ST. BARTHS (21 March 2019) – Three years ago, the St. Barths Bucket introduced a Corinthian Spirit initiative for superyacht racing, which has taken hold at superyacht regattas around the world. The idea is to give owners an alternative class – here, it is called Les Voiles Blanche – for sailing without spinnakers and insuring a fun, less-intense overall experience. It’s perfect for those who’ve never tried superyacht racing before and want to stick their big toe in the water or for those who simply wish to embrace the more relaxed approach to enjoying all that a superyacht regatta has to offer.
For one owner, making the choice to sail in Les Voiles Blanche this year, after previously having competed in spinnaker class, was based on the yacht’s heavy utilization for family cruising and private chartering.
“We are like a luxury hotel with sails,” he said. “We don’t disembark anything for racing, and I don’t want the hassle of the spinnaker, but still I enjoy the spirit of the regatta. I would always choose this class in the future if I have the choice – it is so much easier.”
This sentiment falls in line with an important Corinthian Spirit goal: to keep racing enjoyable and close without owners having to optimize their yachts. More specifically, going Corinthian Spirit means a less stringent requirement for yacht measurement data; the need for fewer racing crew; a reduced impact on the yacht captain’s resources in the lead-up to regattas; and reduced overall regatta-related expenses.
“In the spinnaker (ORCsy) classes, the numbers go into the computer, and the handicap comes out,” said SYRA/ORC rating observer Jim Taylor. “In the Corinthian (ORCcs) class, we understand much of the data is declared as opposed to measured, and the boats may be racing in ‘cruising mode.’ Part of the deal is to adjust the ratings accordingly.”
Taylor, along with ORC Chairman Bruno Finzi and ORC Super Yacht Rating Officer Gennaro Aveta visited the 50m sloop Ohana, the 32m sloop Child of LIR and the 52m Q, which are all Les Voiles Blanche participants, for informal “information exchanges” to resolve any declared data issues, assess the yachts’ optimization and answer any questions from the yacht owners or captains.
“These all are superyachts that wouldn’t come except for the ability to sail in Corinthian Class,” said Taylor. “That’s one half of the story and why it works, but the other half is like what Missy has done.”
Missy, a 33m Vitters-built sloop, is sailing under ORCsy in Les Mademoiselles after having sailed for the first time in the Bucket under ORCcs.
“Last year was the first regatta the owner had ever done, and he really enjoyed it,” said Missy’s Captain Matthew McKeon, who added that he sailed with only four extra crew. “We went on to Palma to sail in the Superyacht Cup but struggled a bit with the cruising spinnaker. Now we’ve built a bow sprit and bigger kites, so we are properly set up. This year we have 12 crew for a total of 20 onboard, including the owner (who is driving) and three friends.”
In the spirit of spreading the word, Mckeon has spoken to several superyacht connections about how simple logistics were last year, especially with only a small number of crew needed. “I say that if they are doing some cruising nearby, they should stop in to St. Barths and do the Bucket.”