Some yacht owners make their boats available for racing charters like the St. Barth’s Bucket, which is held each March in the northern Caribbean. These owners usually charge a premium rate, similar to the rates charged for Christmas week or the Monaco Grand Prix, as they are required to have extra insurance for racing purposes. Chartering a yacht to compete in a regatta also puts extra wear on the yacht and crew, especially when the boat has special equipment for such occasions.
the 110-foot Southern Wind Thalima is available for charter through YCO.
One example is the 110-foot Southern Wind Thalima, which turned a lot of heads at the late-2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show thanks to her contemporary cruising design and true racing pedigree. The owner offers the yacht for charter through YCO with regular sails or with seamless sails—the kind designed specifically for and used regularly by America’s Cup contenders. The crew, too, all have racing backgrounds and are eager to show charter clients just how fast they can cruise into the history books.
Most other owners make their charter yachts available to attend regattas, but just not to race in them. Charter clients thus get to enjoy all the festivities associated with the race, but from a safe distance as spectators. Megayachts are often chartered for this purpose, with the sundecks on tri-level yachts offering one heck of a bird’s-eye view as the sailing yachts race around the course.
Between races, charter clients on the spectator boats can enjoy all of the other fun that yacht charter offers. Spectator yachts still have Jet Skis, standup paddleboards, water slides, and all of the other amenities that clients enjoy year-round.
Plus, since this particular event is in St. Barth’s, there’s plenty of shopping, dining, and touring available on land. Day trips to nearby Ile Fourchue are also an option for anyone who wants to escape the racing scene and spend some time in an undeveloped harbor filled with natural beauty.
In general, if you want to book a racing yacht for any regatta (including the next St. Barth’s Bucket), you must book at least six months in advance to give the yacht time to register for the races. If you simply want to charter as a spectator, then the time restriction does not apply—which means there is still plenty of time to charter for this year’s event.
Tags: Caribbean, Charter, Charter Type, Leeward Islands, regatta, St. Barth's, St. Barth's Bucket