Check the outcome of the Bucket >>> HERE…
Watch the St. Barts Bucket video >>> HERE…
March 28, 2014 – St. Barth, French West Indies
If your yacht is between 100 and 218 feet, the St. Barth Bucket might be for you.
The gigantic Hetairos II, which we’re told Paul Cayard will be driving.
With 40 yachts between 100 and 218 feet the St. Barth Bucket is about to get underway in a few hours and might very well be the greatest spectacle in sailing.
Mark ‘the little Nipper’ D.G. of Newport, Marin’s Paul Cayard is here for his first Bucket — and will be driving the biggest entry of all, the 218-ft ketch Hetairos II. Hopefully he’s got a good navigator, because the last time the boat did the Bucket she shaved a leeward mark and left 22 tons of lead on the ocean floor.
Northern California rigger Scott Easom is aboard the 180-ft ketch Twizzle. The other day he FB’d that the spinnaker sheets were 1.25″ in diameter — and 400 feet long!
The dinghy dock with the 146-ft Visione, a mid-sized boat in this fleet, in the background.
Kenny and Kerry Keefe, of Marin and KKMI, have been to the island for several Voiles, but this is their first Bucket. He’s sailing on the 180-ft Adele, which will be locking horns with Marie, her near-sistership. Kerry will be holding down the fort ashore.
Mill Valley’s Patrick Adams runs the Swan 100 Varsovie, which will also be racing.
San Diego’s Jimmy Pugh, the ‘P’ in R/P designs, will be sailing aboard the 146-ft R/P screamer Visione owned by Hasso Plattner, the German software mogul, who used to go up against Roy Disney in 86-footers.
While dinghying to shore, we almost ran into Scott Stolnitz of the Marina del Rey-based Switch 51 cat Beach House. He’s almost completed a long circumnavigation, accompanied by his friend Nikki.
Aboard Profligate are longtime San Francisco Bay sailors Dick and Linda Oppenheimer. Also aboard are Fin Bevan and Deborah Norum, he of the Los Angeles YC-based Cal 40 Radiant and she of Idaho. Both have done a number of Baja Ha-Ha’s on Profligate.
Linda and Dick Oppenheimer at the getting-more-seedy-by-the-day Le Select.
What about Jimmy Buffett, part-time resident of the island and patron singer of all sailors? He was seen strolling through the outdoor bar at Le Select last night, looking good, but much more corporate, neater and not quite as lighthearted as in his younger years.
Looks as if there is going to be a fine breeze for today’s race, so we’re outta here!
2014 action photos to come on Monday…
The sailing yacht Kokomo in the 2013 St. Barts Bucket Regatta
View more 2013 photos here…
latitude
Sailing With Devious, 2014 