The highly anticipated 2024 edition of Antigua Sailing Week is just around the corner, with nearly ninety boats from eleven different countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, set to participate in the races.

According to sources close to ASW, 89 boats are registered, and the participating countries include the United States, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Holland, Ireland, and Barbados.

The races will be held across 13 different classes, each presenting a unique challenge to the participants.

The first event of the race, the Round the Island race, is scheduled for Saturday, with a total of 22 boats taking part.

Among them, only one boat from Antigua and Barbuda, Huey Too, will be competing. The second edition of the Wingfoiling competition, which started on Thursday, will continue until Friday and Saturday.

Nine Wingfoilers are participating in the event, with both professional and leisure classes. This year, a new class has been introduced to the race, the Dragon Class. The one-design class will feature Paul Ho Jensen, a previous world champion and Olympic gold medalist who currently resides in Antigua, competing.

Apart from the races, ASW also boasts a host of social events that are very popular among the participants. The main social event, Reggae in the Park, will be held for the 13th time and is always a big hit.

This year, the event will feature Jamaican reggae artist Sanchez as the headline act. Lay Day is at Pigeon Beach on Wednesday, and Dockyard Day, which is the day most residents look forward to journeying out to English Harbour, is on Saturday, 4th May.

The atmosphere at English Harbour is said to be gradually building up, with several professional crews arriving and boats still coming in.

The internationally popular Antigua Classic Regatta, which is a much more informal affair, ended on Sunday.

The event is less about serious racing and more about beautiful boats from many countries, which makes it a much-anticipated event among sailing enthusiasts.