The winter Bucket in St. Barths began in 1995 with a fleet of four yachts, including the 131-foot ketch Sariyah, Tom Taylor’s 108-foot Ron Holland ketch Gleam, the Alden-designed 127-foot ketch Parlay and Nelson Doubleday’s 130-foot Palmer Johnson ketch Mandalay. In 2002, the summer Bucket moved to Newport, where it’s been sponsored by Newport Shipyard and watched over by race committee members Hank Halsted, Ian Craddock and Tim Laughridge ever since.

The Bucket is a pursuit-style race, with each yacht assigned its own time on a clear starting line for safety. Start times are calibrated to each yacht’s speed handicap, and the first yacht to cross the finish line is the winner. The Bucket is funded exclusively by the marine industry and provides a fantastic opportunity for networking, though overt marketing or wheeling and dealing are discouraged. At the Bucket, the rule is: It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s whether you can play well with your peers. -Mary South

Didn’t get an invitation to the Bucket this year? Check out these gorgeous photos by Billy Black.