Caribbean Race Charters

Charter

By Sail Staff • Posted: Jan 20, 2009

You needn’t be a local or sail your own boat down to the islands to race in the typically warm and steady - well, yeah, sometimes blustery - trade winds of a Caribbean regatta and chill out further at the always maxi parties. Three big annual events in March and April - the St. Martin Heineken Regatta, the BVI Spring Regatta, and Stanford Antigua Sailing Week - have nonspinnaker charter divisions and the best (but not the only) access to a racing charter. Don’t tarry; you could easily miss the boat.

The race packages offered by The Moorings and Sunsail for the Heineken, BVI Spring, and Antigua regattas include entry fees, boat prep and measurement, a prerace briefing, and a race support staff. With all charter companies, expect to leave a higher (refundable) security deposit and, most likely, a larger (nonrefundable) yacht damage waiver fee.

Start your search for a regatta any time of year at caribbeancompass.com/Caribbean_regattas09.htm or at caribbeanracing.com. Or cruise the Web sites of the events listed below, in order of appearance. All dates shown are 2009.

Southern Caribbean Regatta, includes the Carriacou Sailing Series (January 14 - 18; ttsailing.org), Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival (January 30 - February 3; grenadasailingfestival.com), and Tobago Carnival Regatta (February 10 - 14; sailweek.com).

Heineken St. Martin Regatta (March 5 - 8); heinekenregatta.com. Click on Race Info and then Charters. Plenty of information on this site.

Virgin Islands Race Week (March 27 - April 5). This combo 10-day event comprises the St. Thomas International Rolex Regatta (rolexcupregatta.com/index.php) and the three race starts of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival (March 31, April 2, April 3 - 4); bvispringregatta.com. Click on Charter Options.

Stanford Antigua Sailing Week (April 26 - May 2); sailingweek.com. You’ll find a host of options for finding a boat to charter or a crew spot. Click on the Charter button.

Anguilla Sailing Festival (May 8 - 10); anguillaregatta.com. Charters for this low-key even are often available. To try for a crew berth, e-mail needboat@sailanguilla.com; write BOAT NEEDED in the subject line.

Ondeck Racing has all sorts of programs, from a whole skippered or bare boat to a spot on a crewed boat, for most of the regattas listed here. Check them out at ondeckoceanracing.com.

A fleet of 10 identical Dragons will get their own start at Antigua Sailing Week. Contact aycmarine@candw.ag if you’re interested in chartering one.

Ambition Sailing books berths on a variety of boats for the Grenada, Tobago, Heineken, BVI, and Antigua events. ambitionsailing.com

Joining GOCREW.net is free; members can post requests for crew spots or crew wanted.