Caribbean Sailing Association Launches New Five-Year Racing Calendar for Region

Five year outlook, new Caribbean Trophy

This week, the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) launched a five-year racing agenda. This provides the five major Caribbean regattas with an overview to plan ahead. Additionally, it makes the agenda more concentrated, so more space comes into play for free sailing beyond this four-month timeframe, centered around the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

This was announced by CSA, adding that a new regional season trophy would become available for those sailors proving to be the region’s best. CSA President Bastian Poutier said in a CSA press release: “This calendar delivers clarity and momentum for our sport. Concentrating our marquee events into a four-month window creates a true circuit for serious campaigners — without losing the adventurous spirit that defines Caribbean racing.”

A Sailing Agenda Centered Around St. Maarten

CSA notes: “The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta anchors the season as the Caribbean’s biggest event.” For five years to come, at a minimum, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta remains at its early March timeframe, slated for March 4-7, 2027, March 2-5, 2028, March 1-4, 2029, March 6-9, 2030, and March 4-7, 2031. Its sister regatta, the Caribbean Multihull Challenge, remains just as firmly anchored during the transition week from January to February.

Not just for St. Maarten, but also for its surrounding islands, the multiyear CSA plan provides a firm opportunity for long-term planning of their annual events calendar. For the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta specifically, it allows megayachts and sailing fanatics to timely plan their voyage to the Caribbean regatta central to this agenda. The same applies to the many smaller regattas departing from the St. Maarten Yacht Club throughout the year, and the timely adjusting of opening times of important bridges like the Simpson Bay Lagoon Bridge and Causeway Bridges. In the case of St. Maarten, with a busy March month featuring, among others, the SXM Festival, this can be considered a good runway to prepare for one of the busiest weeks of the year.

Last but not least, the five year schedule is a great planning tool for leisure sailors. They can see when to either join or avoid busy timeframes in the region. Additionally, because of a more condensed calendar, it allows both contestants and spectators more time to explore the region.

The Caribbean Schedule In a Nutshell

Those who perform best at the five main races — the RORC Nelson Series, RORC Caribbean 600, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Antigua Racing Cup, and BVI Spring Regatta — will win the CSA Majors Trophy. They will receive their award at the BVI Spring Regatta.

The new calendar starts in January and ends in late April. It contains the five year planning for the RORC Transatlantic Starts, Barbados Sailing Week, Grenada Sailing Week, Caribbean Multihull Challenge St. Maarten, The RORC Caribbean 600 on Antigua, BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, Antigua Racing Cup, Antigua Sailing Week, St. Thomas International Regatta, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, Antigua Superyacht Challenge and the St. Barths Bucket Regatta. Dates have been decided upon as;

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