St Vincent and the Grenadines Set for Big Sailing Event

March in St. Vincent and the Grenadines arrives with trade winds, salt on the air and a sense that the sea is once again taking center stage.

By the time the first sails rise off Kingstown on March 29, SVG Sailing Week 2026 will already feel less like an event and more like a moving celebration, one that unfolds across open water and three distinct islands over nine days, ending April 6.

This is not a regatta that stays put. SVG Sailing Week moves with the fleet, carrying sailors and spectators from St. Vincent to Canouan and on to Bequia, blending competitive racing with the lived rhythms of the islands themselves. You’re not just watching boats cross a line. You’re stepping ashore in different communities, eating where locals eat, listening to music that spills out toward the water, and experiencing the Grenadines as they are meant to be experienced: by sea.

The 2026 edition builds on a growing international profile for the event, one that organizers say now places St. Vincent and the Grenadines firmly on the global sailing calendar. At its core, though, the week remains rooted in collaboration between public and private partners, local sailing clubs, and the communities that host each stop along the route. Recent partnership signings between the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, government agencies, private sponsors and community groups underscore how central that cooperation has become to the Sailing Week identity.

For the destination itself, the event has evolved into one of the most vivid expressions of what St. Vincent and the Grenadines offers as a multi-island journey. From deep-water harbors to quiet anchorages, from purpose-built marinas to traditional boatyards, Sailing Week showcases a country that has always been defined by its relationship with the sea. The islands aren’t presented as backdrops. They are active participants in the experience.

That sense of participation is especially strong in Bequia, where the Bequia Easter Regatta remains one of the Caribbean’s most storied maritime gatherings. The regatta’s blend of competitive sailing and community celebration anchors the latter part of SVG Sailing Week, drawing crews and visitors into Admiralty Bay for days that stretch seamlessly from racing to beach bar conversations to late-night music along the waterfront. It is here, perhaps more than anywhere else, that the line between sailor and spectator dissolves.

Canouan, another key stop on the route, brings a different rhythm. Known for its steady breezes and clear waters, the island hosts racing that appeals to serious competitors while offering a polished shore-side experience shaped by its marina and resort scene. The Canouan Cup has become a highlight of the week, pairing technical racing conditions with the island’s quieter, refined atmosphere.

Throughout the week, modern race boats share the water with vessels that tell a longer Caribbean story. Traditional Double Ender racing remains a defining feature, honoring a boat type that has fished and sailed these waters for generations. Watching these craft under sail is a reminder that the Grenadines’ maritime culture did not arrive with international regattas; it was already here, working, adapting and enduring.

Local involvement runs deep across the program. Community partners and sailing organizations, including the Veterans Sailing Club, play an active role in shaping the experience, with a strong emphasis on youth engagement and cultural integration. Sailing Week is as much about passing on skills and stories as it is about competition. Onshore, that translates into cultural showcases, music, food and informal gatherings that feel organic rather than programmed.

Government leaders have repeatedly emphasized the broader impact of the event, pointing to its role in sports development, cultural promotion and economic activity across the islands