Antigua Bermuda Race Returns April 29: What Offshore Sailors Should Know
After a two-year hiatus, the Antigua Bermuda Race returns on April 29, 2026, and the buzz along the Caribbean circuit has been building all season. The 935-nautical-mile sprint from English Harbour to St. George's is back on the calendar as the fifth running of the event, and with starts pushed to follow Antigua Sailing Week and feed directly into SailGP Bermuda on May 9 and 10, organizers have engineered one of the most sensible racing arcs in the Atlantic.
For bluewater sailors watching from afar, this race remains one of the most interesting offshore tests of the year. Unlike the Caribbean 600 or the Newport-Bermuda, the Antigua Bermuda course runs on a long northerly reach through the deep Atlantic, exposing crews to shifting trade winds, variable sea states, and a finishing approach into Bermuda that rewards careful routing and a clean entry through Town Cut.
A Course That Rewards Thoughtful Routing
The rhumb line takes fleets out of English Harbour on a course just east of north, meaning the first 24 hours are typically a hot reach in 18 to 22 knots of easterly trade. Crews who push hard in the opening phase can make life difficult for themselves later as the trades bend and soften on the approach to the horse latitudes. Historically the middle third of the race has been where clever navigators split from the pack, either holding east to extend in pressure or bailing west to dodge the classic Bermuda high parking lot.
Expect routing software to earn its keep. Tools like PredictWind, Squid, and Expedition are now standard kit on race boats in this event, and mid-race squall avoidance is increasingly a function of high-resolution GRIB and satellite overlays rather than on-deck instinct alone.
What To Watch For
Keep an eye on the Class 40 entries, which have grown in representation on this course and tend to fly in the breezy opening hours. The ORC Superyacht class, a unique feature of this race, is also worth tracking; few offshore events let you see an 80-footer and a 45-foot J/Boat score on the same handicap lineup.
The fleet is expected to include a strong contingent of doublehanded entries this year. With short-handed offshore racing booming across the Atlantic circuit, the 935-mile distance is an ideal proving ground for crews training up for longer events like the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum.
Bermuda Finish Logistics
The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club hosts the finish line and runs a very tidy operation in St. George's. Crews clearing in at Ordnance Island should have boat documentation, crew lists, and firearms declarations ready. The quick turnaround to SailGP Bermuda means the harbor will be lively — provision spots early at the Dockyard, and if you're hauling out locally, book before the race rather than after.
Tracking The Race
The official YB Tracker page will go live at the start and is worth bookmarking. For bluewater enthusiasts, this is one of the best opportunities of the spring to watch offshore boats working real weather in real time — a useful complement to your own passage planning as the northern hemisphere cruising season opens up. Fair winds to everyone on the line.
