Newport Bucket - Regatta Recaps

2008 Newport Bucket Regatta Recap

July 23, 2008 (Newport, RI)
The 6th Annual Newport Bucket Regatta was sailed on Rhode Island Sound, July 19-20 with a fleet of 12 magnificent yachts including two Perini Navi 148’ ketches, ANTARA and KLOSTERS, plus the 156’ Perini, PERSEUS.   The large end of the fleet was also joined by WHISPER, the 118’ Holland Jachtbouw Sloop, AVALON, 108’ Ron Holland Ketch, APACHE, 100’ Custom Ketch, CARMELLA, 92’ Custom Ketch by Vitter’s Shipyard and the elegant Classic Herreshoff 138’ Schooner, ELEONORA. 

The regatta weekend was launched with the Friday night skipper’s meeting and Welcome Party, followed by a barbeque, Reggae music and dancing in celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Newport Shipyard.

Saturday’s race was sailed in a perfect Newport sea breeze of 15 knots and sunny skies, with the Race Committee officiating from the bold shoreline at Castle Hill Inn.  CARMELLA started the 20 mile course first and never looked back, leading WHISPER by 6 minutes at the finish, followed by CHIPPEWA a minute and a half later in third, then SELENE 6 seconds later in fourth.

Saturday night, the fleet open house at the Shipyard kicked off the festivities, with great fare, libation and hospitality shared between the yachts.  Dinner and the “Bucket Bash” followed under the Marquee, with a fine meal served and dancing until late, to the tunes of Evan Goodrow.  Evan set the tone for a raucous evening that saw Charlie Dana on the dance floor until Midnight and one of our most highly esteemed yacht owners, practicing polished tango moves with a flower pot!

Sunday, the weather served up a true Bucket prank, dawning overcast but with a good breeze that promised another ideal race.  A half hour before the first start,
a  blanket of fog suddenly enveloped the fleet leaving all but zero visibility.  A postponement was set in place then, having watched the fog ebb and flow for nearly an hour the RC poled the fleet as to willingness to carry on with the starts.  In somewhat clearing conditions, all agreed to go racing.  Then exactly as the first yacht started, the fog set in with a vengeance, leaving the fleet to sail the 20 mile course in zero visibility and a blustery 18 knot breeze.

Five yachts (wisely) withdrew from racing shortly after their start, which left seven yachts to sail the entire course in an impressively thick New England fog.  These are eerie conditions in which each yacht becomes its own universe, surrounded by its own opaque curtain which removes all feedback from observing the competition.  All yachts were handled safely to the extreme, with professional licensed crews at the radar, in the navigation station and on deck as lookouts – but it certainly added a dimension to the competition.  Life was no easier for the Race Committee, which was required to position support boats at the finish to report finish times – from 200’ away on shore, the Committee only saw one of seven yachts cross the line!

At the end of the day, WHISPER found her way around the course fastest, to cross the line 52 seconds ahead of AVALON, with ELEONORA’s magnificent schooner rig looming out of the fog to cross the line three minutes later in third place.  Also at the end of the day, Mother Nature completed her prank on us all, when just ten minutes after the last finish, the fog lifted completely to provide crystal clear visibility!!

The Awards Celebration was held at the International Yacht Restoration School with champagne and trophies presented to the fleet, as follows:

CLASS AWARDS; Race 1 and 2 combined

Les Grandes Dames des Mers (Cruising Division)
1st:       AVALON      
2nd;      ELEONORA
3rd:       ANTARA

Les Gazelles des Mers (Racing Division)
1st:       WHISPER    
2nd:      CHIPPEWA
3rd:      SELENE

OVERALL FLEET RESULTS FOR THE 2008 NEWPORT BUCKET

1st:       WHISPER
2nd:      CHIPPEWA
3rd:      ELEONORA

ADDITIONAL AWARDS

The All Star Crew Award; Presented by Holland Jachtbouw and The Yacht Report to the crew that maintains their yacht to the highest professional standards in a fun, cooperative atmosphere.  This year the All Star Crew Award was presented to Johnno Johnston and the crew of ANTARA.

The Skullduggery Cravat; A framed and perfectly tied Admiralty Noose has become one of the most highly contested Bucket Awards, presented, in short, to the yacht that best promulgates the spirit of fun – and non-adult behavior – among the fleet.  This year, skullduggery was at the core of the event, particularly in the wee hours of Sunday morning, which saw any number of clever pranks pulled off between the yachts.

The clear winner this year was the AVALON ROCK STARS, who appeared at the end of Saturday’s Race, fully dressed as Sonny & Cher, the Village People, many reggae stars in full dreadlocks & tattoo sleeves – and 9 year old Eloise Kenny as Elvis! All outfits were accompanied by inflatable electric guitars & microphones, with other accompaniments as well.   As a matter of fact, we now have, buried deep in the Bucket Safe Deposit Box, several photographs of Ron Holland, Dressed as Madonna!!!

The Newport Bomb, an actual WW Aerial Bomb, is an award over which the Race Committee has no control.  This award, originally presented to the RC a number of years ago by CHIPPEWA for their aBOMBinable rating, has been passed each year from yacht to yacht, as an acknowledgement of proper Bucket Behavior (?) and overall contribution to the event.  Each recipient adds further artwork to the Bomb, and then passes it along the following year.  This year the Bomb was presented by AVALON, to WHISPER in recognition of their magnificent party spirit and great sailing.  We have no doubt it will be back next year, further embellished. 

The Bucket Regattas began in August 1986 in Nantucket, MA, as a casual race to prove bragging rights among the owners & skippers of seven of the largest yachts in town – an afternoon sail, there and back again, with a galvanized bucket as the trophy.    The flavor of the first Bucket set the tone on which “Bucket” regattas have since been sailed. The primary focus is on safe sailing, proper seamanship and winning the party, rather than winning the race. Ratings are adjusted between races to favor the slower yachts, in an effort to bring them into the winner’s circle

The Bucket Regattas have grown to become one of the most prestigious sailing events in the world, attracting the largest yachts to compete on the race course. 

2006 Newport Bucket Regatta Recap
July 21-23, 2006

16 Yachts participated in this year’s Newport Bucket Regatta, which was sailed (yes, actually sailed – with WIND), 21-23 July in Rhode Island Sound, off Newport.  Saturday served up 20+ knots of wind for some very exciting sailing and remarkably close finishes among this fleet ranging from MISCHEVIOUS, a custom 66’ IMS Racer, to the Swan 68, CHIPPEWA, to the large end of the fleet comprised of the J Boat, RANGER, 118’ Holland Jachtbouw/Fontaine Design, WHISPER, the Magnificent Bruce King design, WHITEHAWK and the Swan 112, HIGHLAND BREEZE.  Sunday was sailed in 15 knots of breeze and relatively sloppy leftover seas, which presented a good test for the heavier displacement end of the fleet, but good racing overall. 
As usual, the great sailing by day was outshined by the Bucket festivities.  On Friday night, Hap Fauth, the Crew of WHISPER and Churchill Yacht Partners put on a great Country Western party following the Captain’s Meeting at which many present were well roasted in song, by Western Balladeer Lloyd Maybrey. 
After the Open House among the Fleet on Saturday night, all Bucket Sponsors put on great dinner and dance ashore at the Newport Shipyard.  Prizes for Saturday’s race were presented by Bank of America’s Lisa Verbit, with Third Place awarded to WHITEHAWK and Second Place to the Swan 112’, HIGHLAND BREEZE.  First Place for the Bank of America Cup was won by the Alloy Yachts 108’ Ketch, AVALON, crewed by the Taylor Family and a cast of Bucket Regulars going back to the origin of the event in Nantucket!
Sunday Night the fleet moved up Narragansett Bay to Carnegie Abbey, for a magnificent Awards Dinner sponsored by Brian O’Neill, the Owner of WHITEHAWK, and Carnegie Abbey.  The awards were launched with a brilliant sunset, then a double rainbow (great special effects, Brian!), a sumptuous feast and dancing to live music.  The awards for Sunday’s racing for the Carnegie Cup were presented by Brian O’Neill to Third Place winner, the 95’ Frers Sloop, SORCERER II.  Placing second for the Carnegie Cup was the Swan 80’, SELENI.  First Place for Sunday’s racing and the winner of the Carnegie Cup was the Swan 112’, HIGHLAND BREEZE.
In the combined results for THE BUCKET:
Third Place was awarded to Craig Venter and the Crew of SORCERER II.
Second Place was won by Duke Steineman and the crew of SELENI.
This year’s winner of the Newport Bucket was Irvine Laidlaw and Chris Maybury, owners of HIGHLAND BREEZE and their erstwhile crew.

Additional Awards:
The Coveted Newport Bone (for last place) was awarded to the 105’ Hoek/Holland Jachtbouw, SAPPHIRE.
The crew of WHISPER was voted by their peers as the Coolest Crew – who made off with several well chilled jugs of Champagne, presented by The Yacht Report and Holland Jachtbouw.
The Churchill Corinthian Trophy, for the best seamanship and Corinthian effort was awarded to Joe Hoopes and the crew of PALAWAN.

This year, in the spirit of the Bucket Regattas, a new award comprised of a perfectly tied and framed Admiralty Bosun’s Noose, named the “Skullduggery Cravat”, was presented to the Yacht that set the highest standard for creating fun and havoc among the fleet. The uncontested winners were the crew of CHIPPEWA – who among other tasks:

1. loaded the mainsails of their competition with CHIPPEWA t-shirts, which created a rain of shirts enroute to Sunday’s starting line
2. Sewed the mainsail ties together on their arch-rival MISCHEVIOUS, which left them nonplussed when the main was set.
3. Presented the Race Committee with a WW2 Bomb during Saturday’s Award Ceremonies in recognition of their aBOMBinable rating (the bomb had quite a future, simply un-mentionable.  . .)
4. threatened to start the race an hour early then accept the five minute penalty for being over early - then had Castle Hill serve the Race Committee a round of Bloody Marys during Sunday’s starting sequence – with no message other than a CHIPPEWA war cry! 

Well Won CHIPPIE!!  You helped to put the Bucket back in the Bucket!!!

Photographs of the Newport Bucket are posted on www.billyblack.com.  Do check out the action!

Media Contact:           Hank Halsted  401-848-3256/401-965-3256