Hummingbird — Navigator Johan Barne
For us, the best thing about the Bucket was coming back to a familiar place and familiar faces. The best racing moment must be when we sailed a good downwind and squeezed past our competitor Freya on an inside overlap at Ile de Boulanger.
It has always been a great place and a great regatta. I sail professionally and sail pretty much all year, but if I could I would only sail Caribbean regattas and spend the European summer in my summer house!
Atlantic — Tactician Jamie Hilton
The Bucket was a fantastic regatta in every regard. Sailing on the three-masted schooner Atlantic was an incredible experience, a lifetime sailing highlight. Having done the Bucket a few times on schooners (Meteor previously and now on Atlantic), I can say that there is nothing like sailing around St. Barth’s tacking through 120+ degrees!
BWA Yachting — Chief Business Development Officer Laura Esteve
Fantastic event with a winning formula of thrilling races during the day and the loveliest cocktail parties at night. We really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, and the lovely superyacht community that The Bucket brings together.
Perseus3 — Afterguard Safety/Communications Tim Bright
The Bucket Regatta is a truly unique event, combining high-level competition with a strong sense of camaraderie among some of the most impressive yachts in the world. It strikes a great balance between serious racing and the spirit of shared experience that makes it so special.
Day two of racing in 2026 was particularly memorable, offering a perfect mix of upwind and downwind sailing, with courses long enough to really engage with others in our class and fight for position in the standings. A standout moment was the downwind gybe duel between Perseus3 and Rosehearty — both nearly 500GT yachts carrying some of the largest spinnakers ever built — which was an incredible experience to witness and be part of.
Linnea Aurora — Tactician Magnus Woxén
I have sailed the Bucket on a few other boats like the J Class Topaz and the Baltic 115 Zemi. This is a well-organized regatta at a good place. The highlight was the racing, even if there could be more boats in our class.
Arabella — MYC Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh
Thanks very much for allowing Arabella to enter the Saint Barth’s Bucket Regatta this year. It was an amazing experience. Congratulations on the successful and high level of organization to pull off such a great event.
Q — Tactician Andy Green
I haven’t been to the bucket in a few years and it’s wonderful to be back. The combination of spectacular boats, dramatic scenery, and some much-needed French cultural influence into my life always make it a great pleasure.
Q has been racing for many, many years in the Bucket. The owner is a great supporter.
Carenantilles Shipyard — Arthur de Lucy
It is a great privilege for us to be part of the Friends of the Bucket, and we wish to make it a long-term commitment!
Maximus — Tactician Tony Rey
I tell the team on the morning of the first training day that we’ll be ready to start the Bucket on Sunday afternoon, when the chammies come out.
Fortunately all the other teams are in the same situation!
The trick is to improve all aspects of sailing these beautiful yachts as we train and race and progress to the final day. The team that creates the steepest learning curve usually makes the podium.
Whisper — Captain Simon Davison
Whisper has been coming to the St. Barths Bucket since her launch in 2003, and it’s always one of the highlights of our sailing calendar. It’s a very special regatta that manages to combine beautiful boats, competitive racing and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in a way that few events can. The Boss is a great guy and a huge supporter of sailing, so events like the Bucket that celebrate great boats and good racing are something he especially enjoys.
What really keeps us coming back, though, is the spirit of the event. The Bucket attracts incredible yachts and very capable sailors, but it never takes itself too seriously. The balance between good racing, great company and the unique setting of St. Barths makes it something everyone on the team looks forward to each year.
Fraser Yachts — Matthew Lester
Overall this year the organization did a great job…. Exceptional this year was the fleet and just how many yachts we had on the course. Adding the 90-foot class is a great idea and will bring more owners to the Bucket in the future.
Freya — Tactician Kimo Worthington
The Bucket proved once again to be more than great racing, but also a great reunion of former teammates and competitors. A wonderful reminder and gathering of friends made over the decades.
It was absolutely the safest thing to call Sunday’s races. We’re all competitive; we all push the boats. It’s hard for us to throttle back.
This Bucket was my eighth… perhaps more… I’ve lost count!
Photographs by Michael Kurtz.
