
to launch celebrations toasting Caribbean Sea waters.
Venturing north
from SVG to the dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, travelers can set
sail for Antigua Sailing Week from April 26 to May 2.
Held annually at
Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua’s UNESCO World Heritage site, the event will feature
international yachts, racing boats and performance cruising boats.
Spectators can
observe the racing from the iconic Shirley Heights Lookout or opt for a “Chase
the Race” catamaran excursion during the event’s five days of competition.
Celebrations
and parties will take place throughout the week, including Dockyard Day, Reggae
in the Park and the Lay Day Beach Party events.
In other
Caribbean destinations, Dominica will be the starting point for Guadeloupe’s
premier traditional sailing competition, Traditour 2025, on July 4.
The event will
bring more than 400 sailors to Dominica to start the annual sailboat race to
Guadeloupe. Anguilla will host a series of sailing events this summer.
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