The Commercial Director of Antigua Sailing Week and past president of the Caribbean Sailing Association, Alison Sly-Adams, said the yachting industry continues to make a significant financial injection into the country’s economy.
According to Adams, Antigua Sailing Week alone contributes at least EC$6 million into the local economy.
This year’s Sailing Week is scheduled to be held from 25th April to 5th May.
“The industry is incredible in term of its impact on the economy. I can’t give you a number for the whole industry, but I can tell you for Sailing Week, we calculate it at around EC$6 million just for the week that comes into the Antiguan economy. But that’s one week of the year,” Adams stated.
The Antigua Sailing Week is one of the major revenue earning events on the national yachting and sailing calendar of activities.
Among the major events planned this year are the Antigua Yacht Club Round the Island Race on 15th January, the Jolly Harbour Valentine’s Regatta from 10th to 12th February, the Antigua 360 on 17th February and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) 600 from 20th to 24th February.
The Superyacht Challenge Antigua will be held from the 6th to 12th March, the Antigua Yacht Club Annual Laser Open from 26th to 27th March, the Oyster Regatta from 5th to 8th April and the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta from 19th to 24th April.
The Peters & May Round Antigua Race will take place on 29th April, then the Antigua Sailing Week. Dockyard Day will be held on 6th May, the Antigua to Bermuda Race will be staged on 9th May and the Mike Pigott Jr Memorial Classic Fishing tournament will take place on the 26th May.
The Antigua and Barbuda Sport Fishing Tournament is slated for the 27th and 28th May, Optinam will be held from 2nd to 9th July and the Francis Nunes Jr. Fishing Tournament will take place on 23rd September.
Adams, who is also the General Manager of the National Sailing Academy (NSA), said the economy benefits greatly from the money spent by the yachting community on food, fuel, the maintenance of their vessels and other services.
“Things like fuel and water, which they need to buy obviously if you are out there at sea for days and days, you have to get those things, the essentials such as food and that kind of thing,” she said.
“But also, it’s all the service providers who we’ve got who know how to fix things and do things on boats. It’s just like a house. You have a house, over time your electrics go, your plumbing goes and some things break down. It’s no different on a boat because everything can go wrong at some time on a boat.
“That’s really one of the most important things. We could not have all of the events we have without having the services that we have here.”
The Commercial Director of Antigua Sailing Week and past president of the Caribbean Sailing Association, Alison Sly-Adams, said the yachting industry continues to make a significant financial injection into the country’s economy.
According to Adams, Antigua Sailing Week alone contributes at least EC$6 million into the local economy.
This year’s Sailing Week is scheduled to be held from 25th April to 5th May.
“The industry is incredible in term of its impact on the economy. I can’t give you a number for the whole industry, but I can tell you for Sailing Week, we calculate it at around EC$6 million just for the week that comes into the Antiguan economy. But that’s one week of the year,” Adams stated.
The Antigua Sailing Week is one of the major revenue earning events on the national yachting and sailing calendar of activities.
Among the major events planned this year are the Antigua Yacht Club Round the Island Race on 15th January, the Jolly Harbour Valentine’s Regatta from 10th to 12th February, the Antigua 360 on 17th February and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) 600 from 20th to 24th February.
The Superyacht Challenge Antigua will be held from the 6th to 12th March, the Antigua Yacht Club Annual Laser Open from 26th to 27th March, the Oyster Regatta from 5th to 8th April and the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta from 19th to 24th April.
The Peters & May Round Antigua Race will take place on 29th April, then the Antigua Sailing Week. Dockyard Day will be held on 6th May, the Antigua to Bermuda Race will be staged on 9th May and the Mike Pigott Jr Memorial Classic Fishing tournament will take place on the 26th May.
The Antigua and Barbuda Sport Fishing Tournament is slated for the 27th and 28th May, Optinam will be held from 2nd to 9th July and the Francis Nunes Jr. Fishing Tournament will take place on 23rd September.
Adams, who is also the General Manager of the National Sailing Academy (NSA), said the economy benefits greatly from the money spent by the yachting community on food, fuel, the maintenance of their vessels and other services.
“Things like fuel and water, which they need to buy obviously if you are out there at sea for days and days, you have to get those things, the essentials such as food and that kind of thing,” she said.
“But also, it’s all the service providers who we’ve got who know how to fix things and do things on boats. It’s just like a house. You have a house, over time your electrics go, your plumbing goes and some things break down. It’s no different on a boat because everything can go wrong at some time on a boat.
“That’s really one of the most important things. We could not have all of the events we have without having the services that we have here.”
