2019 Antigua Bermuda Race Starts May 8 Off Fort Charlotte, Antigua

Antigua Bermuda Race -- Start off Ft Charlotte Antigua Wednesday, May 8, 2019, Antigua to port, Bermuda to Port, finish off St David’s Light Bermuda, approx. distance 935 nm.

Antigua Bermuda Race Tracker as of May 12, 17:00 AST:

Official website: antiguabermuda.com 12 May 2019:

Supermaxi SHK Scallywag (HKG), skippered by David Witt, crossed the finish line outside St David's Lighthouse, Bermuda just before 10pm local time on Saturday 11 May, taking Line Honours in the 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race in an elapsed time of 3 days 08 hours 54 mins 21 seconds, outside the record set last year by Stephen Murray Jr.'s Volvo 70 Warrior (2 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes and 48 seconds).

Antigua Bermuda Race Chairman, Les Crane gave the Scallywag's a warm welcome, motoring out to meet the boat before their finish, and was on hand to provide the Goslings Dark 'n Stormys after the 17 Scallywag crew cleared customs. SHK Scallywag crew: Skipper David Witt, Anemike Bes, Harry Bethwaite, Tom Clout, James Crampton, Nick Crones, Ferdinand Galetta, Kris Mark Galetta, Alex Gough, Phil Harmer, Jack Macartney, Matt Pearce, Ben Piggott, Trystan Seal, Miles Seddon, Lindsey Stead and Charlie Wyatt.

Several yachts are expected to finish the Antigua Bermuda Race over the next 24 hours. At 0900 AST on Sunday 12 May, Afansay Isaev Maxi Weddell (RUS) was 223 miles from the finish line. Gilles Barbot's Volvo 60 Esprit de Corps IV (CAN) are just 14 miles astern of Weddell, 237 miles from the finish.

In the race for the win after IRC time correction, Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR), skippered by Andy Liss is estimated to be leading by eight hours, with 261 miles to go. Three yachts are having a very close battle for the podium after time correction. Kevin McLaughlin's x-55 Rye (USA) is 300 miles from the finish and estimated to be second under IRC. Just one hour behind Rye on corrected time is Peter Grueterich's xP-44 Xpatriate (USA), which has 323 mile to go. Morgan Watson and Meg Reilly's Pogo 12.50 Hermes II (CAN) is fourth after IRC time correction, with 304 miles to go and very much challenging for the podium.

In CSA Cruising, Carlo Falcone's 1938 79ft Alfred Mylne ketch Mariella (ANT) continues to impress. Mariella is estimated to be leading after time correction by five hours from Pata Negra and Hermes II. Final results will be posted here.

11 May 2019, 17:00 AST: SHK Scallywag heads for Line Honours finish late Saturday:

Fleet positions as of 2019 May 10 17:00AST:

• Monday, May 6 – First Training day
• Tuesday, May 7 – Second Training day, 1700 Skippers Meeting – Nelson’s Dockyard, 1800  Crew Party – TBA
• Wednesday, May 8 – 12:00 Start off Fort Charlotte, Antigua
• Thursday, May 16 – 12:00 ADT Time Limit
• Thursday, May 16 – Goslings Prize Giving – Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

The Antigua Bermuda Race is organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week. The oceanic race will start from Fort Charlotte Antigua, just after Antigua Sailing Week on Wednesday 8th May. The 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race will be the third edition of the 935 nautical mile race through the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda.

2019 Antigua Bermuda Race: The path to Bermuda - @AntiguaYC @RoyalBermudaYC @RORCRacing @IRCrating https://t.co/vMPJwEp1Gz pic.twitter.com/S89z7Smszr

— YachtsandYachting.com (@yandyfeed) May 7, 2019

Two months before the start, 20 yachts had expressed their intention to race. The 100ft superyacht SHK Scallywag, will be racing with a full complement of world class sailors. The smallest is the Open 40 Raucous, skippered by Henry Rourke, which will race double-handed. Two of this year's entries have competed in all previous editions of the race. Pogo 12.5 Hermes, co-skippered by Meg Reilly (USA) and Morgen Watson (CAN), and Hanse 43 Avanti, skippered by Jeremi Jablonski (USA), which will be racing double-handed.

"Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag's team owner, SH Lee, is very excited to be racing his 100ft' Super Maxi with his team in Antigua for the first time in the upcoming 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race," commented Scallywag skipper Dave Witt (AUS). The 100ft canting keel Scallywag (ex-Ragamuffin) is very capable of breaking the Antigua Bermuda Race record which was set by Stephen Murray, Jr. (USA) racing Volvo 70 Warrior last year (2 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes and 48 seconds). The Antigua Bermuda Race is part of the Atlantic Ocean Race Series (AORS) and is equally weighted with the RORC Caribbean 600, Rolex Fastnet Race, and Rolex Middle Sea Race. Scallywag will be picking up valuable points prior to the start of the main event for the series, the Transatlantic Race, starting June 25, 2019.

The 2019 Atlantic Ocean Racing Series consists of five races: RORC Caribbean 600, Antigua Bermuda Race, Transatlantic Race 2019, Rolex Fastnet Race, and Rolex Middle Sea Race. Three races, including the Transatlantic Race (weighted 1.5) will be required to qualify.

The 935-mile Antigua Bermuda Race is organized in association with Antigua Sailing Week and is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority. Yachts of 40ft and over will be racing under the IRC Rating Rule, MOCRA and the CSA Racing Rule, with the latter amended to permit boats to use their engines, subject to a time penalty. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, with many years experience hosting the Newport Bermuda Race, will guarantee a fantastic welcome and a great party.

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2017 Antigua Bermuda Race Start May 12, Sailing Video

UPDATE: 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race: Monohull Line Honours to Warrior:

Video above published May 16, 2017: Stephen Murray Jr.'s Volvo 70 Warrior, finished the 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race on Tuesday 16 May 2017 taking Monohull Line Honours and setting the Monohull Race Record for the Antigua Bermuda Race of 3 days 20 hours 32 mins & 41 secs.

2017 Antigua Bermuda Race start

Video above published May 13, 2017: Start of the first Antigua Bermuda Race organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week. Sponsored by Goslings Rum and Bermuda Tourism.

Antigua Bermuda Race organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week: An impressive entry list is taking shape for the Antigua Bermuda Race which starts from Antigua on Friday 12th May, 2017. With 22 entries, including 17 over 50ft and seven Maxis and one SuperMaxi, the sight of the fleet departing for the 900 nautical mile race will be nothing short of spectacular. The variety of the fleet shows the wide appeal of the offshore race, attracting ocean going cruisers, round the world racing yachts, high performance multihulls, as well as classic designs. The latest entry to the Antigua Bermuda Race is the beautiful classic Bermudian yawl, Mariella, skippered by owner, Carlo Falcone. The 80ft (24m) Alfred Mylne-designed ketch was built entirely from wood by the legendary William Fife & Son yard in Scotland in 1938 and was lovingly restored by Carlo after being badly damaged in a hurricane. Mariella is now in fantastic condition and on top form having secured overall victory in the recent Panerai Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta.

One of the first yachts to enter the Antigua Bermuda Race was Spirit of Bermuda and there is more than meets the eye to the 112ft three-masted schooner. Just a couple of weeks before the start of the Antigua Bermuda Race, Spirit of Bermuda was racing with the giants at Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Spirit of Bermuda got the better of the 141ft (43m) Columbia and gave the professional crew on the 210ft (64m) Adix a run for their money. Spirit of Bermuda is owned by the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, the brain child of founder Malcolm Kirkland, with co-founders Jay Kempe and Alan Burland.

Spirit of Bermuda

Course and Schedule

• Start off Ft Charlotte Antigua Friday May 12, 2017
• Antigua to port,
• Bermuda to Port, finish off St David’s Light Bermuda.
• Approx. distance 935 nm
• Prizegiving Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Saturday May 20

RACE TRACKER:
Track the fleet as they head to Bermuda: http://yb.tl/a2b2017
Official site: antiguabermuda.com; LIVE Twitter feed below:

Tweets about Antigua Bermuda Race
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Antigua Sailing Week 2016, Antigua Bermuda Race 2017, Videos

Antigua Sailing Week 2016, April 23-29:

Antigua Sailing Week 2016 - Fun in the sun! Race, party and hit the beach in the beautiful Caribbean. Antigua Sailing Week is 7 days of total fun. April 23-29, 2016. more info: Antigua Sailing Week Caribbean Sailing Regatta 

Tweets by @SailingWeek

Start of the 2015 Carribbean 600 from Phaedo 3's perspective - Video / Team Phaedo

Phaedo3 to set the pace for Antigua Bermuda Race 2017 - Setting the pace for the 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race: Lloyd Thornburg's American MOD70 Phaedo3

Lloyd Thornburg's American MOD70 Phaedo3 will be attempting a record run from Antigua to Bermuda this April with a view to joining the Antigua Bermuda Race next year. Phaedo3 has set multiple world records over the past 12 months, including the Antigua to Newport passage, taking just 3 days, 5 hours, 55 minutes and 12 seconds to complete the 1,560 nautical mile course. The skipper for the record attempt will be Jules Verne record holder, Brian Thompson:

"I have probably sailed from Antigua to Bermuda 10 times; it is the classic delivery up from the Caribbean to the East Coast of the United States. In a normal boat it would be a five day trip, but Phaedo could possibly do it in two days. We literally passed Bermuda when we set the Antigua to Newport record last year and we did that in about 48 hours! Ideal conditions for us would be a well established high pressure system to the east of Bermuda, so we start with a 20 knot southeasterly, which becomes more southerly as we approach Bermuda - that would be perfect. Phaedo should be in Bermuda for a couple of days so if you want to come and see a real offshore, mile-eating machine, come along and have a look," says Phaedo3's British Co-Skipper, Brian Thompson.

Fifteen yachts ranging from 43 to 139ft (13-42m) have already registered their interest for the inaugural 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race. Yachts from all over the United States, Great Britain, Bermuda and Antigua are amongst the early entries, which include Supermaxis, Maxi Racing yachts, Classics, Performance blue water cruiser and high performance multihulls. Joining the schooner America and 112ft (34m) sloop, Spirit of Bermuda will be two British Maxi yachts; Peter Harrison's 115ft (35m) ketch, Sojana and Mike Slade's Maxi 100, Leopard 3. Lloyd Thornburg's MOD70, Phaedo3 cannot wait to get into action and will be attempting a record run this year prior to the 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race.

The 935 nautical mile race from Antigua to Bermuda will start on 12 May 2017 following the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week. Competing yachts will arrive in Bermuda for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers, the 35th America's Cup Match, America's Cup Superyacht Regatta, J Class Regatta and the Red Bull Youth America's Cup.

"The America's Cup excitement in Bermuda continues to grow. Last weekend we had M32 match racing, J105's, IOD's racing and the Bermuda Optimist World Championship trials all happening in the Great Sound with Oracle, Softbank and Artemis screaming by, testing their new boats. It's quite a sight from the Optimist Committee boat having Softbank (Team Japan) do a foiling gybe around the pin end of the start line! Monterey (Farr PH56) has been in Europe since competing in the Newport Bermuda Race in 2004 and we raced in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta in 2008. We cannot miss being home for the America's Cup. We will do the 2016 ARC and get ready for a homecoming in the 2017 Antigua Bermuda Race along with Spirit of Bermuda, America and another Bermudan

The Antigua Bermuda Race is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Goslings Rum. For more information about the Antigua Bermuda Race including pre-registration of potential interest see: www.antiguabermuda.com. The inaugural Antigua Bermuda Race will commence on Friday 12 May after the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week in early May 2017. Organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week, the Antigua Bermuda Race is designed to offer an exciting passage race to Bermuda, the home of the 2017 America's Cup. The race is open to yachts and multihulls with a minimum length of 40ft (12m) with a valid CSA and/or IRC or Superyacht Rating Certificate. A provision of a Motor Sailing Handicap will be overlaid for Cruiser Racers

Bermuda Tourism Authority - http://www.gotobermuda.com/ - #RacetoBermuda
Goslings Rum - http://www.goslingsrum.com/
Bermuda Sloop Foundation - http://www.bermudasloop.org/

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