Remote controlled mini helicopters always seem to draw attention. But the one buzzing about the dock in St Barth’s main port of Gustavia and again at the Bucket prize giving was a little more than that – it had four props to keep it incredibly stable, and carried a small camera. The footage results from this ‘drone’ is embedded below.
Although the video is Perini-sponsored, hence focused on the big Italian ketches and sloops, it still neatly captures the mesmerising sight of these superyachts moored stern-to. The clip of the anchorage and port (at around four minutes in) also puts the scale of the yachts compared to the small island into perspective.
What you don’t get is any sense of pace – the boats largely look like they are sailing in slow-mo when, in the force five to six conditions we had, speeds in the teens were an average for most. But standout footage includes the 55m Pendennis rebuilt schooner Adela at full pace with five sails up, plus seeing a crewmember scaling the main mast of the new 60m Perini Seawhawk whilst under sail.

2014 St Barths Bucket Filmed by a Drone from Pigeon Vision on Vimeo.

Colourful kites: The bright green new Baltic speedster Inoui alongside the new 60m Perini ketch Seahawk with red rigging and kite, with Ganesha and Eddie Jordan’s Oyster 885 Lush (yellow kite) following.

At 66.7m/219ft the Baltic built green ketch Hetairos was the flagship of the Bucket and makes for a jaw-dropping sight when powered up.

YW got aboard the striking new Vitters built 46m sloop Ganesha, designed by Dubois, for the final race of the 2014 Bucket. A full report will follow in our July issue of Supersail World

The author looks back from the rail of the expertly sailed Reichel Pugh designed Nilaya, as the classic 32m ketch Whitehawk opts to luff up (under kite!) to avoid a port/starboard encounter. Nilaya was planing at 16 knots at the time in idyllic tradewind conditions.

Photos courtesy of Claire Matches

A full gallery of pictures will follow soon