Maxi 100s Trade Wins While Superyacht Fleet Warms Up
Twenty-four of the 33 superyachts here in St. Barths for the Bucket Regatta took advantage of today’s optional standalone pursuit race, sailing clockwise courses around the island as a prelude to the official three-day series. At the same time, the event’s two Maxi 100s — Galatea and V — sailed two windward-leeward races that counted toward their class series, which continues tomorrow when they join the full fleet for coastal racing.
The 100-foot rivals split the day’s victories. Galatea won the opening race after starting ahead and maintaining its lead over four legs. In the second race, the pair engaged in a luffing duel at the first windward mark before V rolled past Galatea and went on to claim the win.
“We probably tacked seven to eight times on the windward legs,” said Galatea strategist Anthony Kotoun, noting that a fifth windward leg was added to the second race so the finish would be near the Port of Gustavia, where the fleet is berthed. “We rate the same, so we’re pretty much tied at the hip.”
After tiebreaker rules were applied, V finished the day atop the scoreboard.
Conditions proved variable throughout the day. The Maxi 100s sailed in breezes averaging 17 knots in the first race and 10 knots in the second, similar to conditions experienced by the rest of the Superyacht fleet, which was divided into six classes for today’s single race.
“It was an amazing day,” said Karl Hackett, race manager for Sunleigh, which won Class G. “We did well at the northwest corner of the island in the light air versus the schooners we were racing against.”
Tomorrow the schooners — Atlantic, Adix, and Arabella — will compete on their own in the Les Goélettes class, while Sunleigh moves to race with three others in Les Mademoiselles.
Elsewhere across the fleet, Hetairos won a “battle of the ketches” in Class B to show early form. Hummingbird delivered a runaway victory among the 90-footers in Class C, while L’Hippocampe dominated Class D. Corinthian Classes E and F were won by Gitana and Red Dragon, respectively.
Tomorrow the superyachts will take their places in nine classes established for the official 2026 St. Barths Bucket Regatta: Les Cent Pied (Maxi 100s), Les Gazelles, Les Petites Dames (90 footers), L’esprit-1 (Corinthian), Les Élégantes, Les Mademoiselles, L’esprit-2 (Corinthian), Les Grandes Dames, and Les Goélettes.
After a Captain’s Briefing this afternoon, awards for first-place finishes in today’s races were handed out at the Bucket Marquee on the Quay. The Fleet Welcoming Party followed, with the familiar and popular duo Zig Zag taking the stage to provide musical entertainment.
Photographs by Ed Gudenas.
