A Yachting Study on Antigua and Barbuda released in 2002, and based on data compiled in 1999 by the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, states, Despite the absence of reliable data, we have determined that the contribution of the yachting industry to the economy is in excess of EC$75 million yearly (approximately US $30 million).
Both Newport and Antigua are today world-class tourist destinations attractive to seasonal residents, vacationers as well as conventions. Both are also enticing to the rich and famous for their surreptitious ambiance as well as being safe and wholesome environments for family vacations. From Newport's famed Bellevue Avenue mansions and Ocean Drive cottages to Antigua's Mill Reef Club and its gorgeous hillside villas.
Tennis, cricket, polo, golf, surfing, sailing, hiking or beachcombing; stunning beaches or historic architecture, elegant dining or casual cocktails, fine shops, art galleries, music and festivals, museums and parks Aquidneck Island and her sister island Antigua have something for everyone! A walk through Newport's Common Burying Ground between Farwell & Warner Streets depicts how far back the Antigua Newport connection dates.
There one will find tombstones bearing the names of sea captains and their Antiguan crew and others who arrived in Newport on vessels that set sail from Antigua. Antiguans are renowned for their expert painting and varnishing as well as sailing skills. Numerous vessels of all sizes and rig sail north each year in the spring only to return south again in the fall, often with capable Antiguan yachtsmen and crew persons serving aboard.
Each May following the end of Race Week many Antiguans holding proper visas seek passage on the yachts heading to Newport for the summer months where they are sure to find a constant stream of work. For Antiguans and other Caribbean natives, eager to return to their island home after a summer's work in New England, a yacht delivery passage is a chance to hitch a ride home, while earning a good wage for their services.
Suffice it to say, literally hundreds of yachts, their crews, support staff and agents, as well as independent marine trades people, travel regularly between these two sister islands - following the seasons and enriching each community with their presence and commerce. The bond is so strong that many have homes, family, business associates and offices on both islands.
Indeed, Antiguans are a growing segment of the Newport population bringing with them their fierce devotion to the game of cricket (several local teams now compete during the summer months). In addition there is now a wonderful Caribbean restaurant on Jamestown with another expected to open in Newport in time for the summer 2003 season.
Among the many symbols of Antigua is the pineapple. Prized for it's particularly flavorful and sweet flesh, Antigua's native black pineapple is referred to by many as Antiguan gold. Throughout both Antigua and Newport are found countless homes adorned with pineapple carvings or symbols incorporated into their architecture. The pineapple as an almost universal symbol of warmth and hospitality has its origins in Spain (pina after the pinecone), where villagers placed the fruit at the entrance to a village to welcome visitors.
This symbolism spread to Europe & North America. It is said that in New England ship's captains would impale a pineapple on their porch railing to announce their return from a voyage and signal that they were accepting visitors. Hurricane season finds the residents of Aquidneck Island and Antigua alike, keeping a watchful eye and ear for the weather and an eagerness for the change in seasons. Many yachts wait out the end of the Atlantic summer storm season in Newport, hoping to set sail for the Caribbean by late October or early November.