The Antigua and Barbuda Yachting and Marine Association (ABYMA) has formally announced a landmark new addition to the territory’s world-renowned maritime events lineup: the first two stops of the 44Cup’s 2027 20th-anniversary racing season will be hosted entirely on Antiguan shores, marking a major coup for the Caribbean nation’s fast-growing yachting sector.
Founded as a elite one-design racing series, the 44Cup gathers the globe’s most decorated professional sailors and seasoned international owner-driver teams to compete aboard uniform, cutting-edge RC44 carbon-fiber keelboats, a vessel co-engineered by five-time America’s Cup champion Russell Coutts and leading naval architect Andrej Justin. The circuit’s strict one-design rules eliminate equipment advantages entirely, pushing competitors to rely exclusively on tactical skill, crew coordination and real-time decision-making to claim podium positions, resulting in some of the closest, most thrilling competitive sailing on the global professional calendar.
The 2027 Antigua-hosted legs will kick off with the season opener running January 27 through 31, based out of Falmouth Harbour Marina, followed by a second standalone race meet scheduled for March 3 through 7, operating out of the iconic Nelson’s Dockyard Marina in historic English Harbour. The decision to place both early-season stops in Antigua positions the destination as the official launchpad for the circuit’s milestone anniversary celebrations, drawing global sailing media coverage and hundreds of top-tier athletes, team staff and international spectators to the islands over a six-week window.
Beyond the high-stakes competition on the water, the dual-event structure is strategically designed to drive extended visitor stays, boosting demand for local marine services, charter operations, hospitality venues and small business across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYMA President Franklyn Braithwaite emphasized that the selection of Antigua for the high-profile anniversary stops serves as a resounding independent endorsement of the nation’s status as a top-tier global yachting hub. The new 44Cup additions build directly on ABYMA’s recently published 2026–2027 official Yachting and Marine Events Calendar, which already features a diverse slate of world-class regattas, marine industry gatherings and sailing competitions. Moving forward, ABYMA will continue to prioritize targeted promotion of Antigua and Barbuda’s yachting assets, support sustainable industry expansion, and ensure that the economic and social benefits of international sailing events are distributed across all local communities. The full, updated 2026–2027 events calendar is available for public viewing at www.abyma.ag/events-calendar/.