As the Winch Turns: Day 3

Last night was a night to remember for both sailors and townies alike who numbered in the hundreds at the Bucket “Yacht Hop.” For those who had wrist bands, onboard inspection of the magnificent machines was a privilege and a treat, and for those who did not, there was plenty of partying ashore around the Bucket Bar, which was surrounded by giant film screens showing shockingly beautiful footage of the on-water action here so far. At Rosehearty’s Glacier Bar martinis were served after being shaken with glacier ice from the recent excursion the yacht made to the Northwest Passage. And presenting them, of course, were appropriately dressed polar bear princesses. Perseus^3 and Q both had pirate themes, but the creativity in presenting them was quite different in each case. Using aerial silks hung from Perseus^3’s spreaders, a female performance artist climbed the suspended fabric without the use of safety lines and used it to wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral her body into various positions that coordinated with dramatic background music. Aboard Q, the music was decidedly dance, with jazz overtones provided by the rather legendary saxophonist from Nikki Beach. Joining what seemed like hundreds of movers and shakers on Q’s upper deck, he kept the party going until well beyond the soiree’s scheduled closing time.

All sorts of people make it to the island during Bucket week. There are the thousands of sailors with their families and friends, of course, but there also are others who come simply to enjoy the magic of the most fabulous yachts in the world and the occasion that brings them together.  Handbag designer Yasu Michino flies from Paris every year during this time to stay with his local friend Martine Greaux. He has been designing leather goods for over a decade for Parisian houses such as Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy, and when he tired of buying cool t-shirts and vanilla rum as presents for friends back home, Michino decided to design his own take on a carryall for everything that is good about island life. When he gifts it to someone, he insists they carry happiness within it.

Nothing’s better than sailing with your family, and Shag Morton is lucky enough to have his daughter Summer Jean and wife Janet along for this Bucket. Morton, who is from the nearby island of St. Martin and skippers Adela, has competed in three Whitbread Round the World races and every single Bucket regatta since its inception. Summer Jean was 10 when she first became a Bucketeer. She sails RS Visions back home, and when asked to describe the difference between superyachts and dinghies, it took her only a second to formulate an answer: “The boats are a bit bigger, they have more than one mast, they don’t capsize, and there’s lots more people aboard who have to coordinate and work together.” Out of the mouths of babes…no need to make things complicated.