His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, has bestowed a richly deserving honour on one of the most devoted supporters of the country’s successful yachting industry.
Hartmut Holtmann recently became the recipient of the Governor General’s Faithful and Meritorious Service Medal Award for his outstanding contribution to the development of the yachting sector.
Through various endeavours in the yacht chartering business, Mr. Holtmann has almost singlehandedly brought thousands of visitors from mainly Germany and across Europe to Antigua and Barbuda to enjoy the thrill and lure of sailing around the island’s beautiful coastline.
The annual Antigua Sailing Week, which ended on Friday, has been one of the most significant beneficiaries of Mr. Holtmann’s interest and love for Antigua and Barbuda.
The beginnings were quite humble at best in 1992 when his yacht charter company, KH+P, explored the bold venture of bringing sailing interests to Antigua. Eight crews were assembled and travelled to Antigua to participate in the 25th edition of Antigua Sailing Week.
The numbers grew steadily over the years and quickly ballooned to an amazing 40 different crews by the 30th installment of the annual sailing regatta. Mr. Holtmann is a familiar face around the Nelson’s Dockyard where many of his chartered vessels fill the docks every year.
The National Parks Authority therefore takes special delight in congratulating him on the award and for his remarkable contribution to the yachting sector.
“Up to and including ASW 2022, Hartmut has brought more than 550 boats and 3500 sailors to Antiguan shores – just for ASW, and that does not include the Karibik Trophy, a cruising event he organizes around the region, which through the years has also come to Antigua in November,” noted the Parks Commissioner Ann Marie Martin. This does not include the numerous travel writers, journalists and television crews that he has been able to successfully encourage to travel to Antigua to provide coverage of the destination and its stunning yachting conditions.
For all this and more, Mrs. Martin noted, he is certainly more than deserving of this prestigious award and our sincerest wishes that his relationship with our beautiful island continues to blossom in the years to come.
