Mark your calendar for the 2026 St Barths Bucket: 12–15 March 2026

2022 St Barths Bucket Regatta

Preliminary 2022 Bucket Class Breaks (pdf)

Updated 7 March 2022

Comments from the Race Chairman…

I am pleased to present the preliminary class breaks for the 2022 edition of the St Barths Bucket. We will provide the final ratings for the ORCsy fleet when certificates are made available from the ORC.

I ask that participating yacht owners, captains and afterguard members assess the class breaks in the context of the facts and considerations presented in this letter. As always, we welcome your feedback and comments, but ask that only the yacht owner’s designated representative contact us with any feedback, questions or concerns.

BACKGROUND

We recognize that getting class breaks ‘right’ can be as important to good competition as proper handicapping. These preliminary class breaks are published after considerable analysis and dialogue with our race managers, the SYRA and ORC.  There are many factors taken into account when determining class breaks including, but not limited to, Displacement/Length Ratio (DLR), Sail Area/Displacement Ratios, Ratings, Furling Jibs when Tacking, etc.  But there are also limiting factors from the race management standpoint, such as the number and type of yachts entered, practical class size and rating bands.

Based on feedback from participating owners, one of our goals with superyacht racing is to group yachts with relatively similar sailing characteristics together – that is, to have yachts which perform in a similar fashion in a variety of different conditions compete in the same class. This is difficult to achieve in some instances given how disparate superyachts are and the composition of the fleet, but it is an important consideration. There are a number of different factors we take into account in our effort to make this happen, even if it results in wider rating bands.

Assigning classes based solely on ratings would be a simple task, look tidy on the scratch sheet, and likely result in tighter rating bands. But this rarely provides the quality competition that superyacht owners desire.

2022 FACTS and CONSIDERATIONS

In any given year there are unique considerations and limitations regarding class breaks and this year is no exception:

• There are 31 yachts divided into 7 classes, including the debut of the 90 Foot Class.
• Once again, we have a large, diverse fleet of sloops, ketches and schooners, with length ranging from 28-60 metres, displacement between 52-560 metric tons, and a speed differential from the fastest to slowest rated yacht in fleet of 4 minutes per mile.
• The 2022 fleet will be divided into 4 ‘conventional’ ORCsy classes and a Corinthian Spirit (ORCcs), 90 Foot, and J Class (preliminary breaks below and attached):

• Class A (Gazelles) is a performance-oriented group with the fastest ratings in fleet – deep draft, low DLR, high Sail Area/Displacement ratios, and a tight rating band.
• Class B (Elegantes) features 5 large ketches (42-56 meters), not quite as fast as those in Class A, but with relatively low DLR, high downwind SA/Disp ratio and a very tight rating band of under 40 secs/mile. Most of these ketches are what we refer to as ‘modern classics’ featuring significant overhang (LOA–IMS length differential).
• Class C (Mademoiselles) is a large 6-sloop class with all but one between 33-37m LOA, all but one needing to furl to tack, and a relatively high DLR and low upwind and downwind SA/Disp ratios.
• Class D (Grandes Dames) features the heaviest yachts with low Sail Area/Disp ratios, upwind and down. These are some of the slowest rated yachts in most wind ranges.
• Class E (l’esprit) is our Corinthian Spirit class, which features a very disparate group of yachts that will for the first time include entrants with and without spinnakers. The Corinthian Spirit Class rules ( NOR_Exhibit_2_Corinthian-Spirit-Class-Rules.pdf ) provide an overview of the racing philosophy and eligibility criteria.
• Class F (Petites Dames) represents the debut of the ’90 Foot Class’, enabling sloops with an LOA of less than 30 meters to participate in the Bucket. The Stewards are confident that this initiative has the potential to grow at future events. The entry criteria and rules ( NOR-Exhibit-3-90-Foot-Class-Rules-2-1.pdf ) provide 90 Foot class rules and entry criteria.

As has been Bucket tradition, the 2022 regatta will feature the popular pursuit racing format (less the J Class) with a focus on class racing. Individual start times will be the structured such that each yacht in class finishes together (as opposed to the entire fleet), with class finishes staggered by approximately 5-10 minutes (the gap will depend on courses/ wind strength/ class composition). This practice has not only provided safer sailing, but also more fair class racing, to some extent minimizing interaction of yachts competing in other classes.

As stated earlier, I welcome your comments and feedback. We ask that Captains please share this letter and the accompanying class break worksheet with your yacht owners and afterguard members.  Timely feedback is very important as late changes to class assignments in the week or two prior to racing create problems of their own and hence will be unlikely.

I look forward to seeing everyone soon and to the prospects of some fantastic Bucket racing!

Peter Craig
Race Chairman