As the Winch Turns: Day 1

The Bucket starts today! And while most teams have spent the last few days prepping for racing, the light-air practice undertaken on the water most likely was not a perfect match for conditions expected to prevail on the tail end of a front that passed through last night. Nevertheless, action at the Bucket Bar, which opened last evening after the skipper’s meeting, took no heed of weather to come, only the atmosphere of old friends mixing and new friendships unfurling.

Meanwhile, at Nikki Beach, owners were treated to a special welcome party with plenty of champagne, sushi and other delicious samplings as well as inspiring footage of last year’s racing shown on a jumbotron. In true Nikki Beach fashion, sand in one’s shoes was the takeaway that reminded everyone of the unique island held so dear to Bucketeers.

Bucket Friend Edmiston and Milena Perini hosted a glamorously appointed party at the Ocean Club on Wednesday night to recognize and celebrate Port Director Ernest Brin for his steadfast support of the Bucket through the years. Accepting an elegant stainless steel sculpture reminiscent of Superyacht sails filled with a fresh St. Barths Breeze, Brin said, “The Bucket Regatta, since its official creation in St. Barths, has always been for me a centerpiece for the image of our island and its Port, their quality of welcome and services. I remember the first time some captains came to see us at the Harbor Office because they wanted to organize a regatta around the island, based on the principle of the Nantucket Bucket. That day, without waiting and without complications, we gave them our agreement, and in the end a few bottles of rum and beers were the awards. There, seeing those owners and crew in love with our island and so happy to be here, I sensed that this regatta was going to grow.” And so it has, Ernest, so it has…with your guidance and enthusiasm.

This Superyacht racing takes some kind of organization, so each year at this event, the Superyacht Racing Association (SYRA) Annual General Meeting is held. Subjects covered range from racing rules reviews to sanctioned regattas to handicaps and fleet building strategies. As explained at the meeting: Superyacht regatta yacht owners are not “one size fits all.” Some focus exclusively on racing and results, others are there for fun, socials, event reasons…and others fall somewhere in between. Any which way, we are happy you are all here!

It’s nice to know you’ve been blessed. Thanks to St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, this year’s Blessing of the Fleet, a traditional service for people who spend time on the sea, took place shoreside by the iconic (and gigantic) steel anchor at the south end of Gustavia Harbor where the Church itself adds its own charm to the surroundings.