For one week every August, Anguilla stops watching the beach and starts watching the water. Carnival Week Boat Racing is the beating heart of the island's Summer Festival, and from August 2 through 9 the whole place organizes itself around the start gun. This is not a side attraction to the parades and pageants. For a lot of Anguillians, it is the festival.
Boat racing is Anguilla's national sport, and it looks like nothing else in the Caribbean. The boats are open wooden sloops, hand-built on-island, with no engines and no cabins, carrying a towering wall of sail. Crews keep them upright with nothing but movable ballast and their own body weight, hiking out over the rail as the hull heels hard into the wind. They launch straight off the sand at Sandy Ground, and fans follow their favourite boats the way football supporters follow a club: loudly, loyally, and for life.
Jahmal Richard is a born-and-raised Anguillian who frequently uses the Blowing Point ferry crossing for personal and business travel. As an experienced software engineer, he built Anguilla Ferry Times to give local and international travelers clear ferry schedules, practical trip-planning tools, and useful insights for visiting Anguilla.
Good to know
Carnival Week Boat Race Festival runs August 2 to 9, 2026, organized by the Anguilla Boat Racing Association (ABRA). Sandy Ground is the home beach and the start line for most of the week's races.
Why Boat Racing Is Anguilla''s National Sport
The sport grew out of necessity. Generations ago, Anguillian men sailed wooden boats for fishing and trade, and the race home from the fishing grounds was the original competition. Over time those working boats became purpose-built racers, and the rivalries between them became part of the island's identity. Today the boats carry names that everyone knows, and a win on August Monday is a point of pride a village will talk about for the rest of the year.
There are no engines out there. Just wind, weight, and the nerve to hold your line while the next boat tries to crowd you off it.
The 2026 Carnival Week Race Schedule
Racing happens almost every day of Carnival Week. Each day carries a named race, and on most days both a B Series and an A Series start. Here is the full itinerary as published by ABRA.
2026 Race Week Itinerary
Presented by the Anguilla Boat Racing Association (ABRA)
SUN02
Liberty Co-op
August Sunday
B Series · 12:30 PMA Series · 3:00 PM
MON03
Sir Emile Gumbs
August Monday
B Series · 12:30 PMA Series · 3:00 PM
TUE04
Island Harbour
August Tuesday
A Series · 2:00 PM
WED05
Errol Romney
August Wednesday
A Series · 2:00 PM
THU06
Meads Bay
August Thursday
B Series · 12:30 PMA Series · 3:00 PM
SUN09
AASPA
Champ of Champions
B Series · 12:30 PMA Series · 2:30 PM
Travel tip
On days with two starts, the B Series (the smaller boats) sails first at 12:30, and the A Series (the big boats) follows in the afternoon. If you can only catch one, make it the A Class. Those are the giants of the fleet.
The 2026 Planned Racing Routes
Anguillian races are point-to-point contests run along the island's coastline, using headlands, beaches, and offshore rocks as turning marks. Most starts fire off Sandy Ground on the north-west coast. Here is where the fleet is headed each day.
2026 Planned Racing Routes
Most starts fire off Sandy Ground on the north-west coast
02Sunday, August 2
B Class12:30 PM
Sandy GroundMeads Bay
& back
A Class3:00 PM
Sandy GroundAnguillita
& back
03Monday, August 3
B Class12:30 PM
Sandy GroundLong Bay Beach
& back x2
A Class3:00 PM
04Tuesday, August 4
A Class2:00 PM
Sandy GroundIsland Harbour
05Wednesday, August 5
A Class2:00 PM
Sandy GroundBlowing Point
Above the ferry terminal
06Thursday, August 6
B Class12:30 PM
Meads BayAnguillita
1 lap
A Class3:00 PM
Meads Bay
09Sunday, August 9
B Class12:30 PM
Sandy GroundLong Bay Beach
& back x2
A Class2:30 PM
Routes are subject to change — confirm on the day. All races are scheduled to start on time; if a boat runs into trouble, crews are allotted no more than 30 minutes before the start goes ahead, and if the B Class starts late its route is cut shorter.
The Prizes: What They Are Racing For
There is real money on the line every single day, not just at the finale. A Class carries the bigger purse, but both classes pay deep into the fleet, and even boats outside the top five take home a consolation prize. Figures below are as published by ABRA.
Prize Purses
A Class
11st$1,700
22nd$1,600
33rd$1,500
44th$1,400
55th$1,300
6th place onwards$400
B Class
11st$1,400
22nd$1,300
33rd$1,200
44th$1,100
55th$1,000
6th place onwards$350
Heineken Bonus Awards
Boat of the Year
B Class Winner3 cases of Heineken
A Class Winner3 cases of Heineken
Champ of Champs
B Class Winner3 cases of Heineken
A Class Winner3 cases of Heineken
How to Watch Like a Local
Post up at Sandy Ground. The main beach is the start line and the natural gathering point. Come early on the big days to claim your spot in the sand.
Pick a boat and commit. Half the fun is having something to shout for. Ask anyone on the beach which boat is fast this season and why, and they will have opinions.
Get out on the water if you can. Spectator and chase boats follow the fleet up the coast, and there is no better view of a close finish. Local operators run trips during race week.
August Monday is the one. The Sir Emile Gumbs race falls on August Monday, the cultural peak of the whole festival and the day the biggest crowds turn out.
Bring cash, sun protection, and patience. Starts can slip, the sun is strong, and the beach bars run on cash. Settle in and enjoy the wait.
Getting to the Races by Ferry
If you are coming from St. Martin or St. Barths for race week, the crossing is easy. The public ferry runs year-round between Marigot, St. Martin and Blowing Point, Anguilla, and from Blowing Point it is a short taxi ride across the island to Sandy Ground. There is a nice bit of symmetry this year, too. On Wednesday, August 5, the A Class fleet races from Sandy Ground all the way to Blowing Point, finishing right above the ferry terminal. Time your arrival well and you could step off the boat straight into a finish line.
Budget-Friendly Ferry Option
The public ferry between Marigot, St. Martin and Blowing Point is the most affordable way to reach Anguilla for race week, and it runs multiple times a day. Private charters and airport transfers are faster if you would rather travel on your own schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Anguilla Carnival Week boat racing in 2026?
Carnival Week Boat Race Festival runs from Sunday, August 2 through Sunday, August 9, 2026, with racing on most days and the Champ of Champions finale on August 9.
Where do the boat races start?
Most races start from Sandy Ground on Anguilla's north-west coast, the home beach of the Anguilla Boat Racing Association. A few days use other start or finish points, including Meads Bay and Blowing Point.
What is the difference between A Class and B Class?
A Class boats are the largest in the fleet and carry the biggest sails, the longest routes, and the largest prizes. B Class boats are smaller and usually race earlier in the day. On days with two starts, B Series sails first at 12:30 PM and A Series follows in the afternoon.
Can visitors watch the races?
Yes. Racing is free to watch from the beach and spectators are welcome. Local operators also run spectator and chase boats that follow the fleet along the coast for a closer view of the action.
What is Champ of Champions?
Champ of Champions is the season finale on August 9, when the best boats of the year race for the overall title. The A Class and B Class winners of the Boat of the Year and Champ of Champs honours also earn Heineken bonus awards.
Anguilla's beaches are famous the world over, but for one week in August the real show moves offshore. If you want to understand the island and not just its coastline, spend an afternoon at Sandy Ground with a cold drink, a boat to cheer for, and the whole community roaring at the water. The ferry is running, the fleet is ready, and the first gun is on August 2. Come and pick a side.
