BUCKET BRAGGING RIGHTS

North Sails Superyacht Clients Sweep Podium at 2018 St Barths Bucket

Superyachts were on parade this past weekend for the St Barths Bucket Regatta. Founded in 1986, “The Bucket” is an annual three-day invitational regatta that plays host to the world’s most breathtaking superyachts. This year is especially significant as many worried about the island after the 2017 hurricanes, but St Barths has bounced back, and island hospitality was running at full force.

“A huge amount of credit to the island of St Barths, the event organizers, and the owners who had faith the island would recover in time,” said Ken Read, President of North Sails. The Bucket is always an amazing, well-run event and everyone who sails these superyacht machines looks forward to a beautiful week in paradise. Superyacht racing is alive and well because of events like the Bucket.”

North Sails inventories powered all first place finishers and overall winner Nilaya in the Pursuit Classes, as well as Svea, first place overall on the J Class. It was a busy week of North Sails who had close to thirty sales and service reps on the island. Global Service Manager Ben Fletcher once again had the North pop-up loft working to ensure all boats were race ready should they need repairs. North’s sales and service presence is a testament to their global superyacht structure, which is enhanced with our expanded presence in Palma.

“It was a great week for North Sails and our clients,” remarked Tom Whidden, CEO of North Technology Group. “Bucket racing is competitive, yet there is a tremendous amount of friendship and camaraderie once the yachts hit the dock. Having been involved in North’s decision to leap into 3Di, the Bucket is proof that this technology creates the highest performance and most durable Superyacht sails. You used only to see 3Di on race yachts, but we’re now seeing many of the cruising oriented yachts sailing with 3Di inventories. The product holds its shape and will not delaminate making it possible to carry a single inventory for both racing and cruising, a quality owners and crews can appreciate. I sail on SPIIP whose 3Di mainsail has outlasted our expectations by years and still has amazingly good shape.”