★ Antigua Charter Yacht Show

01Waarom het relevant is

This is trade infrastructure for the Caribbean charter season rather than a public spectacle, and its long run — dating to 1961 — makes it one of the oldest yacht shows anywhere, predating the built superyacht industry that now surrounds it. Brokers use the week to build the recommendations they will carry into the winter charter season, and for the yachts themselves it is the closest thing the Caribbean charter fleet has to a single annual muster.

02De week eromheen

Early December in Antigua sits at the very start of the Caribbean's high season, as the charter fleet gathers ahead of the winter months when most bookings take place. English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, already busy marine centers, fill further with charter yachts and visiting brokers for the week, and the historic dockyard buildings host the show's briefings and functions alongside their everyday role as marina offices, shops and restaurants.

03Wanneer aan te komen

The show's own multi-day schedule of boat viewings runs across the week; for a broker or charter client, the middle days give the fullest access to yachts and crews before schedules loosen toward the end of the week.

04Waar te verblijven

English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour put visitors within walking distance of all three show sites and have the island's main concentration of small hotels and guesthouses oriented to the marine trade. St. John's, the capital, is a lower-cost option with a longer commute.

05Toegang en hospitality

The show is a trade event for charter brokers, agents and industry professionals rather than the general public; access to tour yachts is arranged through the organizer's accreditation process for qualified trade visitors. There is no general-admission ticket.

06Waar de sociale activiteit plaatsvindt

Nelson's Dockyard itself, with its restored Georgian buildings, shops and restaurants, is the public face of the week and is open to visitors year-round regardless of the show; the marinas where the charter fleet berths are the show's working center and are not open to the general public during viewing hours.

07Hoe u er komt

08Praktische informatie

09Geschiedenis

The show began in 1961, when a small number of charter yachts first gathered in English Harbour; the organizer marked the 2026 edition as its sixty-fifth anniversary. Nelson's Dockyard itself dates to the eighteenth century as a British careening and repair yard, named for Horatio Nelson, who served there as a young captain, and was restored beginning in the mid-twentieth century into the working marina and heritage site that hosts the show today, a restoration recognized by UNESCO with World Heritage status for English Harbour and the surrounding naval buildings.

10Wie is er

Charter brokers and agents from Europe and North America; yacht captains and crews presenting their boats for the season ahead; charter management companies; and a smaller press presence than the region's public boat shows draw.