St Barths Bucket Regatta

The St Barths Bucket Regatta is an annual boat race with parties as big as the sailing yachts. It’s a much-anticipated highlight on the Caribbean yachting calendar, where the island’s bohemian vibe combines with some serious racing action.

Though the Bucket’s origins were recreational at best, today, competing yachts must adhere to strict Superyacht Racing Rules, where a minimum distance of 40m must be kept between boats, and a pursuit race format must be kept, where each yacht is assigned its own start time.

When is the St Barths Bucket?

Usually held in the month of March, superyachts from around the world gather in the Port de Gustavia, one of the most popular and beautiful natural harbours in the world, to witness the racing, to admire the boats and to attend the legendary yacht parties. Gustavia has been prized for its velvet sandy beaches, corrugated red roofs and French influence, particularly with its cuisine. March is considered one of the best months to visit the island, when the trade winds blow, the glowing sun beams and rainfall is rare. It’s also during the low season, so crowds are scarce. 

Where is the St Barths Bucket Regatta?

The St Barths Bucket Regatta is held over three days in Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean. It’s located some 15 miles southeast of Saint Martin, and it’s because it’s one of the harder-to-reach islands that St Barths has become a firm favourite with the yachting crowd. Some believe this is why the island has also grown more expensive over the years (spurred on by David Rockefeller building the island’s first holiday residence in the 1950s), however, the real reason is because most goods on the island need to be imported.

Today, yachts make the migration from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean via a raft of other races, including the RORC Transatlantic. It was the St Barths Bucket that put the island on the racing map, but ever since even travellers not competing in sailing flock to Gustavia to cruise its charmed Caribbean waters by yacht.

Go off-grid and hike to hidden beaches

With no fewer than 17 beaches in total that fringe St Barth, each offers something slightly different. For people watching, the cosmopolitan St Jean is the place to go while Gouverneur and Saline are better for seclusion. The latter is one of the island's best beaches but do come prepared for shameless nudity à la Française.

For a rewarding adventure, anchor off Anse de Colombier where access to the beach here is only by yacht or a mile-long trek over the hills. The beach is backed by a scattering of palm trees, and depending on when you go, you’ll likely have the beach all to yourself.

Shop in Gustavia

More than 200 boutiques can be found on the eight square miles of St Barth, with some of the world’s leading labels creating exclusive, limited edition items that are only available to buy on the island. The charming harbour of Gustavia is duty-free, and the waterfront is lined with high end boutiques: the big brands of Dior, Hermes, Cartier, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari are all here, sitting side-by-side with a handful of more unique stores. What more could you need?

Indulge in the cuisine

With a distinctly French flavour, St Barth is known for having some of the best chefs in the Caribbean, who generally try to adapt traditional French cuisine to suit the warmer climate.

Among several dozen good places to eat on the island, a few places really stand out. For French flavours try Bagatelle; an offshoot of the original in New York, Eden Rock’s The Sand Bar, Restaurant Le Toiny at Hotel Le Toiny, or hillside Bonito (for the latter, ensure you arrive early to enjoy St Barth's spectacular sunset from its west facing terrace).

L’Esprit is one of the best restaurants on the island and has many of its recipe ingredients flown in from France. Their nightly changing French, Asian and Caribbean fusion menu is consistently delicious. Head to Tamarin St Barth for French-Caribbean fusion, Black Ginger for chic Thai cuisine, and for beachfront dining on incredible dishes, Beach House St Barth at the Rosewood is a must-visit. If you are looking for a low-key spot between shopping (see Boutique Chic) then Fish Corner serves fresh and light seafood right in the heart of Gustavia.