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The Spectacle of Very Large Yachts Racing

There weren’t too many traditional boats this year, but the big schooner Adela, which was built in the early 1900s, put in a good showing in near-ideal conditions.

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©2014 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

If you enjoy the spectacle of mega-mega sailing yachts racing in the open ocean, there was no place to be last weekend like the St. Barth Bucket. Thirty-eight gleaming yachts between 88 and 218 feet went at it in consistent winds that were in the upper teens to low 20s, with moderate tradewind seas. The size and complexity of these yachts and the astonishing loads, as well as the derring-do and fearlessness of the crews in key positions, can only be appreciated up close.

To give one example, shortly after the upwind start of the windy first race on Friday, the massive headsail on the 218-ft Hetairos, on which Marin’s Paul Cayard was calling tactics, yanked the tack fitting apart with an explosive bang. With the absolutely gigantic headsail — think a luff length of maybe 175 feet — flapping like crazy, it took the army of top-flight crew the better part of half an hour to get the sail down on deck.

When a boat is 218 feet long, such as Hetairos, she doesn’t make much of a fuss going through the water, even in the high teens.

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© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Indeed, it was a botched spinnaker takedown in the second race that messed up the regatta for the ‘little’ Swan 100 Varsovie, which has long been skippered by Patrick Adams of Mill Valley. Not only were Adams and his crew leading the race at the time, but they easily won their division in the other two races. "If it weren’t for their spinnaker problem, they probably would have won the whole regatta," said Marin County’s Kenny Keefe, who was sailing aboard the Adele. That 185-ft ketch had her own problem, as at one point the spinnaker winch failed. When the spinnaker could probably cover a third of a football field, that’s no small problem.

Reed and Patrick Adams of Mill Valley and the Swan 100 Varsovie. He’s not tired of sailing at all. “There is nothing I like better than getting on a big, powerful yacht and heading across the Atlantic.”

latitude/Richard
©2014 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Other boats shredded $150,000 spinnakers, and the brand new 190-ft Perini Navi Seahawk — which displaces 500 metric tons! — even managed to go aground on Beef Barrel, a small rock outcropping that served as a turning mark. "I saw the boat hit and stop, but the masthead light just kept going," says Keefe.

The 146-ft R/P Visione may no longer be new, and there were certainly larger boats, but she rated as the second fastest. Her owner used to  and maybe still does  have a home in Novato.

latitude/Richard
©2014 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

The Bucket boats are luxury yachts — Marie, the overall winner, has a Steinway piano in the saloon — not built for racing and high-speed bursts. "I doubt that any of them surf," said Cayard, "so our top speed on Hetarios was probably only about 21 knots." While these boats don’t hit extreme high speeds of sleds or racing cats, they can cruise along steadily in the high teens."

But the Bucket isn’t about winning as much as it is about owners getting a chance to have their boats and international crews play with other boats and international crews ‘their own size’. There was a festive atmosphere throughout, highlighted by a short gig by Jimmy Buffett on the main quay and a longer one the night before at tiny Baz Bar.

In addition to his short official gig on the quay, Jimmy Buffett had a blast singing some of his own songs as well as some by the Stones at tiny Baz Bar.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

If you enjoy seeing the world’s most majestic yachts racing in ideal tradewind conditions, you know where to be this time next year.

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The 2014 edition of the biennial MEXORC Copa Corum concluded Saturday. To say that all racers enjoyed themselves last week would likely be an understatement.
Pick up the April edition of Latitude so you can read all the latest sailing news as well as plan your strategy for seeing all that Strictly Sail Pacific has to offer.