Yacht Charter English Harbour

Yacht Charter in English Harbour, Antigua

English Harbour is the sailing capital of Antigua and the historical heart of the island's extraordinary yachting tradition — a perfectly sheltered natural harbour on the island's southern coast, surrounded by hills and framed by the remarkable Georgian naval architecture of Nelson's Dockyard National Park. For charter sailors, English Harbour is an almost mythically significant destination: the harbour where Admiral Horatio Nelson, then a young and ambitious captain, was based in the 1780s; the site of Antigua Sailing Week, one of the world's greatest offshore regattas; and the most authentic and atmospheric sailing community in the eastern Caribbean. Arriving in English Harbour under sail, through the narrow entrance between the rocky headlands, and seeing Nelson's Dockyard spread along the southern shore, is one of the defining experiences of sailing in the Caribbean.

Nelson's Dockyard National Park

Nelson's Dockyard is one of the best-preserved examples of a Georgian naval dockyard in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2016. The dockyard operated continuously from 1745 to 1889, serving as the base for British Royal Navy operations in the eastern Caribbean during the Age of Sail, and its stone-built warehouses, sail loft, pitch and tar store, copper and lumber store, and officer's quarters still stand largely intact around the harbour. Most of the buildings have been sympathetically converted into hotels, restaurants, and boutiques, and the Dockyard Museum, housed in the Admiral's Inn, tells the story of the dockyard and its operations with an impressive collection of artefacts and documents.

Shirley Heights

Shirley Heights, the fortified lookout above the eastern entrance to English Harbour, commands one of the finest panoramic views in the Caribbean — a 360-degree prospect that encompasses English Harbour, Falmouth Harbour, the southern coast of Antigua, the offshore islands, and on clear days, the volcanoes of Montserrat and the peaks of Guadeloupe. The Sunday evening barbecue at Shirley Heights — steel band from 4pm, reggae band from 7pm, local food and rum punch — is one of the Caribbean's great social institutions, drawing sailors, visitors, and Antiguans from across the island every week throughout the season.

Antigua Sailing Week

Antigua Sailing Week, held in late April and early May, is one of the world's most celebrated offshore regattas and the social highlight of the Caribbean sailing calendar. Over 200 yachts from 30 or more nations compete in several divisions across a week of racing, and the evening parties in English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour are legendary for their energy and conviviality. The Dockyard throughout Sailing Week becomes the most concentrated gathering of serious sailors in the Atlantic, and the combination of competitive racing, spectacular scenery, and Caribbean hospitality is a compelling advertisement for the sport of offshore sailing.