Senator Shoul and Minister Fernandez disagree on sailing week proposal (file photo)
Chairman of the National Park Authority, Senator Philip Shoul, has voiced his opposition to the proposed introduction of a new sailing regatta in March.
Shoul is clearly against the concept recently announced by Tourism Minister Charles Max Fernandez during a broadcast on Pointe FM Radio.
While the government plans to roll out this new event in March 2027, Senator Shoul believes that this move could undermine the longstanding Antigua Sailing Week (ASW), scheduled for the end of April to the first weekend in May.
Shoul urged a reconsideration of priorities, suggesting that instead of creating another regatta, stakeholders should focus on revitalizing ASW, which has been a staple in the Caribbean sailing calendar for over 50 years.
He pointed out that the sailing landscape is already crowded, with over twenty-two regattas held throughout the Caribbean in a single year.
March, in particular, is packed with prestigious events such as the St. Thomas International Regatta, the BVI Spring Regatta, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, and the St. Bart’s Bucket Regatta.
Shoul expressed doubt about the viability of adding another competition during this busy month, asserting that it would likely fail to attract participants and spectators alike.
The senator further raised concerns about the management of ASW, noting that there have been significant declines in yacht participation.
The locals were one of the major supporters of sailing week in years gone by just by attending the events and having a good time. Then they started making it difficult for us to attend. So we stop going. Now even the yachts stop coming
It should be an event for everyone and it doesn’t matter what time they do it or if they do it more than once.
Someone stuck a mic in front your face and you just started talking nonesence shoul. How dare you come against a senior minister in public like that, let alone from your own party. Your head will be axed for this.
I’ve been attending ASW for over a decade. It’s lost some of its buzz recently. Putting energy into revitalizing it seems smarter than splitting attention.
Feels like another case of putting the cart before the horse. We should fix the cracks in ASW before chasing a new project.