PHOTOGRAPHS: FRANCESCO FERRI; ANTONIO RIGHETTI; CORY SILKEN; PHOTOSHOT; CLAIRE MATCHESOil Nut Bay, situated on
Virgin Gorda’s North
Sound, offers wonderful
facilities and views.
Below right: there’s hard
racing and partying to be
had at the St Barths BucketVisitors to Palma can enjoy
La Seu cathedral, above, and
elegant shopping streets, as
well as some serious racingST BARTHS
The Bucket RegattaIt’s St Barths in March. Enough said. “Frankly, we
could screw this up and it would still be a success,”
says event director Peter Craig.
But they don’t. The impeccable organisation of
this prestigious regatta manages to pit 40
superyachts against each other in a race that,
thanks to Superyacht Racing Association initia-
tives, is safer and fairer than ever.
Yet the competition may be stiffer off the water.
Owners have their choice of countless invitations,
from private gatherings to the Bucket-affiliated
soiree at Tamarin. Baz Bar is going off every night
and you never know who will walk in and start
playing, from French jazz musicians to Jimmy
Buffett. At the yacht hop some owners have been
known to fly in thousands of oysters and host
aerial silk performers, which proves that the old
Bucket spirit of winning the party – if not the day
on the water – is still prevalent.
The racing has traditionally been on three
courses – around the island, the wiggly course and
the other way around – but Craig says they have
been creative and now have 30 options. Like St
Barths’ unmatched social scene, though, some
things never need to change. “Last day, you’re
coming around the top of the island and there’s a
procession of spinnakers, and it’s 40 yachts. It’s
just stunning,” says Mike Cox.BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht
Regatta & RendezvousFlat, crystal clear water and consistent winds
make the British Virgin Islands enticing to green
and serious sailors alike. “The Loro Piana is the
best regatta we do,” says Donald Tofias, owner of
Wild Horses, the 23.2 metre W-Class. “The turning
marks are small rocks and islands, it’s a pretty
backdrop and there are no huge swells.”
Tony Rey, tactician on 38.15 metre Perini Navi
P2, argues that the fascinating racing conditions
make this regatta stand out from the crowd.
“I think of the racecourse as a chess board, with
the contours of the hills and how the wind bends
around in Great Channel,” he adds. “Besides that,
if you lose the race you forget pretty quickly
because it’s an unbelievably beautiful place to
come racing.”
The Loro Piana has brought a touch of the
Mediterranean to this sailing playground in the
Caribbean. The regatta takes place at the Yacht
Club Costa Smeralda’s winter base on Virgin
Gorda, an immaculate Italianesque club with
a state-of-the-art marina. “You see everyone on
the docks,” adds Tofias, which makes for some
congenial camaraderie after a day’s racing. The
yacht club also hosts a formal Owners’ Dinner,
with international stars flown in to entertain.
Dinghy over to Saba Rock for a drink, or to the
world renowned Bitter End Yacht Club, where the
end of regatta party was held this year.
Non-sailing guests will also enjoy the impressive
Oil Nut Bay Beach Club, with its open air
restaurant and swimming pools set on a white
sand beach and its new cliffside spa.A laid-back southern Mediterranean
vibe prevails at the Superyacht Cup in
Palma. Leave your jackets and ties at
home; this is a shorts and T-shirt event,
says event director Kate Branagh.
Uniquely, this regatta is contained
within a fenced-in event village,
proving that relaxed and informal can
also mean ultra-exclusive. “At the
village bar after a race, you’ll find that
95 per cent of those around you are
participants,” says Branagh. “It’s a safe
and secure feeling, and family friendly.”
While racing in the Bay of Palma
does not offer the same dramatic
scenery as the Caribbean, it is ideal for
newcomers who may find rounding
inflatable marks less daunting than a
rocky outcrop, and its more shelteredposition means there are no boat-
breaking big seas. The race committee
has the ability to set courses in the bay
to suit the fleet and to really give every
yacht a better chance to sail to its rating.
“The thermal winds are special and
relatively reliable,” says the owner of
the Baltic WinWin, who praises the race
committee and appreciates that good
passing lanes have been organised for
the faster boats in recent races.
Outside the race village, guests find
themselves in the heart of Palma in
front of the imposing Gothic cathedral
La Seu, and just a five minute walk from
the bustling Passeig del Born, where
you can soak up Palma’s flavour among
the high-end designer shops and
fashionable bars and cafés.MALLORCA
The Superyacht Cup, PalmaSARDINIA
Loro Piana Superyacht RegattaWhere other regattas may have a T-shirts and flip
flops feel, Sardinia is about glamour in the
playground of the Italian elite. It’s not all focused
on the nightlife, though; any serious sailor knows
racing here is not for the faint hearted.
“Sardinia is, in my eyes, the most exceptional
regatta area in the world,” says the owner of
33 metre WinWin. “There are normally strong
winds from the north-west and no waves.” He
adds that it is “very special and challenging” to sail
around the rocks and in Bomb Alley – the passage
between Sardinia and La Maddalena archipelago.
Cox agrees. “Talk to anybody about going down
Bomb Alley in 30 knots of breeze with the kite up,
and the hair on the back of their necks stands on
end. It’s one of those benchmark moments, a
bucket list item every sailor wants to tick.”
The social side is what you would expect of the
venue, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, one of the
world’s pre-eminent yacht clubs. Three Michelin
star chef Niko Romito catered the Owners’
Dinner last year and the regatta is always capped
at Phi Beach – WinWin’s owner says it’s the best
party of any regatta. It’s a quintessentially Italian
summer scene, with guests treated to glorious
sunset views and music from top DJs from bars
and dance floors interspersed among the rocks
right on the water.The Aga Khan at his Costa
Smeralda club in 1983. Below:
Phi Beach hosts a great party8 – 11 MARCH 2018
15 – 18 MARCH 2018
21 – 24 JUNE 2017
30 MAY – 3 JUNE 2017
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