A total fleet of 41 yachts was welcomed into the Port of Gustavia this year. 34 took part in the racing – the largest fleet since 2015 – and these were split across nine classes, including two Corinthian Spirit non-spinnaker classes, a 90-foot class, and a Maxi 100 class. Making its debut this year was a schooner class featuring three 3-masted gaff-rigged schooners — a Bucket first.
Another first for the 2026 edition was an optional fourth day of racing on Thursday. While not part of the official three-day series, this additional race gave participants more time under sail and a chance to assess the competition before things got serious. With Sunday’s final race abandoned due to strong winds, it worked out perfectly.
The St Barths Bucket racing utilises the popular pursuit format and the ORCsy handicap rule.
This year’s Bucket trophy, reserved for a yacht that not only triumphs on the racecourse but also embodies the timeless spirit of the Bucket, was presented to Hetairos. There was fierce competition in the Les Gazelles class between this Baltic build, Aquarius (Royal Huisman) and Maximus (Vitters Shipyard) with the trio making quite the impression on the water.
Others who topped their classes were V, Freya, Onyx, Geist, Whisper, M5, Perseus^3, and Adix. They sailed respectively in Le Cent Pied, Les Petites Dames, L’esprit-1, Les Elegantes, Les Mademoiselles, L’esprit-2, Les Grande Dames, and Les Goelettes.
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