St. Barths (16 March, 2023) – The 29th edition of the St. Barths Bucket has attracted 25 superyachts and hundreds of sailors to the tiny island of St. Barthelemy for three days of competitive pursuit-style racing and rollicking fun. With its history steeped in tradition and warm memories both on and off the water, the regatta has roots reaching back to 1986 – when it originated as the Nantucket Bucket in Massachusetts, but that’s another story – and a pedigree that has since been shaped, refined and finally defined as having given rise to this grandfather of Superyacht regattas.
“It’s quite a show, this gathering of the world’s most magnificent sailing machines of such diverse designs, sizes and displacement,” said Event Chairman Peter Craig, explaining that the largest boat entered is the 57 metre schooner Athos and the smallest is the 28 metre ketch Bequia. “In a traditional fleet racing regatta, classes would be assigned based solely on ratings, and it would be a simple task and look tidy on the scratch sheet. In Superyacht racing, however, the goal is to have yachts that perform in a similar fashion in a variety of different conditions competing in the same class. There are unique considerations and limitations regarding class breaks, and 2023 is no exception.”
As it is, this year’s fleet will be grouped into five classes – three for the conventional ORCsy-rated yachts (going by their French names Les Gazelles des Mers, Les Elegantes des Mers, and Les Mademoiselles des Mers) and two for yachts sailing with ORCcs “Corinthian Spirit” ratings (L’Esprit de Mer 1 and 2).
Among the record number of Corinthian Spirit racing entries (12 total) is the 44 metre schooner Columbia sailing in L’esprit -2 with four other yachts, including the aforementioned schooner Athos and three ketches.
“I’m glad to see the Corinthian class getting so much traction,” said Tony Rey, who organized the Columbia team for the yacht’s corporate charterer Discovery Land Co. and will serve as its tactician. “It’s an amazing opportunity to introduce new sailors to our beautiful sport.”
Rey explained that the Corinthian Spirit classes help grow participation by providing Superyacht owners – both those who have participated in the past and those who have yet to compete – close, fun racing with fewer regatta expenses, streamlined access to a superyacht handicap, and minimal impact on the yacht captain’s resources in the lead-up to regattas.
“It’s a serious, fun approach,” said Rey, who has sailed the Bucket eight times (winning three times), always on performance-oriented boats in the regatta’s conventional classes. “You don’t have to buy all new sails and have the bottom of the boat be perfect to be competitive; you can sail without a spinnaker and therefore be more casual about who sails with you…
“But whether you’re talking Corinthian or conventional Superyacht racing, what I love is the teamwork aspect here that’s hard to find anywhere else in the sport. In most cases, it’s a group of sailors coming together with permanent crews onboard to try to sail these big yachts as fast as possible, as safely as possible and make it fun.” (Columbia will sail with seven permanent crew and 12 racing crew plus guests for a total of 20 people.)
The largest of the conventional classes – Les Mademoiselles – will surely see stiff competition among its five sloops and the aforementioned ketch Bequia. All of the yachts have competed here before, and the 34 metre sloop Kawil is competing as the class’s defending champion having just finished second at last week’s Antigua Superyacht Challenge. “We don’t look at how many boats are in our class,” said Kawil’s tactician Mike Toppa, “but rather the quality of the boats we’re sailing against. A half-dozen boats, all even in size and very well sailed – it’s going to be a lot of fun!”
Another winner here from last year is the 294 metre sloop Symmetry in L’esprit 1, while notable as first-time entries are: the 354 metre sloop Jasi in Les Gazelles; the 45 metre sloop Gitana (formerly Salperton) in Les Elegantes; the 52 metre sloop Red Dragon, 36 metre sloop Perseverance, 32 metre sloop Inukshuk, 29 metre sloop Lot 99, and 30.1 metre sloop Nostromo in L’esprit 1; and the 50 metre ketch Almyra II in L’esprit 2.
As per Bucket tradition, a pursuit racing format will be followed for a single race per class each day of racing; individual start times will be structured so that yachts in each class finish together. Winners in all classes will be named on Sunday at the Final Awards Ceremony and Party, slated for the Wall House Museum on the far side of Gustavia Harbor from the Capitainerie.
Afternoon and evening socializing includes daily gatherings at the open-air Bucket Marquee, where daily awards will be presented at 1900 on Friday and Saturday; an official Fleet Welcoming Party at 1900 on Thursday; the official “Bucket Bash” on Friday at 2000; and a “Yacht Hop” on Saturday at 1900.
Each year the Bucket Regatta designates a portion of the entry fee for donation to a meaningful non-profit program in St. Barth. This year, the proceeds will go to the Youth Sailing Program at the St Barths Yacht Club. In addition to a monetary donation to support their operations, 2023 will include a progressive commitment to the environment. The Bucket will purchase and donate a robotic mark, which will be used by the club and hopefully at all regattas in St Barths.
“Stewards” of the Bucket, so critical to the success of the regatta, are Royal Huisman and Vitters Shipyard. Industry “Friends” of the Bucket are Baltic Yachts, BOAT International Media, Burgess, BWA Yachting, Doyle Sailmakers, Dykstra Naval Architects, Edmiston, North Sails, Pantaenius GMBH, Pendennis Shipyard, Pernod Ricard, Philippe Briand, Safe Harbor Marinas, Southern Spars, The Moorings, Tradewind Aviation, and Zorab Insurance.