March 21-22 2026. The 23rd National Laser Championships, hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club in 2026, produced intense competition in light winds, with Saturday seeing top wind speeds of 15 knots. Very few Caribbean islands consistently offer well-organized national championships for dinghy classes, but Antigua is a welcome exception and continues to attract participation from across the region. This year’s event welcomed sailors from St Kitts, Grenada, and St Vincent.
The standout result of the event was the victory of Shanoy Malone, who dominated the large ILCA 6 and 7 classes. The top five competitors in these fleets were all highly experienced sailors with strong competitive records, including Ozani Lafond, Rhone Kirby, Diego Ewinger, and his father, Shawn Malone. Shanoy’s win mirrors his father’s outstanding achievements. Shawn Malone won both the Optimist and ILCA National Championships in 1994 and 2014, while Shanoy previously won the Optimist Championship in 2019. He has now matched this remarkable double success in the two major dinghy classes.
Second and third places in the ILCA 6 and 7 classes went to Ozani Lafond and Diego Ewinger, respectively.
Tyden Jones won the ILCA 4.7 class, Greyson Burrell (St Kitts) claimed victory in the Optimist Open, and Tyvone Richardson won the Green Fleet.
Antigua has been a regional leader in dinghy sailing for many years. In addition to consistently hosting national championships, the island has regularly staged the Caribbean Dinghy Championships, with its sailors demonstrating strong performances throughout the region. Antigua Yacht Club coach and Olympian Karl James has been a key driving force behind this success.
The event was sponsored by Budget Marine, Barbie’s Restaurant, and the visiting yacht Perseus.
