When it comes to glamour, it’s hard to beat yachting in the Caribbean and partying on the ultra-chic island of St Barths. We joined a crew of celebrities, models and fashion A-listers for a weekend in paradise cheering on the superyacht My Song—which recently disappeared into the Mediterranean sea
Hollywood actor Chris Pine is running barefoot across the main deck of our superyacht chasing a stray straw boater that’s somersaulting in the salty Caribbean breeze.“It’s too windy for hats,” warns Czech supermodel Karolína Kurková, who is taming her flailing blonde hair with a Loro Piana scarf. Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders star Annabelle Wallis is posing Titanic-style on the bow for a photo with department store heiress Hayley Bloomingdale and fashion A-lister Indré Rockefeller.
Posts from these style-savvy It gals and other jet-setting crewmates, including violinist Charlie Siem, Fashion Guitar blogger Charlotte Groeneveld, style guru Taylor Tomasi Hill and British socialite Violet Manners, are whipping up a storm on social media and making our nautical knees-up the talk of the ultra-chic island of St Barths.
A ship full of stars
This shipshape assemblage of actors, musicians, models and fashion insiders has been invited aboard the swish vessel Far Niente (an Italian expression meaning the pleasure of doing nothing) by refined fashion house Loro Piana. We’re here to experience the St Barths Bucket, one of the world’s most famous regattas, which attracts superyachts and elite racing crews from around the globe.
Strong winds and sea spray keep us cool as we follow the race around the island, cruising past sugar-white sandy beaches and palm-fringed cliffs, spotting sculling turtles and dive-bombing pelicans as we glide through the crystal-clear turquoise water.
We are cheering for My Song, a sleek 40-metre craft owned and helmed by Italian textile titan Pier Luigi Loro Piana, whose family started the eponymous clothing brand in 1924. Today Loro Piana sits within the LVMH group, but Pier Luigi—also known as Pigi (pronounced Pee-gee)—remains a shareholder and deputy chairman.
It’s a day of triumph, with My Song winning its race in a gripping battle that sees the crew stealing first place by only eight seconds.
See also: 10 Most Luxurious Yachts You Can Charter In Hong Kong