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

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