Last night, while hundreds of Bucketeers were enjoying the opening of the Bucket Bar on the Capitainerie and music by popular island singer Soley, over 300 owners and special guests headed to Nikki Beach for the annual Owner’s Party. Dressed in elegantly casual island attire, they were greeted with champagne upon entry to the restaurant’s open-air decks that hovered just inches from the sand and allowed a bit of wading on the beach if one so desired. A jumbotron shared rivetingly fun video from last year’s events, while a giant sushi bar and crêpe station satisfied appetites, and Burnier wine (a new “Friend” of the Bucket) highlighted the choices at the open bar. On display was The Bucket, of course, and other special trophies that will be awarded Sunday night after racing.
Fort Oscar will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so the public can view the Bucket action from cliffs overlooking the race courses (best times, mornings between 1000 and noon and afternoons between 1400 and 1600). Owned by the French Ministry of Defense, the fort was once strictly off limits, since it was used (from the late 1970s until 2006) as an espionage station for the French counter-intelligence service. Now it is used as headquarters for the Gendarmerie, or State Police. To get there, you must go through Gustavia and take the Rue de la Colline, the highest road along La Pointe, on the far side of the harbor.
A message from the Gendarmerie to families and friends of the Bucket said, “We wish you a magnificent show admiring the most beautiful sailing ships in the world!” Of course, if you’re a spectator and you can’t make Fort Oscar during the daylight hours, try a view from any harbor-facing hilltop at night. (Thank you Chris Odom for the night photo.)
To take advantage of the many members that are at the Bucket, the Superyacht Racing Association (SYRA) held its 2019 Annual General Meeting Wednesday afternoon at Salle de Theatre.
The meeting addressed everything from membership, which is critical to operations, to regatta participation to fleet building. “Our mission is to maximize the enjoyment of superyacht racing, and we can’t do that without bringing in new ideas,” said SYRA Co-chair Kate Branaugh. “Having input from owners is so important; our goal is to have the strongest possible representation from the superyacht community so as many as possible have a voice.”
Proceeds of the sale of this year’s limited-edition poster went directly to the St. Barth’s Youth Sailing Program. The program, which operates out of the St. Barth’s Yacht Club, received 16 000€. The sales were brisk at SpaceSBH and by mid-week posters were completely sold out.