I have just returned from a fantastic event racing a new Briand 125 named P2 and built by Parini Navi . The event was the St. Barths Bucket, held March 25-27, for yachts over 100 feet. Their website with some great photos is http://www.bucketregattas.com/stbarths/index.html

There is very little that can beat three days of racing around St. Barths in the French West Indies on a 125 foot yacht in 15-20 knot winds, clear skies, and warm weather. The fleet ranged from the 100 foot flat out racer Leaopard, to the 290 foot Maltese Falcon. Courses were around the islands, in pursuit format with the slower boats starting first. It was an incredible sight to see the procession of yachts, especially as they all converged towards the finish.

P2 is the first performance yacht that Perini Navi has built. All the sail handling controls are by electric winches and hydraulics and she has 7 tons of water ballast to help her performance upwind. We sailed with a racing crew of 25 persons, plus the owner and guests! Outside and ondeck she looks like a lean racing machine, but down below she has a luxurious interior for the owner, his guests, and the 5 permanent crew. This new style of superyacht that combines performance with comfort, in a sleek design, is a new trend that I predict will continue growing.

We finished 2^nd in our class and are totally pleased with the result. We sailed cautiously as this was our first race in this very complex and large yacht. Our goal was to avoid any breakdowns, make no major mistakes, have a nice time, and perform as well as we could. We succeeded on all points and are looking forward to our next event where we can press a little harder now that we know the boat better.

To learn more of this project and see the boat, visit the Team P2 website at http://www.teamp2.net/home.html

Ciao, peter