St. Barths Bucket Regatta

   RONDAL WELL REPRESENTED
AT THE BUCKET REGATTA

In addition to equipment, Rondal staff have also been present at this event for many years, supporting many boats with pre-regatta checks and service and maintenance work. Jan Slot and Leonard Smit have worked for the company for more than 25 years and are familiar faces to many owners, skippers and crews, and welcomed onboard many yachts to offer their expertise. Jan Slot has not only been on many yachts, he was also a crew member on the well sailed and winning yacht, Wisp. 

Leonard Smit was aboard the star-studded sailing yacht Action, whose skipper he has been in touch with by email and phone for years, but never met. He was invited to be a crew member and got soaked at the mast in very brisk conditions. Says Leonard, “The name Action says it all - there was plenty of action on deck. With Olympic and World Championship sailors on board the boat was pushed to the limits in very windy conditions varying between 20-26 knots. The spinnaker always went up when other boats were sailing with jib only.“

A relative newcomer to Rondal is our Sales Manager Rudy Jurg. He was aboard the mighty 62m schooner Athos, which had just undergone an 18-month refit at Huisfit. This classically styled yacht has a huge sail area, the spinnaker alone is over 1,350 square meters, and at one stage, the boat was reaching at more than 17 knots. This sail area was supported by two carbon Rondal masts.

After a very close race with boats only a few boat lengths apart, they finished third overall. Jurg commented: “I am very proud to be part of Team Rondal - seeing our equipment on some of the most beautiful yachts in the world gives you a great sense of pride in our people and facilities. Racing aboard Athos was a great learning experience in terms of coordinating the handling of so much sail and safely maneuvering the boat on the race course. The primary goal of the boat was to be safe, not break anything, and have fun. All three goals were achieved and celebrated in style."

Rondal will also be present at the Bucket Regatta in March 2025.