The Real Newport Bucket Challenge

By FrenchMonkey -
You might have heard about the famous Bucket regatta that took place in Newport last weekend. Big yachts sailing around the bay and competing for one the most prestigious trophies of the season, all that is great but I feel like we have all seen it before.

Let me tell you about the REAL Bucket Challenge that simultaneously took place in Newport last weekend. Shame on the press for not giving the event the publicity it clearly deserved. Make sure you have a scoop of ice-cream in front of you and enter with us the fabulous ice-cream shop of Spinnakers in Jamestown, right across the river from Newport.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is real!
After two weeks of discovering New England, from Boston to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Tilly Mint, her owner, his family and crew finally arrived in Newport after a very calm night sail. Two weeks of eating all the desserts prepared by a French chef made them feel ready to take on the challenge that the Captain had been dreaming of take up all season, so on Friday afternoon everyone embarked on the dinghy for a trip across the river.

Once at Spinnakers, it was decided that the two competitors would not compete against each other, but rather join their efforts to try to beat the record of the fastest finishing of the Bucket - record still held by three 12-year old kids who conquered it in a unbelievable 8 minutes!

Final countdown to 20 scoops of ice-cream
Plastic spoons proved to be no match for the Bucket.
After promising beginnings, the ice-cream eating pace slowed down around the 10th minute. The boys had already lost the record of fastest eating, so now it was just about Pride - could they possibly let a Bucket defeat them? Luckily the youngest member of the family kept encouraging them, kindly reminding that they would never be able to feel like men again should they give up.

The Captain is not feeling so hot anymore... EAT, says the coach!
Finally defeating the Bucket: melted ice-cream and one last cookie!
The Bucket was defeated at last after almost 29 minutes - the honor was safe! You might wonder what happened afterwards - no one got sick (even though the competitors both turned a lovely shade of green during the bumpy dinghy ride back to the boat, and Laurence even managed to eat a normal dinner 2 hours later - ha, to be 16 again! To this day, the Captain still hasn't been able to eat another bite of ice-cream.

Victory!
This is how you feel after 20 scoops of ice-cream
The Bucket is now safely on Tilly Mint, we are currently getting quotes for a marble column to display it prominently in the salon.

This was of course the highlight of the trip, but I thought I would include a few more pictures of the days around the challenge...

Lovely anchorage in Woods Hole
Have you ever killed a fish with Belvedere vodka?
Tilly Mint looking good as always!
Beautiful boats in Nantucket
Tilly Mint is now officially parts of Newport's finest - view from the NY Yacht Club

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Another Transatlantic Adventure

By -
Image
It's the time of year again for Tilly Mint to make her bi-annual migration across the Atlantic Ocean.  This is always an exciting time for me and Arwyn, as it marks the end of another rewarding season in the Caribbean, and promises new adventures to be had in far away places.  Every year, Tilly Mint heads to a new cruising ground for the Summer. In 2014, we were in England, Spain, Italy, and Malta. Last Summer, we cruised the Adriatic Sea, stopping in Greece, Montenegro, and Croatia. This summer, I am elated to say that we are headed for Norway! Throughout the Caribbean season, this has been a simple fact- a simple answer to a simple question. "Where are you going this Summer?" - "Norway." However, at this busy time of our year, it becomes a reality. It's not only a distant land in which we will travel in the distant future, rather it becomes the focus of the now. It now becomes our task to sail Tilly Mint roughly 4,500 nm across the Atlantic, down the ...
Read more

The perfect finish

By FrenchMonkey -
Image
An adventure ends, but another one is starting for Tilly Mint - in a few days she will leave the Caribbean to sail back to the Mediterranean with a new crew. After over two and a half years on board, Bill and I are taking a well deserved holiday, leaving Tilly Mint in good hands with our long time friends and highly qualified crew Arwyn and Andrew. Our last week on board couldn't have been better, with all four crew, the owner and his wife racing Tilly Mint for Antigua Sailing Week. A great time was had by all, and many emotional goodbyes were said. The crew is now working on getting the boat ready for her sixth Atlantic crossing. Fair winds and following seas to Tilly Mint and her crew, we sure will miss you!    
Read more

Big boat watching at the St Barths Bucket

By FrenchMonkey -
Image
Tilly Mint felt very small last weekend, as our charter itinerary took us to St Barths to watch the Bucket Regatta, which involves some of the biggest sailing yachts ever built. Here are some shots of the Saturday race. This is what the AIS looked like in Gustavia... Visione and Hetairos, last two boats to start Spinnakers are out on a short downwind leg The graceful Adela Schooner and ketches From that distance they almost look small...
Read more