St. Barthelemy hosted the annual St. Barths Bucket Regatta for the 30th time, March 21-24, welcoming more than a thousand sailors, owners, and guests into the fold for an idyllic weekend of sailing. An island of about ten square miles with 10,000 inhabitants, things can get a little busy during Bucket week, but you do something for that many years and you figure out how to make it work. No one does it better than Event Director and Race Chairman Peter Craig.
“Mother Nature was kind to us this year,” said Craig. “We were treated to three delightful days of easterly trade winds between 14-18 knots – tailor made for superyacht racing. That’s not always the case, as we know from the previous two big-breeze years!”
A Little Background
The ORCsy class racing in the pursuit format with reliable trade winds set up an exciting three-day regatta. Sunny sailing featured a puff of white clouds as backdrop. Pretty much perfect. This year some changes in racing rules were afoot. The Corinthian Spirit Class made a return to non-spinnaker competition, and the 90-Foot Class made a return to the lineup. Thirty-five entries made for a well-rounded racing fleet. Five “Social Class” non-racing entries looked on, among them was the majestic Perini Navi SY Maltese Falcon.
Four yachts made racing debuts this year. The 59-meter Vitters ketch Maximus and the 47-meter Royal Huisman sloop Nilaya both raced in Les Gazelles Class A, featuring some of the fastest entries in the fleet. The 31-meter Baltic Yachts sloop Zemi raced with Les Elegantes, and the 33-meter Southern Wind sloop Gelliceaux tucked in with five others to race in L’Espirit 1 Class D.
Day 1 Around the Island Race
Friday’s race sent boats counterclockwise around the island on courses between 20 and 25 nautical miles in 12-18 knots of wind. Freya took first in Les Petites Dames Class C very tight racing band, 16 seconds/mile, where sloops by the same designer and builder were gathered. Freya continued with firsts on all three days to win the class.
Newbie yacht Gelliceaux took first in L’Espirit 1 Class D against five other sloops under Corinthian Spirit Class Rules. Three yachts raced with flying headsails, no spinnakers. Velsheda sped to her first bullet in Les Elegantes, following with two more to win the class, as did Nakupenda in Les Mademoiselles and Melek in L’Espirit 2 Class F.
After the races, the Bucket Bar served a thirsty crowd and winners of the day’s awards received a jeroboam of rose wine. The evening got into full swing with the Bucket Bash as the Tanya M. Quintet belted out their fabulous repertoire.
Day 2 Not So Wiggly Race
Saturday’s “Not So Wiggly” course sent entries on a downwind start with spinnakers flying (save for the Corinthians) around courses running from 23 to 30 nautical miles in 16-18 knot winds. Against another gorgeous blue sky, Hanuman and six other boats came together at the Roche le Bouf mark.
Hanuman tactician Peter Isler called it well, commenting on the moment, “It was the greatest example of superyacht communications ever, with crews of J Boats, 200 footers, and modern 90 footers all there together, doing one of the hardest maneuvers: a spinnaker takedown, jibe and onto a reach to round the rock. All the Superyacht rules of racing and proceedings for negotiation were in play, and it all worked.”
The day was followed again by the opening of the Bucket Bar, presentation of daily awards, and the evening Bucket Bash. Bucket owners and guests were treated to a tour of the “Social” entry Maltese Falcon, once a Bucket entry herself in 2017.
Photos: Cory Silken | Words: KL Turner
