The penultimate day of racing at the Antigua Racing Cup was disrupted by a heavy rain squall, forcing a delayed start and leaving competitors to navigate shifting wind speeds and directions throughout the day. According to Antigua News Room, sunshine and cloud cover added further complexity, creating a demanding and unpredictable environment across all classes.
The one-race discard rule came into effect for CSA 2, 3 and 4, each completing two races on windward-leeward legs between Shirley Heights and the entrance to Falmouth Harbour, with a reaching leg offshore adding variety to the wind angles on offer.
CSA 1
A course of approximately 22 nautical miles was set for the big boat class, taking competitors upwind as far east as Willoughby Bay before a downwind run to a virtual mark five miles offshore. A tight reach toward Boggy Peak — Antigua's highest point — was followed by a beat outside Cades Reef to the finish.
Dan Gribble's Tripp 65 Prevail (USA) took line honours in an elapsed time of just over three hours, claiming their fourth bullet of the regatta after CSA time correction. Lennart Davidsson's S&S 79 Kialoa III, which had broken her bowsprit the previous day, returned to the water and secured second place. John McMonigal's Oyster 82 Zig Zag (GBR), skippered by Carl Raynes, finished third.
Davidsson spoke about the day's conditions and his crew's approach. "We had a beautiful course today but tactically we were offshore most of the time as the wind was more stable away from land, and at times the current was better offshore as well," he said. "Much of the crew for this regatta are from the Swan 65 Saida, which is also a Sparkman Stephens design, but Kialoa is much bigger. The crew is from many countries — Germany, Switzerland, Norway — and we have Antiguans from the Y2K youth programme. As with any boat, you have to work as a team and we are doing that very well. We believe the weather will be much more stable tomorrow and hopefully not too heavy, and that will suit Kialoa."
CSA 2
Two races kept CSA 2 wide open heading into the final day. In Race 6, Steve Rigby's GS46 Belladonna (GBR) took the CSA corrected time win by 1 minute 20 seconds from Donald Nicholson's J/121 Apollo (USA), with Jules Mitchell's RP37 Warthog (ANT) a further 36 seconds back in third.
Warthog responded emphatically in Race 7, claiming the corrected time win by 1 minute 41 seconds from Bruce Chafee's Reichel Pugh 42 Rikki (USA), with Belladonna just 23 seconds behind Rikki in third. After seven races, Belladonna and Warthog are tied at the top of the overall standings on 9 points apiece, with Rikki third on 16 points.
Both leading skippers offered contrasting visions for the final day. "For us, probably 14 to 16 knots on a windward-leeward course would be ideal," said Belladonna's Jeremy Smart. "We are a bigger, heavier boat, so we need a bit of breeze to punch through the waves and get going. It has been great racing against these guys. We have been tied on points every day of the regatta so far, which is crazy, and it is going to be tight tomorrow for sure."
Warthog's Ozani Lafond took a different view. "I would say 18 to 20 knots, because then we can really make the most of our downwind speed. On the runs we can be quite strong, especially if we can extend and make the most of the longer distance. It is going to come down to who sails the cleanest race."
CSA 3
Poul Hoj Jensen's Danish Blue (ANT) tightened her grip on CSA 3 with two further race wins. In Race 6, Danish Blue beat Katy Campbell's Panacea X (CAN) by 2 minutes 41 seconds on corrected time, with Team Strada Awaken (GBR) third. Race 7 followed a similar pattern, with Danish Blue winning by 2 minutes 50 seconds from Panacea X, while Bernie Evan-Wong's High Tension (ANT) took third, 1 minute 20 seconds further back.
Danish Blue leads CSA 3 overall on 6 points after seven races, with Panacea X second on 11 points and Team Strada Awaken third on 21 points. J-Aguar Powered by Heat Wave (USA) sits fourth on 22 points, one point off the podium.
At just 19 years old, Danish Blue crew member Shanoy Malone is among a new generation of Antiguan sailors competing alongside some of the sport's most experienced names. "Racing on Danish Blue at the Antigua Racing Cup is a special experience for me," Malone said. "I started sailing when I was six, worked my way through the youth system, and now I am lining up with legends of the sport. Having my dad on board, along with Karl James and Poul Høj-Jensen, makes it an incredible place to learn. What inspires me most is that this regatta gives young Antiguan sailors the chance to race hard in a high-level format on home waters. It makes me proud and it makes me want to do my job better every single time we go out."
CSA 4
Ashley Rhodes' Melges 24 Whiplash (ANT) extended her unbeaten run with two more victories. In Race 6, Whiplash beat Sigma 38 The Project, skippered by Lee Oldak (USA), by 12 minutes 29 seconds, with Jean-Mallory Rousseau's Montebello Pepsi (FRA) third, just 37 seconds back. Race 7 was considerably tighter, with Whiplash edging The Project by just 15 seconds and Montebello Pepsi again finishing third.
Whiplash leads CSA 4 overall on a perfect 7 points after seven races, with The Project second on 12 points and Montebello Pepsi third on 17 points.
Rousseau reflected on the regatta and outlined his team's plans for the final day. "We came to the Antigua Racing Cup because it offered exactly the kind of competition we were looking for — close to our home in Guadeloupe, but with an international feel and a proper racing format," he said. "For tomorrow, our aim is simple: we will give absolutely everything in the first race and fight as hard as we can. After that, depending on the overall standings, we may do something special and swap crew positions for the final race, just to thank the whole team and let everyone enjoy a different role."
The final day of the Antigua Racing Cup is set to deliver a compelling conclusion across all classes, with CSA 2 in particular offering an outright battle between Belladonna and Warthog that could go either way.
