Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2023: a resounding success!

The Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2023 has drawn to a close and we’re thrilled to share that the week was a resounding success and enjoyed by all! Feedback from all attendees - from yachts to brokers, judges to marine vendors - has been extremely positive.

 13th December 2023

 the show / news

We had a large number of last-minute yacht sign ups and the end result was that we had 68 yachts in total docked in our marinas for the duration of the show! These were a combination of motor yachts, sailing yachts and multihulls, ranging in size from 62ft right up to 312ft, so there was a huge variety to explore and experience.

Attendance was great and every aspect of the show went smoothly - despite some challenging weather at times! The team worked hard to ensure that these challenges did not impact anyone’s experience, with adjustments being made along the way.

ACYM’s Secretariat Manager, Faheema Akaloo Mohammed heads up the team that organises the show.

What were the highlights of the show?

“Everything got off to a great start with the Meet and Greets at the airport going well and attendees being welcomed at the Hospitality Desk at the start of the show. The Welcome Dinner at Clarence House was a great success; everyone really enjoyed the location, layout, entertainment, food and drinks, and it was a great way for people to get acquainted. The Marina Nights were fantastic too!”

Were there any challenges to overcome?

“On Friday, the Concours de Chef Prize Giving ceremony and the After Show Mingle were due to be held outdoors, but there was torrential rain so it did not go entirely to plan! We worked quickly to tweak the proceedings and despite the downpours, we pulled it off and a great time was had by all. The Barbie-themed End of Show Mingle was well-received and we had some great costumes including one group whose men dressed as Barbie and the ladies as Ken!”

How did everything else go?

“The Informative Hour sessions were very well received; each of the six sessions were fully booked and we had some very positive feedback. The Concours de Chef was extremely successful too, it was pretty much fully subscribed and the standard was very high, making it challenging to choose the winners! Our Chairman, Mr Deeth, has reported that the Sail Day went very well too, with many yachts providing charter days to brokers to give them a taste of the Antigua charter experience.”

Concours de Chef and Tablescaping Competition results

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the 23rd Annual Antigua Charter Yacht Show Concours de Chef and Tablescaping Competitions. This year’s theme focused on global inspirations with an emphasis on sustainable products and we saw culinary excellence paired with stunning tablescapes - it was a truly phenomenal event!

Concours de Chef Coordinator, Chef Elizabeth Lee, presented the awards at the prize giving. She said:

"Coordinating the Antigua Charter Yacht Show’s Concours de Chef and Tablescaping Competitions is a phenomenal honor. This year we had 29 yachts compete in this prestigious event, each showcasing immense talent from their charter crews.

The competition level was very high with many gifted chefs and interior crew members collaborating to impress our discerning judges. While only a few yachts and their crew could take home the coveted awards, I want to emphasize that the competition is not the sole arbiter of one's talent and potential. Interpreting the theme incorporating the secret ingredient while balancing taste and presentation is a significant creative challenge. All chef’s and crew demonstrated wonderful abilities regardless of final placement.

As the coordinator of this exciting event, it was deeply rewarding to facilitate such an exceptional display of fine cuisine and design from top charter yachts. I applaud all the 2023 participants and hope to see these and even more skilled yacht crews take part again next year."

Yachts 125ft and under

1st place winning chef is Cloe Cauillaud from S/Y Sylene
2nd place winning chef  is Joel Ehrich from M/Y Top Shelf
3rd place winning chef is Dulce Godoy from S/Y Semper Fidelis

Yachts 125ft and under Tablescape Winner

Chief Stewardess Rochelle Irle from M/Y Eros

Yachts 126-159ft

1st place winning chef is Nicolas Ott from M/Y Parillion
2nd place winning chef is Terry Gatewood from M/Y Milestone
3rd place winning chef is Fernando Jeffrey from M/Y Crossed Sabre

Yachts 126-159ft Tablescape Winner

Chief Stewardess Chloe Woodward from M/Y Nadan   

Yachts 160ft and over

1st place winning chef is Nathan Clements from S/Y Asahi
2nd place winning chef is Josh Bingham from M/Y Teleost
3rd place winning chef is Steve Love from M/Y Triumph

Yachts 160ft and over Tablescaping Winner

Chief Stewardess Paula Bosman from M/Y Project X

Best in Show

M/Y Samsara
Chef Sinead Finnigan and
Chief Stewardess Stephanie Cave

Check out photos from across the competition in our image galleries! 

Date for your diary!

Next year’s show is already scheduled - it’s Wednesday 4th December - Monday 9th December 2024 so be sure to put it in your diaries now! We’ll soon be starting the preparations and we can’t wait to welcome you back to our beautiful island in 2024! In the meantime, please get in touch with any questions, or any feedback on this year's show!