Bucket Regatta – Photo: Billy Black

The Regatta season officially began in St. Barth last week. The incredible Bucket Regatta and spring break drew large crowds to this tropical island. The St. Barth Bucket Regatta is 3 days of regattas around St. Barth for a fleet of the largest, most prestigious sailing yachts.

St Barth is one of the world’s most glamorous destinations and a frequent getaway for both the rich and famous, and well-heeled travelers, offering style and sophistication in a friendly and laid back environment.

With April’s arrival, there is more exciting competition planned for St. Barth with the Les Voiles de St-Barth and the relaxing pleasure of the St. Barth Film Festival.

It took just three short years for the “Les Voiles de Saint-Barth” to get boating racers from around the world used to this concept of yachting for pleasure and to develop this passion.

Owners, yachtsmen and sailors will once again converge on St. Barth from April 8-13, 2013 for a full week of racing dedicated to the joys of yachting and which will remain forever etched in their minds. This incredible event draws teams from around the world who enjoy extending their competitive sailing season in a warm, dependably breezy tropical clime.

The yachting action doesn’t stop there as May rolls around. The West Indies Regatta is a three day event held annually over the Mayday weekend (May 3-6) in St. Barth celebrating traditional West Indian sails. More of a wooden boat festival than a competitive regatta, the purpose of the event is to promote & encourage traditional boatbuilding in the Caribbean.

Please use the Contact Form below to submit your travel request and book a reservation in St Barth. We will promptly get back to you.

Courtesy of ASK Yacht Design

The designer Adrien Jousset (ASK Yacht Design) and naval architect Sylvain Julien (BMT Nigel Gee), have been selected as one of five finalists in the World Superyacht Awards – Young Designer of the Year 2009 – with a truly innovative design – Ostria.

“The high standard of entries presented the judges with no easy task in selecting the finalists”, stated Trevor Blakeley, Chief Executive of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and Chairman of the judging panel. “The judges were impressed by the effort and quality of work presented, reflecting the undoubted talent of today’s young naval architects and marine designers, which surely bodes well for the future of the industry.”

Ostria not only has a radical look but has also been developed to provide an answer to an environmentally conscious owner. Throughout the project the focus has been set on producing a realistic and feasible solution to reduce the environmental impact of a Superyacht whilst creating a truly innovative design.

Although owners are increasingly interested in green designs, they are not usually prepared to compromise on the style, onboard facilities or the sailing experience. Ostria is the result of the convergence of these challenging and often conflicting aims.

Early in the project it appeared that a carbon free propulsion system was unrealistic. The power production capacity required to propel a 70 metre monohull to any decent speed across an ocean is far too demanding compared to any means of renewable, carbon free, energy production. Even the hotel load requirement could not be answered properly with such solutions unless a significant volume of the yacht was dedicated to this purpose.

The choice of the diesel electric propulsion plant therefore came naturally to provide the necessary flexibility to take advantage of secondary, renewable, carbon free means of energy production (existing or near term technology). Podded propulsors have been selected for their high efficiency but also for the flexibility they provide in the design of the general arrangement.

Where the machinery room is traditionally located; a large summer lounge with recreational facilities including sauna and gymnasium has taken its place. This provides the guests with a unique experience of proximity to the sea, in a level of comfort that cannot be reached by a traditional beach club.

Ostria has been equipped with 370 m2 of solar panels, and a 4 m tall retractable wind turbine estimated to reduce the amount of carbon emission by approximately 800 tonnes per year through the reduction of fuel consumption. The solar panel and wind turbine installation have been designed to become a fully integrated feature of the vessel style.

An in-depth study of the vessel’s main systems has also been undertaken to limit the hotel load as far as practically possible. From climate control to rain water collection, most solutions have been studied to assess their feasibility in the marine environment with the aim of reducing the overall energy consumption.

Ostria demonstrates that low carbon emissions and reduced fuel consumption (with its associated cost) can be achieved through a truly stunning design.

The prestigious annual World Superyacht Award – Young Designer of the Year is organized by The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) in association with Boat International, and sponsored by Camper & Nicholsons International. The overall winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in London during May.

For more details about Ostria & ASK Yacht Design:
http://www.askyachtdesign.com/Projects/ostria.htm

For more details about BMT Nigel Gee:
http://www.bmtyachts.com/

For more details about the Young Designer of the Year competition at:
http://www.rina.org.uk/worldsuperyachtaward

There’s exists a traditional insult for yacht racers, who’d rather win by arguing the rules than by sailing fast: “Seagoing lawyer.”

Oracle Chief Larry Ellison is listing heavily in that direction, as he pushes a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court. Full article