A Bucket O’ Caribbean Fun

As we reported recently, we think the St. Barth Bucket (March 28-31) might be the greatest sailing spectacle in the world. That said though, the Voiles de St. Barth — which starts today — actually might be the most fun. The French know how to mix racing and partying. And the lovely French women dress in the most improbably delicious outfits, and wear them as though they were on the catwalk.

Now in its fourth year, this year’s 65-boat Voiles fleet is the biggest ever. There are 65 entries from 24 to 80 feet. This includes seven maxis, 36 boats in three spinnaker divisions, four multihulls, and four classics. The Bay Area’s Kenny Keefe is here again with Jim Swartz’s TransPac 52 Vesper, Steve Schmidt is back with the cruising Santa Cruz 70 Hotel California, Too, and there’s some Seattle boat named Hamachi. We’ll be looking for other West Coast boats and sailors as the week goes on.

Organizers expect there will be about 800 sailors involved, so wholesalers have unloaded about 30 containers of champagne. Can’t have sailors going thirsty. Bubbly and St. Barth just seem to go together. The Voiles parties on the dock are legendary. Video of the day’s racing — plus other hair-raising sporting activities — on big screens, plus great music. Tonight’s band is the Fabulous Johnsons. They’re a group of folks who came to St. Barth about 30 years ago, and have mostly moved on to become successful professionals in the States. But they still come back to the island once or twice a year to play hot, sweaty, loose rock ‘n roll and reggae tunes of their youth. They’ve got more soul in their little fingers than all the Bucket billionaires combined.