Welcome members and visitors Our members have distinguished themselves both on and off the water. Their involvement in the organization and running of Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Mega Yacht Challenge and the other events highlighted in this web-site is to be appreciated and applauded by all of us. Thank you. We can all be especially proud of the contribution that our youth sailing program has made to Antigua and to the English Harbour Community. The Club has produced many fine sailors and has spawned the growth of talent in the marine trades and other areas of the business community. Several of our juniors have been inspired to further their studies abroad. Our Club is internationally respected and recognized. Club sailing and social events, often taken for granted, provide a meeting ground and exposure to the local and international community. You can take pride in your membership and should encourage your friends and associates to participate. Good health, fair winds and God Bless.

Antigua Yacht Club English Harbour Antigua West Indies Tel / Fax: +1 (268) 460-1799 yachtclub@candw.ag

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History

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The English Harbour Yacht Club was founded on Tuesday 21st November 1967. The founders are Mr. P. Deeth, Mr. & Mrs. A. Copeland, Mr. C. Schumacher, Mr. & Mrs. D. Nicholson, Mr. & Mrs. Lassabliers, Mr. J. Clegg and Ms. S. West. On the 9th September 1969, the S.A. FWCH. Commodore reported that the cabinet has approved the grant of a twenty-five year lease on two acres of land at Falmouth Harbour for use by the Yacht Club. On 23rd June 1970 Commodore P.Deeth reported that a lease has been completed by Rowan Henry. It was signed by the Trustees and now awaits the Governor’s signature on the 13th April 1971. The Commodore P. Deeth reports that the lease has been recorded and the matter has been satisfactorily concluded.

The first Yacht Club building was erected in 1970 by Jack Paterson. At the AGM of Sunday 21st May, 1972, the club name was changed to Antigua Yacht Club. The land has been reduced to ½ acre, now known as parcel 44.
During all those years the committee and members have used their best endeavors to promote the sport of sailing including, but not limited to Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Antigua Mega Yacht Challenge, weekly dinghy-yacht racing, and youth sailing programs.


Origins of The Antigua Yacht Club

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In the mid 1960's, two new hotels – The Inn at English Harbour, owned by Peter Deeth, and the Admiral’s Inn, a leading light of which was Desmond Nicholson, started to race against each other on Sunday mornings, using the hotel Sailfish (predecessor of the Sunfish). Each hotel had three Sailfish and team racing took place in Freemanis Bay off the Inn’s beach. Competition was fierce, a trophy was obtained, and at the end of racing each Sunday the victorious team carried off the trophy, which then sat in a place of honour in the bar at The Inn or Admiral’s Inn until the following Sunday. The trophy spent most of its time at The Admiral’s Inn as they could always field a team of "hotshot" helmsmen such as Jol Byerley, Peter van der Sloop and Richard "Hot Screws" Scott Hughes. From this successful activity the idea was born of starting a local sailing club or yacht club. In 1967, a small informal meeting of just a few people took place one early evening in The Admiral’s Inn bar. Present were Peter Deeth, Desmond Nicholson, Andy Copeland, John Clegg and one or two others. It was decided to form a club to hold Sailfish races in English Harbour and to start recruiting members. This was done with enthusiasm, word spread, and we soon had a goodly number of sailors and supporters who all became members of what was to be called "The English Harbour Yacht Club" and Peter Deeth was elected the first Commodore. Membership fees must have been very low - the "Club" had little to offer. No clubhouse, no boats and only the opportunity to race or watch races on Sunday mornings.

The Admiral’s Inn was that time the social centre of all things nautical in Antigua and Ethelyn Phillips, the Manageress, gave us permission to start our races from the dock at the bottom of The Admiral’s Inn lawn. We were even allowed to run our own bar down the dock and the revenue from this, plus entrance fees for racing and membership fees, became the foundation of the Yacht Club finances. Our Sunday morning racing soon became the social event of the week in English Harbour and we could easily have a hundred or more people turning up to chat, enjoy the scene, and in some cases to actually race. The "Clubhouse" became a large box on the dock in which we kept all our paraphernalia for racing plus essentials for the bar.

The Club was run entirely by enthusiastic volunteers. We had no expenses and ever increasing revenue. Eventually, our finances became strong enough to enable us to think to actually having a proper clubhouse and better racing in more open water. Falmouth Harbour was the obvious choice. In 1969, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held on the lawn of the Admiral’s Inn and a proposal was made to move the Club to Falmouth and build a clubhouse there. Despite considerable opposition, the vote was carried. The Commodore negotiated with V.C Bird, the Prime Minister, to obtain a site in Falmouth and this was eventually granted. In 1970, Jack Paterson, a member and a contractor, was subpoenaed to build the clubhouse, and when it was up many enthusiastic volunteers turned out for a "painting party" to finish it off. Racing continued every Sunday - all day now. We ran a barbecue lunch and the Club continued to be a great social, as well as sailing success. Everything was run by volunteers. We had no paid employees whatsoever and thus the Club finances continued to prosper. Before long, we were racing Sunfish and then a string of six 420's were brought in Guadeloupe and towed over to Antigua by volunteers yachtsmen. In 1972, the Club’s name was changed to the Antigua Yacht Club and we were on our way.

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Interesting Links Antigua Nice Ltd.  www.antiguanice.com Antigua Sailing Week  www.sailingweek.com Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta  www.antiguaclassics.com Antigua Yacht Club Marina  www.aycmarina.com Tradewind Realty  www.tradewindrealty.com Weather  www.caribwx.com

Reciprocal The Commonwealth Club  www.rcsint.org Royal Naval Club & Royal Albert Yacht Club  www.rnc-rayc.co.uk False Creek Yacht Club  www.fcyc.com

RORC Caribbean 600 Race - www.caribbean600rorc.org

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