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Bucket Courses
- Thread starter JEK
- Start date
cassidain
Senior Insider
The 14th annual St-Barth Bucket will be held this weekend, March 26 - 29. The Antilles' answer to the "Newport Bucket", which takes place each year in August in Newport, Rhode Island, the St-Barth Bucket is exclusively for mega sailing yachts, vessels more than 100' in length (apart from some special invitees), some, replicas of legendary boats, some, products of the latest technological advances, all, produced by the most renowned shipbuilders in the world.
Combining grandeur and power, the Bucket has become over the years the most important unaffiliated race for owners of these luxurious sailing vessels from all points of the compass. An unofficial event, but most popular: boat builders, architects, designers, international photo journalists, owners, VIP's, crew members arriving from the four corners of the globe, there will be at least 800 who will participate directly in the event, not counting the ever increasing number of non-participating visitors who schedule there St-Barth stay so as not to miss the spectacle of these giants sailing the waters of our island.
The 2009 edition, bringing together 35 sailboats - a record - promises to be spectacular, in spite of forecast weather which could prove to be a hinderance. Nine of the thirty-five boats, more than a quarter of the fleet, are first time entrants this year. They are the Baracuda (56m), Salute (56m), Adela (56m), Meteor (52m), Saudade (45m), Ganesha (39m), Moonbird (38m), Varsovie (30m), and the famous P2 (38m).
Gradually, the mega motoryachts moored at the quays General de Gaulle and de la Republique are making way for the mega sailing vessels participating in the "Bucket", which will kick-off officially Thursday the 26th at 5:30 pm with the captains' briefing. By evening Tuesday a dozen competition boats had already entered the port of Gustavia, the largest of the vessels, like the Maltese Falcon (87m), having to remain at anchorage.
All the details of this exceptional event, which gives the island the ambiance of the end of year festivities, are listed below.
Three Day Regatta
The first race is to be held Friday the 27th, the day after the opening, starting at 9:30 am. Starting off Public-Corossol at around 11 am, this first race will be a counter clockwise circuit around the island. The sailboats are expected back in port around 3 pm.
The starting signal for the second race, an Olympic triangle course around the islets to the north of St-Barth (Fourchue, Pele, Boulanger, Bonhomme, and Fregate) will be given Saturday the 28th. This same day around 3 pm off Public, the St-Barth Yacht Club is holding the "Mini-Bucket", an Optimist class race for the children of the sailing school.
The third and final race of the regatta, a clock-wise circuit around the island, will take place Sunday the 29th.
The starts will be spaced according to the handicap of each vessel. It is thanks to the organisers, Wendy Kronenberg of the society Nautica FWI, Chantal de Rosny ( land based logistical director), stateside organisers Hank Halsted, Timothy Laughridge, and Ian Craddock - all of whom comprise the committee for the Bucket Regatta - and in close collaboration with the Collectivite de St-Barth and the port of Gustavia that this sailing event is found on the calender among the sporting festivals of St-Barth. Moreover, starting this year the Bucket is affiliated with the French Sailing Federation and thus part of the calender of French official races.
Weather Forecast
If the predictions of the site WindGuru prove correct, the weather for the race will be less than ideal. The wind from the East-North-East combined with an opposing and heavy swell from the North could in effect act as a brake against the boats' forward progress.
Friday and Saturday, the wind should blow at 26 to 28 km/h, diminishing Sunday to around 22km/h. The northerly swell is predicted to surpass 3 metres Friday and then diminish to aproximately 2.4 metres on Sunday.
Where to See the Sail Boats
High ground in Gustavia and Lurin; Lighthouse in Gustavia; Grand-Fond; Pointe Milou; Route to Colombier above Anse de Cayes; Flamands; Colombier Lookout
And this year, the Gendarmerie has decided to open their doors to the public for the Bucket! You can therefore watch the starts and finished from Fort Karl!
Combining grandeur and power, the Bucket has become over the years the most important unaffiliated race for owners of these luxurious sailing vessels from all points of the compass. An unofficial event, but most popular: boat builders, architects, designers, international photo journalists, owners, VIP's, crew members arriving from the four corners of the globe, there will be at least 800 who will participate directly in the event, not counting the ever increasing number of non-participating visitors who schedule there St-Barth stay so as not to miss the spectacle of these giants sailing the waters of our island.
The 2009 edition, bringing together 35 sailboats - a record - promises to be spectacular, in spite of forecast weather which could prove to be a hinderance. Nine of the thirty-five boats, more than a quarter of the fleet, are first time entrants this year. They are the Baracuda (56m), Salute (56m), Adela (56m), Meteor (52m), Saudade (45m), Ganesha (39m), Moonbird (38m), Varsovie (30m), and the famous P2 (38m).
Gradually, the mega motoryachts moored at the quays General de Gaulle and de la Republique are making way for the mega sailing vessels participating in the "Bucket", which will kick-off officially Thursday the 26th at 5:30 pm with the captains' briefing. By evening Tuesday a dozen competition boats had already entered the port of Gustavia, the largest of the vessels, like the Maltese Falcon (87m), having to remain at anchorage.
All the details of this exceptional event, which gives the island the ambiance of the end of year festivities, are listed below.
Three Day Regatta
The first race is to be held Friday the 27th, the day after the opening, starting at 9:30 am. Starting off Public-Corossol at around 11 am, this first race will be a counter clockwise circuit around the island. The sailboats are expected back in port around 3 pm.
The starting signal for the second race, an Olympic triangle course around the islets to the north of St-Barth (Fourchue, Pele, Boulanger, Bonhomme, and Fregate) will be given Saturday the 28th. This same day around 3 pm off Public, the St-Barth Yacht Club is holding the "Mini-Bucket", an Optimist class race for the children of the sailing school.
The third and final race of the regatta, a clock-wise circuit around the island, will take place Sunday the 29th.
The starts will be spaced according to the handicap of each vessel. It is thanks to the organisers, Wendy Kronenberg of the society Nautica FWI, Chantal de Rosny ( land based logistical director), stateside organisers Hank Halsted, Timothy Laughridge, and Ian Craddock - all of whom comprise the committee for the Bucket Regatta - and in close collaboration with the Collectivite de St-Barth and the port of Gustavia that this sailing event is found on the calender among the sporting festivals of St-Barth. Moreover, starting this year the Bucket is affiliated with the French Sailing Federation and thus part of the calender of French official races.
Weather Forecast
If the predictions of the site WindGuru prove correct, the weather for the race will be less than ideal. The wind from the East-North-East combined with an opposing and heavy swell from the North could in effect act as a brake against the boats' forward progress.
Friday and Saturday, the wind should blow at 26 to 28 km/h, diminishing Sunday to around 22km/h. The northerly swell is predicted to surpass 3 metres Friday and then diminish to aproximately 2.4 metres on Sunday.
Where to See the Sail Boats
High ground in Gustavia and Lurin; Lighthouse in Gustavia; Grand-Fond; Pointe Milou; Route to Colombier above Anse de Cayes; Flamands; Colombier Lookout
And this year, the Gendarmerie has decided to open their doors to the public for the Bucket! You can therefore watch the starts and finished from Fort Karl!
