The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda (CIU) has renewed its commitment as a key sustainability sponsor for Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) 2025, providing crucial support for the event’s environmental initiatives.
Rana-Jamila Lewis, Regatta Logistics and Marketing Manager, emphasized that sustainability is vital for the event’s future success.
“The importance of sustainability in our events is that it protects the long-term viability of the event and it is a long-term source of revenue,” Lewis said to Observer media. “The event brings in thousands of people, so anything that helps us to carry it forward is a benefit.”
The partnership, announced on Global World Recycling Day, will support Antigua Sailing Week’s efforts to maintain its Clean Regatta status, a certification it has held for several years through Sailors for the Sea.
Lewis explained that Antigua Sailing Week has maintained a silver-level certification for approximately seven years, though advancing to gold status remains challenging due to local limitations.
“It’s really hard for us to get to something like gold because some of the things they’re asking us to do are just not possible in Antigua,” she noted.
The sponsorship will fund the Green Team, which implements waste reduction programs, manages recycling efforts, and coordinates community engagement activities like beach clean-ups to educate both locals and visitors about protecting Antigua’s coastal environment.
According to Lewis, the partnership benefits both organizations by highlighting their environmental commitments.
“The partnership with CIU helps us to get further along in our sustainability initiatives,” Lewis said. “I think it makes the CIU more attractive to some of these potential clients. There are a lot of global trends where high-net-worth individuals, the kind of people that they cater to, do find an affinity for businesses or islands that have some sort of sustainability effort.”
Lewis emphasized that environmental protection is central to the event’s mission.
“It’s not really all about promoting investment. It’s about ensuring that our event grows in a way that we can always keep the environment in the forefront because it is an event that’s run on the ocean and we have to protect the ocean,” she said, adding that these efforts enhance tourism in Antigua and Barbuda.
The CIU Green Team, operated by local non-profit GoodHumans 268, will champion sustainable practices and raise awareness about marine conservation throughout the regatta.
During the weeklong event from April 26 to May 2, CIU representatives will be available for one-on-one information sessions about investment opportunities in Antigua and Barbuda.
While the CIU sponsorship addresses sustainability initiatives, Lewis noted that Antigua Sailing Week continues to seek additional sponsors.
“Antigua Sailing Week is a not-for-profit organization, so we basically rely on different sponsors to bring each angle of the event to life,” Lewis said. “We are still looking for sponsors for Antigua Sailing Week as a whole. We still need sponsors for us to be able to activate our committee desk, for us to run our youth program.”
Sherelyn Hughes Thomas of CIU expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “The Citizenship by Investment Unit is honored to continue to partner with Antigua Sailing Week in their mission to maintain their status as a Clean Green Regatta. As a key driver of investment in Antigua and Barbuda, we recognize our responsibility to support initiatives that protect and preserve our natural environment while also fostering economic growth.”
Antigua Sailing Week, celebrating its 56th edition this year, remains one of the Caribbean’s longest-running regattas and features the Peters and May Round Antigua Race, a new ASW Cruising Rally, competitive racing, and various social events.
