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CHANGES 200-ft plus — there is nothing that comes close to the Bucket. It's so spectacular that Yachting World, the most prestigious English language sailing magazine, runs photos and basic information on each yacht in one of their issues. And as the six great charter guests with us on 'ti Profligate will tell you, you just have to see these boats in action to believe them. Naturally, these huge boats need hundreds upon hundreds of crew, so if you look the part, there is a decent chance you can get on a boat. That said, this is the one sailing Yes, Tammy could get orgy where we on a Bucket boat. think it's actually more fun to be a spectator than a participant. If you enjoy really big boats, really big parties, and a really festive scene on a great island, this is it. We give it an 11 for spectating. Les Voiles de St. Barth — early April. Following closely on the heels of the Bucket, this event still has some big boats, but is designed for more serious racing and less formal partying. This year's fleet was a bit of a mish-mash, and the conditions on the course were lighter than anyone wanted. Nonetheless, both Dorade and Paradox walked away with class honors again. Canadian Ashley Wolfe, who keeps her TP52 Mayhem in San Francisco, and who — assisted by her dad and her brother — drives her own boat, took class honors, with Ken Keefe and the guys on the TP52 Vesper second, and former J/29 Bay racer Peter
LATITUDE/RICHARD
Former J/29 Bay sailor Peter Cunningham, right, with Jeff Madrigali, had as much fun getting 3rd at the Voiles as winning in St. Thomas.
Cunningham's Powerplay, now of the Cayman Islands, coming in third. A few weeks before, Cunningham had taken honors in the much bigger TP52 competition at the St. Thomas Rolex Regatta. Nobody does race associated partying and festivities like the Voiles. We're not talking about falling face-down drunk parties, but everybody-dancing-on-the tables-of-waterfront-restaurants and champagne-showers partying. It's also a great place to catch up with old friends, such as former Northern California sailing stars Dee Smith and Jeff Madrigali, now of Annapolis and Whidbey Island, respectively. If you're a decent sailor looking to race, we'd give the Voiles a 7 in that you can probably get a ride. If you're a fun-loving gal looking to meet a sailor boy, or just love to have sailing fun, we'd give it a 10. Want to go sailing crazy? Charter a boat from St. Martin for three weeks and be part of both the Bucket and the Voiles. Oo-la-la! We can't report on this year's Antigua Classic Regatta, but frequent participants say it's by far the best classic regatta in the Caribbean, and give it a 10. Lone Fox, the Robert Clark 65 owned by Ira Fox of Bolinas and St. Barth, was back this year to defend winning the overall title last year, while Matt and Pam Brooks were looking to take it from him with Dorade. Our having done six Antigua Sailing Weeks with our Ocean 71 Big O back in the days when it attracted as many as 230 entries, the event still holds a special place in our heart. It faltered badly in the last bunch of years, but seems to be making a bit of a comeback. Friends currently give it a 5, and we wish it the best of futures. Overall, a season in the Caribbean is something every sailor needs to experience, no matter if you participate in the races with your own boat, crew on someone else's boat — or even if you avoid all the races and parties. The Caribbean simply has great sailing conditions, particularly from mid-February on. Just ask Greg and Debbie Dorland of the Lake Tahoe-based Catana 52 Escapade, who will be back for their third season next winter. Or their guests for the
Bucket, Traci and Jaime of the Tiburon Peninsula. Or Jim and Debbie Gregory of the of the Pt. Richmond-based Schumacher 50 Morpheus, who will be coming back for their second winter season. — latitude Knee Deep — Catalina 38 Ben Doolittle Family Crossing The Bar (Sacramento) When my husband Ben and I, along with our two young sons, Mickey and J.P., decided to go cruising on our 30-year-old Catalina 38, we were met with the standard reaction most cruisers experience. Disbelief, shock and awe were at the top of the list. My favorite was an encounter in the produce aisle of the supermarket in our hometown of Sacramento. A friend who had heard the news cornered me near the tomatoes and repeatedly shrieked: “THAT'S JUST CRAZY!!!" “Yeah, but it’s gonna be awesome!” was my intellectual rebuttal. When I was younger I was crazy