It was another intense day of racing on Biscayne Bay at the 97th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta. The usual shifty breeze was around 8-10 knots with plenty of race track nuances.

The all-important discard came into play in race 5 for the sixty-six-boat Star fleet, but nobody could displace the top three teams, who are on a remarkable 13-point apiece tiebreak. In Saturday's concluding race, Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada, Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, and Augie Diaz/Henry Boening will battle it out in a battle of titans.

Ireland's sole entry in the Cup, The Iron Lotus, sailed by Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne, having won race four, dropped to 45th in race five in a rollercoaster scoresheet for the pair, to lie 20th overall going into the final race.

Race 5 got underway in 6-8 knots of breeze from the southeast, with glory in the hands of Sweden’s Tom Lofstedt/Johan Tillander. For the second time, they kicked off proceedings at the front, but this time, they managed to maintain their advantage and score a well-deserved win.

But it was behind where the battle for Bacardi Cup supremacy was unfolding, as the three leadings teams of Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada, Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise and Augie Diaz/Henry Boening jostled for position.

Diaz/Boening took a fantastic start off the pin end, but lost out by the windward mark as the wind went right. Choosing the favored side on the next two legs they made gains to deliver a 2nd place finish and put themselves firmly back in Trophy contention.

Whilst Diaz/Boening sailed their own race, Doyle/Infelise and Kusznierewicz/ Prada engaged in a duel downwind, with Doyle/Felise ahead and Kusznierewicz/Prada chasing. Heading back upwind, they were entwined in their own battle and dropped back through the fleet as they hunted each other down, to finish 7th and 8th respectively.

In what must be an unprecedented passage of play, the top three are all on a 13-point tiebreak, setting the stage for a riveting showdown. It is simply a case of whoever finishes ahead will have their hands and names on the iconic Bacardi Cup Trophy and Tito Bacardi Cup.

“It was a lot of fun,” commented Doyle on the day’s racing. “We were going really fast. We didn’t have such a great start and then had a great beat. We were getting the job done, we needed to beat Matesuz and Bruno.”

Looking forward to the podium decider, Doyle grinned, “So trying to keep it exciting and close for tomorrow, trying to keep the crowds happy! I am looking forward to it, that’s what we sail for.”

“I love this kind of situation,” remarked Kusznierewicz. “We have to put everything to win tomorrow.”

Diaz, anticipating windier conditions, acknowledged the potential advantage for Kusznierewicz and Doyle, before adding, “But it’s going to be a three-boat race and that’s going to make it very interesting, because you can’t cover one guy. But hey, all you got to do is line up and let it rip.”

The podium deciding race 6 is scheduled to get underway at 1100 hrs.

Provisional Results – Top 3 after Race 5

1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8559) - 13 pts
2. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA 8580) - 13 pts
3. Augie Diaz / Henry Boening (USA 8509) - 13 pts

Cork-Belfast duo Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne continue their march back up the 97th Bacardi Cup in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday after Monday's low opening result.

The sole Irish pair, sailing IRL 8118, 'The Iron Lotus,' finished 39th in the opening race. With a ninth scored in race two and a 33rd on Wednesday, they are in 18th overall in the 66-boat fleet. 

As regular Afloat readers know, O'Leary and Milne, who placed sixth in the 2023 world championships are regular top five performers on the world stage and led the fleet mid-Bacardi Cup regatta last year, finishing fourth overall.

Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise won race 3 on Biscayne Bay to claim the overall lead in the Bacardi Cup, pushing overnight leaders Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada into second place.

The conditions were challenging, with 10-12 knot southerly breeze and chop making downwind particularly difficult.

Despite that, Doyle/Infelise made their move and won the race. John Dane III/Dave Martin finished second. Diaz/Boening claimed fifth place and climbed to third overall on the leaderboard.

Provisional Results – Top 10 after Race 3

1. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA 8580) - 7 pts
2. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8559) - 11 pts
3. Augie Diaz / Henry Boening (USA 8509) - 19 pts
4. Lars Grael / Ubiratan Matos (BRA 8392) - 24 pts
5. Jørgen Schönherr / Markus Koy (DEN 8532) - 27 pts
6. John MacCausland / Peter Sangmeister (USA 8448) - 34 pts
7. John Dane III / Dave Martin (USA 8230) - 36 pts
8. Johann Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer (AUT 8529) - 38 pts
9. Piet Eckert / Frederico Melo (SUI 8575) - 38 pts
10. Will Stout / Parker Mitchell (USA 8538) - 41 pts.

Cork-Belfast duo Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne bounced back from an untypical low opening result in the 97th Bacardi Cup in Miami, Florida on Monday to post a top ten in the 66-boat fleet in the second race on Tuesday.

The sole Irish pair, sailing IRL 8118, 'The Iron Lotus', who finished 39th in the opening race, have moved to 23rd overall with a ninth scored in race two. As regular Afloat readers know, O'Leary and Milne, who are consistently formidable (with a sixth in the 2023 world championships), led the fleet mid-regatta last year, finishing fourth overall.

Defending champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada dominated day two with an impressive lead of one and a half minutes. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise claimed a superb pin end start to finish second and move up to second overall. Boat speed rewarded George Szabo/Guy Avalon to make a remarkable recovery from their 34th place finish yesterday and move up to 16th overall.

Racing continues on Wednesday, March 6, with a midday start. 
 
Provisional Results – Top 10 after Race 2
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8559) - 3 pts
2. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA 8580) - 6 pts
3. Lars Grael / Ubiratan Matos (BRA 8392) - 8 pts
4. Piet Eckert / Frederico Melo (SUI 8575) - 13 pts
5. Augie Diaz / Henry Boening (USA 8509) - 14 pts
6. Jørgen Schönherr / Markus Koy (DEN 8532) - 17 pts
7. Johann Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer (AUT 8529) - 19 pts
8. Josh Powell / Mark Strube (USA 8522) - 20 pts
9. Ante Razmilovic / Brian Hammersley (GBR 8443) - 23 pts
10. Paul Cayard / Frithjof Kleen (USA 8550) - 28 pts

Having narrowly missed out on Star Class Bacardi Cup title in 2023, Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne are preparing to contest the 2024 Cup this March.

The Cork-Belfast pairing, one of the early registrations for 2024's 97th invitational, held the overall lead going into the last race of the 2023 Cup and will return to Miami, Florida, in March.

The pair, whose partnership started at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, reunited last season to also claim sixth overall at a Star world championship in Italy. It was O'Leary's first tilt at a Star Worlds since 2012, when he finished fourth sailing with David Burrows just before the London Olympics.

And of course, closer to home, regular Afloat readers will also recall O'Leary, crewed by Stephen O'Sullivan, got some vital time on the water in December in the former Olympic one-design keelboat when he sailed to an emphatic victory - on IRC handicap - at his Club's winter White Sail league.

The weather front that was expected to sweep through Biscayne Bay after racing on Saturday, March 12, arrived early, with the strong wind forcing racing to be cancelled for all classes at 0900 hours this morning.

It meant Cork's Peter and Robert O'Leary finished fourth overall in the Star class. Their father, Anthony, racing in the Viper 640 with Clive O'Shea and Neil Fulcher finished sixth.

Each day the weather has unfolded as per the forecast, so with 30+ knots of breeze expected the different course PROs took their decision based on each class and were unanimous to keep safe racing conditions and cancel all racing.

Superb winds for the preceding days delivered five neck and neck races for the Star Class, with an equally intense six-race series for the J/70, Melges 24, Viper 640, VX One, and twelve races for the 69F. The overnight scoreboards are final and class podiums decided.

The Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta wrapped up in fine style with the awards presentation at Shake-A-Leg Miami, accompanied by Bacardi rum and hospitality.

“Thank you to the sailors, thank you to the host clubs, thank you to our volunteers on the water and ashore, and thank you to everyone who has been following this fantastic event from around the world,” expressed Eddie Cutillas of Bacardi USA. “The Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta supports our vision of the world’s best sailors racing together and leaves the best possible imprint; a turnout of inspirational sailors, exceptional racing and after parties that make sure the fun continues long after the finish line.

“Our regatta is an ‘invitational’ in respect of the ‘invited’ one-design classes participating, but sailors from around the world need no invitation to join us here on Biscayne Bay in our annual celebration of sailing - you are all welcome. Save the date for 2023.”

The tradition of camaraderie and high-level competition are embedded in the Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, guaranteeing the world’s sailors want to compete. 2022 featured more than 600 sailors, with the crew line-up from over 22 nations

Save the date for next year at the 96th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta taking place March 5-11, 2023. 

Star Class

For nearly one century, the Bacardi Cup has continued to attract the world’s top sailors and fans with its popularity and intrigue. In 2022, the Bacardi Cup celebrated its 95th anniversary on Biscayne Bay, its home for the past 61 years. In the fifty-eight-boat line-up were eleven previous Bacardi Cup winners and twelve World Champions – competition doesn’t get tougher than that.

The stars of the show were unequivocally Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Bruno Prada (BRA), who showed themselves as most prepared for the physicality, intensity and tactics of racing in waves and a breeze which never dropped below 12 knots. Many sailors have won multiple Bacardi Cup titles - the legendary Ding Schoonmaker scooped eight victories, seven to Mark Reynolds, and some renowned partnerships have two wins - but Bacardi Cup history is written for Kusznierewicz/Prada who go down as the first same team partnership to win three back-to-back titles.

Second overall to Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) who were the 2019 Bacardi Cup winners, and third to Italy’s Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi who won in 2018, with a tiebreak for 4th and 5th.

Although victory was secure, Kusznierewicz/Prada had every intention of competing in the final race, before the excessive winds scuppered plans.

“Firstly, we love this sport,” said Kusznierewicz this morning. “Secondly, what could I do today? Golf, shopping, staying on shore, going to the restaurant – no, not my style. I love sailing and I think today maybe upwinds are not going to be such great fun, because of the strong winds and physical work, but reaching is going to be awesome. We also have a lot of respect, and we want to show this respect to the regatta organizers and the other sailors.”

With racing cancelled Kusznierewicz/Prada embraced their victory, celebrated their remarkable achievement and prepared to sip Bacardi rum from the iconic Bacardi Cup and Tito Bacardi Cup trophies

“I am not sure if we are the fastest, but we are the most consistent team,” said Prada. “I think the advantage is we have been sailing for a couple of years together and we have a good chemistry sailing together.”

Kusznierewicz added, “We did it again, we are very happy, very satisfied. This week was great from many perspectives. It wasn’t easy, it was hard actually, physically and we had to focus a lot on racing, but we liked it. After two years of pandemic, not everyone could show up in previous years, but this year it’s impressive,” he said, in reference to the twelve Star World Champions competing.

“So, it is an even bigger pleasure for us to win this regatta and for the third time in a row, it is kind of history in the books. For me, it is a great honour to be here. To win it, wow I am in the skies!”

Prada continued, “I feel super happy. Every Championship we win in the Star Class, especially Bacardi Cup, Europeans and the Worlds, are special events, so we need to be very proud of ourselves and enjoy the victory. We are in the top 5 fastest boats and, in the end, we proved that our sailing was better than the others.”

On what’s next, Prada continued, “We are planning to sail the Worlds in Marblehead and it will be our next regatta together. Meanwhile I am going to sail a couple of regattas with Augie Diaz, to keep in shape and arrive at the Worlds on a high level.”

“The week was great,” reflected 2nd placed Eric Doyle. “It was epic Miami conditions, so much fun, great fleet, great sailing, great battles with everyone. It is the best sailing you can do anywhere I think. We changed boats this year and it took a little bit getting adjusted to that, especially downwind. We really wanted to win, and we made a few mistakes that cost us some points, but clearly Mateusz and Bruno are the gold standard right now.”

Prizes were presented to the top five boats, and also to winners in the age divisions:

Master (skippers aged 50 through 59) - Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise

Grand Master (skippers aged 60+) - Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen

Exalted Grand Master (skippers aged 70+) - Stefan Lehnert/Marc Pickel

In 6th overall, Jack Jennings (USA) and Pedro Trouche (BRA) were awarded The Tammy Rubin Rice Trophy, a well-deserved accolade for the pair’s standout performance, including two race wins.

The Star Class sailors will renew their on-water rivalry at the 100th anniversary of the Star Class World Championships in Marblehead, USA from September 8-17, 2022, which is undoubtedly going to draw a global line-up for this remarkable celebration.

Final Top 5 Results

1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL 8548) - 6 pts

2. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA 8423) - 12 pts

3. Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA 8567) - 14 pts

4. Peter O'Leary/Robert O'Leary (IRL 8465) - 21 pts

5. Eivind Melleby/Joshua Revkin (NOR 8543) - 21 pts 

J/70 Class

Six races over two days demands huge focus and determined teamwork, so no surprise to see five different winners across the thirty-nine boat J/70 fleet. Only the ultimate winner, Paul Ward (GBR) on ‘Eat Sleep J Repeat’, managed to win twice, and after discarding their 17th place in race 4 counted an all top-three scorecard.

Second overall to the USA’s Daniel Goldberg’s ‘Bazinga’ and 3rd to Great Britain’s Charles Thompson’s ‘Brutus III’, with a tiebreak for 3rd and 4th.

“We love this event, it is always great fun,” said Ward, who also won in 2020. “It is fantastic to win it again.

“We have a new team and it is really good to be out here and going well. We have some really good sailors on the boat and we just managed to get going really fast. Charlie was getting us going in the right direction and Matt and Elliot were keeping the boat going fast.”

On their strategy to success, Ward commented, “We all know what the things are you have to do well, it is just about executing. We got off the starts quite well, and then you have a bunch of options about what you need to do. We only made one mistake in terms of which way we went. Our upwind set-up felt really good, downwind speed felt good

“It is perfect, this is a really well-run event. Everyone looks after us really well and just makes sure we have a good time. We will definitely be back next year.”

Marcos Soares of Brazil and his crew on ‘Capincanela’’ won the Corinthian category, finishing 14th overall.

Final Top 5 Results

1. Paul Ward/Charlie Cumbley/Elliot Willis/Matt Howard (GBR 1127) - 10 pts

2. Daniel Goldberg/Lucas Calabrese/Tomas Hornos/Kristen Berry (USA 84) - 17 pts

3. Charles Thompson/Craig Burlton/Ben Saxton/Chris Grube (GBR 1123) - 21 pts

4. Ignacio Perez/Santiago Perez/Juan Ignacio Perez/Moritz Spitzauer (MEX 1323) - 32 pts

5. Robert Hughes/River Paquin/Stefano Ciampalini/Paul Goodison (USA 353) - 32 pts

Melges 24 Class

Three in a row for Bora Gulari (USA) and his crew on ‘Mavi’, who adds the 2022 title to his 2021 and 2020 victories, after winning on tiebreak over the Brian Porter’s (USA) ‘Full Throttle’. Another tiebreak for 3rd place gave the final podium spot to Drew Freides (USA) on ‘Pacific Yankee’.

“Our week was great, we had a little hiccup on the first day with the U flag, but the rest was very solid,” commented Gulari, in a nod to their penalty score in race 3. “There was great Miami weather, best regatta of the year. The winds are perfect, the atmosphere was great and it is a wonderful place to sail.

Acknowledging the talent around him, Gulari said, “The competition is stacked. I am trying to think how many people had Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in the fleet! There’s World Champions left and right, and Olympic medallists. I want to also thank my crew. I have literally the best crew out there and the whole reason we succeed is their hard work.”

On the renowned event hospitality, Gulari didn’t hold back, adding, “It’s wonderful to come in and have a nice Bacardi drink at the end of the day, while putting away the boat. Basically, this is what you live for when you get to go sail regattas. Best conditions, best time of the year to sail in Miami and Bacardi does such a great job organizing the event.”

The Corinthian prize went to Jan Frederik Dyvi and his team from Norway on ‘Team RRH’ who finished in 11th.

Final Top 5 Results

1. Bora Gulari/Kyle Navin/Norman Berge/Ian Liberty/Michael Menninger (USA 820) - 11 pts

2. Brian Porter/RJ Porter/Bri Porter/Matt Woodworth (USA 849) - 11 pts

3. Drew Freides/Charlie Smythe/Morgan Reeser/Federico Michetti/Lara Poljsak (USA 865) - 20 pts

4. Harry Melges IV/Finn Rowe/Ripley Shelley/Carlos Robles/Nick Muller (USA 866) - 20 pts

5. Travis Weisleder/John Bowden/Hayden Goodrick/Mark Mendleblatt (USA 858) - 27 pts

Viper 640 Class

After two attempts at glory, finishing 7th in 2020 and 10th in 2019, Peter Ill’s (USA) team on ‘Caterpillar’ secured victory in the Viper 640. Just 9 points separated first to fifth, with 2nd going to ‘Rolling Thunder’ helmed by Vir Menon (USA), and third to Canada’s ‘Wadjet’ team with Van Sheppard driving, who took the advantage in a three-way tiebreak.

Notable Viper 640 sailor Mary Ewenson was briefly leading the fleet after race 2 with two top 5 finishes, before slipping down to end the series on tiebreak and having to settle for 4th. A regular on the Viper circuit, past appearances in Miami would see Mary switching from helm to eating waves at the front of the boat, as she willingly handed the tiller to her husband Geoff. Professional sailor and Miami afficionado Geoff relished sailing in Biscayne Bay, but after he tragically passed away in October 2020, Mary has brought herself back to the fleet and is back driving.

“It is awesome to be back here in Miami. This is the first time I have ever driven in Miami,” Ewenson said. “The Viper fleet is so terrific and it was really great to be back with everybody. I think the best thing about the fleet this year was that one person broke their boat, so one person went to Sarasota and picked up another boat to lend them. Another person broke their rudder, so the guy with the extra boat loaned a rudder. The Viper fleet really comes together that way.”

Final Top 5 Results

1. Peter Ill/Stephen Sparkman/Maxwell Plarr (USA 277) - 11 pts

2. Vir Menon/Aditya Menon/Chris Pfrang (USA 188) - 18 pts

3. Van Sheppard/Quinton Gallon/Brad Sheppard (CAN 211) - 20 pts

4. Mary Ewenson/Mark Zagol/Jane Moore/Max Vinocur (USA 297) - 20 pts

5. Cam Farrah/Cliff Farrah/Eric Heilshorn (USA 246) - 20 pts

VX One Class

In the twenty-five boat VX One fleet, the winning boat claimed 50% of the race wins, leaving nobody in doubt as to their race track superiority. The USA’s Michelle Austin’ on ‘Tudo Bem’ won by 2 points over Kevin Northrop (USA), with Kaitlyn Liebel (USA) on ‘Another Bad Idea’, picking up third.

‘Tudo Bem’ adjusted their approach race by race, as Michelle explained, “We kept improving, trying different spots for how to hike and get our butts off the rail! And with all the other boats, picking up tips from everybody as we were going through. We were so excited to be back here in the warm, warm weather with fabulous breezes.”

Final Top 5 Results

1. Michelle Austin/Monica Morgan/Austin Powers (USA 296) - 11 pts

2. Kevin Northrop/Max Albert/Andrew Brennan (USA 306) - 13 pts

3. Kaitlyn Liebel/Mark Liebel/Jordan Wiggins (USA 313) - 16 pts

4. Jerry Callahan/Kelly Cole/Curtis Adam (USA 205) - 22 pts

5. Tim Pitts/Tim Desmond (ISV 286) - 22 pts

69F

Twelve fast and furious races in the foiling 69F saw plenty of boat-on-boat action. An insurmountable eight wins to the Clean Sailors Youth Racing Team saw them claim the first ever 69F title at the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta.

“Our goal is to win the Youth Foiling Gold Cup,” said Lukas Hesse. “Winning the 69 F at the Bacardi Cup is a huge milestone for us! We keep pushing on getting better and therefore we are looking for partners.”

Final Results

1. Clean Sailors Youth Racing Team - CJ Perez/Lukas Hesse/Jann Schüpbach - 20 pts

2. Miami Yacht Club Team - Brian Higgins/Nicolas Peirano Prat/Nicolas Aragones - 27 pts

3. Sail America - Pearl Lattanzi/JP Lattanzi/Gavin Ball - 27 pts

Special Awards

The Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta recognize outstanding achievement beyond podium glory, with two special awards.

The EFG Rising Star Award, which celebrates up and coming young sailing talent, was presented to eighteen-year-old Kaitlyn Liebel in recognition of her 3rd place finish in the hugely competitive VX One fleet.

The Quantum Sails Mover and Shaker Award honours those who embody the true spirit of the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta and go beyond to support participation. Aaron Smith received the award for arranging to have his Star delivered to Miami, enabling two young sailors to compete at their first Bacardi Cup, after their respective helms had to withdraw at the last minute.

Baltimore Sailing Club's Peter and Robert O'Leary are tied on points for second place but lie in third overall on the scoresheet at the Star Class Bacardi Cup in Miami.

The Star Class leader board ended the same as Monday’s opener, with defending Bacardi Cup Champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada again dominating the fifty-eight boat fleet for their second win in two races.

Race 2 of the 95th Bacardi Cup got underway on attempt number two, after a bunch of ambitious teams in the middle of the line forced the Race Committee to a general recall. A perfect day delivered as good as Star Class racing gets, with a consistent south-easterly breeze of around 12-15 knots, waves serving up full hiking upwind legs and super surfing conditions downwind for the 110 minutes, 9 nautical mile race.

Behind Kusznierewicz/Prada, it is a tiebreak between Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA), who won here in 2019, and brothers Peter O'Leary/Robert O'Leary (IRL) who sit on 5 points apiece, having matched each other’s scores across the two races. 2018 Bacardi Cup victors Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) are in fourth.

Star Class racing on day 2 of 95th Bacardi Cup day 2, Biscayne Bay, Miami

The Race Track Story

Kusznierewicz/Prada know the nuances of Biscayne Bay well, opting for the left side upwind, before making a faultless tactical decision to move to the right side and find the increasing pressure for the final part of the first upwind. The leaders were chased hard by Augie Diaz/Christian Nehammer (USA), Peter O'Leary/Robert O'Leary (IRL), Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) and Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche (USA), who had all made a break ahead of the fleet.

Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL)/Bruno Prada (BRA) win race 2, 95th Bacardi Cup

The teams who played the left side of the track got crushed and a significant number overstood the port tack layline, leading to a crazy and close mark rounding.

Downwind the easing breeze consolidated the fleet, picking up as teams rounded the gate to again favour the strong and experienced who flew back upwind. As before, a significant gap unfolded between the top seven boats and the rest of the fleet. Heading upwind, Kusznierewicz/Prada extended their lead, with Diaz/Nehammer, the O'Leary brothers and Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi battling (ITA) it out for second place.

On the final downwind the O’Learys made a key move, pressing Kusznierewicz/Prada every step of the way, as Peter explained, “Robert decided we would go round the other gate, at the bottom left looking down, and he was spot on. We gained a nice bit of space and were able to get close to the leader.”

Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) move into 2nd place on day 2, 95th Bacardi Cup

Onto the final upwind, the brothers got forced a bit past the layline, giving Doyle/Infelise the advantage to move into second by a couple of meters, the Irish in third and Italians fourth.

“It was proper racing,” continued Peter. “It is as close to an Olympic standard as you are going to get. There was very little between the boats.”

Doyle/Infelise were pleased with their score, having chipped their way through the fleet to get back on form and pop the result after an uninspiring start.

“It was beautiful tough sailing, it’s a super competitive fleet,” said Infelise. “The key was to sail by yourself, get going fast, hit the shifts when you can and just keep the boat moving as quickly as you could.”

“Everywhere you look you are turning around and looking at a World Champion or a silver Star, so super competitive. I think it is the most competitive we have had in a few years here. It is really nice to have all the Europeans and everyone back here.”

Another 4th place finish from Italy’s Negri/Lambertenghi positions them 3 points behind the Americans and Irish.

“More or less the performance was even worse than yesterday,” commented Lambertenghi as we caught up with him relaxing post-race in the pool.

“We were a little bit slower I think, because it was lighter than yesterday, and we were not so brilliant as we felt yesterday. But anyway, we had a good race, a couple of mistakes on manoeuvre on my side and a couple of small mistakes on the tactics. We had fun and we had the same result as yesterday and we are quite satisfied – not 100%, but good!”

Provisional Top 10 Results – after Race 2

1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8548) - 2 pts
2. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA 8423) - 5 pts
3. Peter O'Leary / Robert O'Leary (IRL 8465) - 5 pts
4. Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA 8567) - 8 pts
5. Eivind Melleby / Joshua Revkin (NOR 8543) - 13 pts
6. Paul Cayard / Frithjof Kleen (USA 1988) - 16 pts
7. Augie Diaz / Christian Nehammer (USA 8509) - 17 pts
8. Erik Lidecis / Greg Smith (USA 8459) - 22 pts
9. Jack Jennings / Pedro Trouche (USA 8464) - 22 pts
10. Peter Vessella / Phil Trinter (USA 8573) - 26 pts

The camaraderie continued into the evening, as teams headed to Coral Reef Yacht Club for the Bacardi Happy Hour.

With four races ahead to complete the six-race series, and one discard coming into play after race 5, there is plenty of race track brilliance to come and plenty of luminaries ready to make their move to lift the hefty silver Bacardi Cup and Tito Cup trophies come Saturday, March 12.

Race 3 is scheduled to start at 1200 hours on Wednesday, March 9, and registration gets underway tomorrow for the other classes – J/70, Melges 24, Viper 640, VX One and 69F – who join the racing from March 10-12 and includes Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary in the Viper Class.

Brothers Peter and Robert O'Leary sailing under the Baltimore Sailing Club burgee will race their Star keelboat 'Ninky Nonk' in the 95th Bacardi Cup in Florida next week.

Joining them at the Coconut Grove event is their father, Royal Cork ace Anthony and brother Nicholas racing in a Viper 640 with Ben Field.

Over 500 sailors, featuring Olympic and World Champions, from more than 20 nations are expected for the Invitational Regatta that runs from March 6th to 12th.

Miami Viper – The O'Leary crew of Robert, Anthony and Tom Durcan counted six top ten results in the eight race 2016 Bacardi Sailing Week series on Biscayne Bay

The O'Leary's are no stranger to Biscayne Bay waters with the Peter and Robert finishing seventh in 2020 with Anthony and Robert previously eighth in the 2016 edition in the Viper class.

The 2021 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta is all set to welcome over seventy-five teams to compete at one of sailing’s most prestigious events from 7-13 March 2021 in Miami, USA.

Every year the Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta attract a dazzling mix of professional rock star racers and super-talented Corinthian teams from around the globe. They are drawn to the stunning location, world class racing and fantastic hospitality, which guarantee an atmosphere perfectly epitomizing the spirit of sailing. For 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced a scaled-down regatta, with local restrictions on entry levels and fleet quotas limiting racing to the Star Class, J/70 and Melges 24. The Viper 640 and VX One fleets have kindly stepped back and will re-join the racing in 2022.

First held in 1927 in Cuba, the iconic Bacardi Cup is steeped in history and has grown year on year in partnership with BACARDÍ® rum, who has been the proud patron and organizer since the regatta’s inception. Ranking as one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed sailing regattas, the Bacardi Cup has been a constant over the past nine decades, serving up sailing in the revered Star Class that has put teams and spectators on the edge of their seats with awe-inspiring race track action. Despite the event’s relaxed atmosphere and nostalgia, staking your place on the Bacardi Cup leader board remains as competitive as ever and the challenge for victory is as tough as the first edition back in 1927.

Eddie Cutillas of Bacardi USA, commented, “Although it hasn’t been easy to pull off this year’s event, Bacardi is immensely proud to host the 94th Bacardi Cup and 2021 Bacardi Invitational Regatta and I applaud everyone for working so closely together to follow the Covid-19 protocols and deliver a safe event for all. We expect to return to our usual hospitality and entertainment next year, so save the date as 2022 is going to be one heck of a party!”

Current travel restrictions and limits on fleet size have kept many at home, so we have a new look entry line up featuring only a few international faces who have been able to travel to join the mainly USA based teams. The commitment of sailors in making the journey to Miami demonstrates the huge popularity of the regatta and the Organizing Committee is very grateful for everyone’s participation.

“After a difficult past 12 months we are thrilled to welcome teams back to the 2021 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta,” commented Sara Zanobini, Event Director. “The Organizing Committee thanks all the teams who have been able to enter this year and we appreciate your commitment to sail despite the challenges. The event has a new format for 2021 as we have adapted to Covid-19, introducing multiple protocols and safety measures in our aim to keep everyone safe, which means there will be none of the usual shore-side social events, although sailors still get to enjoy BACARDÍ® rum with daily cocktail kits to take home. We are very proud to be amongst the few major sailing events to take place this year and we are proof events can be held safely. We expect teams’ energy and focus will all be on the racing and we are super excited to see how the leader board shapes up.”

As always plenty have their eyes on the main prizes and returning to defend their 2020 titles are Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Bruno Prada (BRA) in the Star Class and Bora Gulari (USA) and his team in the Melges 24 Class.

Kusznierewicz/Prada made winning the 93rd Bacardi Cup look easy, seizing victory with a race to spare, after which Kusznierewicz declared it ‘his perfect regatta’. They were chased hard by Augie Diaz, who for this year’s mission to displace the defenders has partnered up with Pedro Truche, who finished 5th last year with Paul Cayard. Local hero Diaz is massively experienced in sniffing out the breeze and Biscayne Bay current, but has yet to see his name etched in history on the iconic Bacardi Cup.

Strong contenders Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise won the warm-up at the Star Mid-winters last month ahead of Diaz, and won the 92nd Bacardi Cup in 2019 over Kusznierewicz. But touché, as Kusznierewicz/ Prada won the 2019 Star Worlds, with Diaz in 2nd, whilst Diaz won gold at the 2016 Worlds. And so it goes on in the highly talented Star fleet. Honoring its history, the Bacardi Cup remains firmly loyal to the initial concept of an event for all, with the sport’s luminaries, Olympic medalists, World Champions and America’s Cup legends on the same starting line as talented enthusiasts and weekend warriors. There is everything to play for with numerous well-known faces amongst the thirty teams taking on one traditional long race per day in the high octane battle for supremacy at the 94th Bacardi Cup and earn the honor of drinking BACARDÍ® rum from the winners’ trophy.

In the J/70 fleet, multiple teams hold impressive pedigrees in this well-honed pack who know each other well. Reigning J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning on ‘Catapult’ has to be a front runner with back to back wins in 2019 and 2018, although he dropped to 4th last year. In 2020 and 2019, Ryan McKillen and his team on ‘Surge’ had to settle for second place and will want the top step! Their target is firmly in sight, with a win at the recent Bacardi Winter Series 2, with new crew on board in the form of Olympian Lucas Calabrese, who may be the component to secure an upgrade. Always sitting high up the leader board is Brian Keane, although he posted an errant 22nd last year, but previously placed 7th and 3rd and well as securing top five finishes at the J/70 Worlds. Pamela Rose and her team on Rosebud have been steadily advancing up the leader board, rounding out Bacardi Winter Series 2 in 3rd place, and clearly have the skill to stake their claim on the podium.

Amongst the favorites aiming to displace Gulari in the Melges 24 Class are both the 2nd and 3rd placed teams from 2020, with ‘Raza Mixta’ driven by Peter Duncan and ‘Shaka’ helmed by KC Shannon. Gulari launches his defence fresh from a win at the Bacardi Winter Series 2, where another strong contender Laura Grondin and her team on Dark Energy were one point back in second place, with Duncan in third. Grondin is one of four women skippers in the fleet, from a provisional entry list of twenty-four boats, each of whom will pounce on every opportunity to be out front. Bruce Ayres and his team on ‘Monsoon’ have featured on the podium at the past three Melges 24 Worlds, and will be right up in the hunt too.

“Whilst the event this year will be a bit different, the stunning Biscayne Bay is sure to deliver its usual brilliance and close racing,” added Regatta Chairman Mark Pincus. “I know everyone is ready for some exciting sailing and are hotly anticipating their return to the race track. We are really pleased to welcome teams to our annual celebration of sailing and friendship.

During the Bacardi Cup there will be a special tribute to honor the life and legacy of James ‘Ding’ Schoonmaker who passed away on 19 January 2021. We owe it to the special friendship between Ding, Tito Argamasilla Bacardi and Frank Zagarino who in 1962 brought the Bacardi Cup to Miami from Cuba, thus saving our unique and special regatta.

The Star Class challenge for the 94th Bacardi Cup kicks off on Monday 8 March, with a 6-race series of one traditional endurance race per day through until Saturday 13 March. Racing for the J/70 and Melges 24 gets underway from 11-13 March with 3 races scheduled per day for a total of 9 races. Race activities are managed by Coral Reef Yacht Club, in collaboration with Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, US Sailing Center and Shake-a-Leg Miami.

In spite of a scoresheet that features two race wins and four results from six in the top ten, such is the competition at the Star Class Bacardi Cup that sole Irish entry Peter and Robert O'Leary missed the podium and finished sixth overall.

In further top results for visiting Royal Cork crews, the brother's father Anthony sailing with third brother Nicholas O'Leary, who were competing in the Viper 640 class, took third overall sailing with Ben Field (see below). North Sails Ireland's Nigel Young was one place outside the Melges 24 top ten in 11th overall.

Nicholas O'Leary (centre) collecting the Winter Cup in Miami for Antix (IRL 296), the Viper 640 warm-up to the Bacardi Invitational Regatta Photo: Martina Orsini

Tough, rough and exhilarating conditions showed up in Biscayne Bay on the last day at the invitational regatta for the thrill of the 524 sailors gathered in Miami for this world-renowned event. An average 15 knots breeze, with gusts of over 20 knots, tested teams and served up a spectacular final day of racing for sailors and the spectator flotilla following the racing.

The 2020 Bacardi Cup Champions secured their title with a race to spare yesterday, but Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Bruno Prada (BRA) still delivered an impressive final race. The pair led the fleet for the first half of the race, before they confused the upwind mark of another racecourse with the Stars’ bottom gate, giving the opportunity for Diego Negri (ITA)/Frithjof Kleen (GER) to overhaul them and extend to win the race by 150 metres. With it Negri/Kleen managed to climb to fourth overall.

“We were forcing on them on the last downwind,” commented Diego Negri, who was happy to conclude the Bacardi Cup with a race win. “We both had a bit of a misunderstanding about the marks, we have had a couple of changes of course during the race, but we luckily realised we were going in the wrong direction before they did and managed to gain over them and round the mark in front. They were fast on the last upwind for another very tight finish. I am happy we won the race, it always feels great, but it’s even better at the Bacardi Cup!”

With Negri/Kleen taking out the final race win, the fight for second and third on the podium unfolded between Paul Cayard (USA)/Pedro Trouche (BRA) who tamed the strong wind and the waves and finished race 6 in 3rd, Augie Diaz (USA)/Henry Boening (BRA) in 4th and Eivind Melleby (NOR)/Joshua Revkin (USA) who started the day in second place dropping to third overall after a 9th place finish. Claiming the glory of second place, by tiebreak advantage over Melleby/Revkin, were Diaz/Boening.

The Race Committees had predicted a full programme on the final day, and with the wind increasing as the afternoon progressed they delivered another day of outstanding racing for all eight classes.

Two races for the J70 fleet, where Eat Sleep J Repeat (Paul Ward/Ruairidh Scott/Ben Saxton/Mario Trindade) maintained their leading position with one win and a 7th, Surge (Ryan McKillen/John Wallace/Sam Loughborough/Mark Mendelblatt) ended their regatta in second overall and Midlife Crisis in third (Bruce Golison/Steve Hunt/Jeff Reynolds/Erik Shampain) after delivering the best race performance of the day, back to back 2nd place finishes. The other race win went to the team on Catapult (Joel Ronning/Patrick Wilson/Christopher Stoke/Paul Brotherton) who claimed fourth overall.

“It is great fun for us to come race up here,” commented Paul Ward, helm of Eat Sleep J Repeat who are the reigning J70 World Champions. “And winning is the icing on the cake or it’s the 10 year old Bacardi Rum on top of everything else! The hardest thing for us was to keep the boat going faster upwind with this kind of chop and the big gusts coming from the north. We don’t sail them much back home and we are not good with them. It was also tough to play catch up with our American friends.”

Two races for the Melges 24 and two stunning wins for USA 820 (Bora Gulari/Taylor Canfield/Kyle Navin/Norman Berg/Ian Liberty) to win overall by a 13 point margin. Second to Raza Mixta (Peter Duncan/Victor Diaz de Leon/Mattero Ramian/Carlos Robles/Willem Van Waay) and Shaka (KC Shannon/Jackson Benvenutti/Ben Lynchi/Tom Sawchuk/Elizabeth Whitener) remained in third overall despite being black flagged in the last race.

“It was a glamor day out there today,” said Taylor Canfield helm of the winning crew. “Biscayne Bay is great in this condition and we had two wins to close the event. I am sailing with a great team, they are really sharp and make my work a lot easier. This was a great tune up for the 2020 Worlds that will take place in Charleston in May. We have learned a lot. It’s my first event in the class after some time and I loved it.”

In the Viper 640, no change to first and second overall with the overnight leaders on USA293 (Will Graves/ Ryan Cox/Greg Dair) claiming a 1,4 to win by 11 points over last year’s champions on Evil Hiss (Geoff Ewenson/Mary Ewenson/Tyler Bjorn), while Antix (Anthony O’Leary/Ben Field/Nicholas O’Leary) climbed up the leader board to finish in third overall.

The team on Caterpillar (Peter Ill/Alec Chicoine/Austin Powers) took out the final race of the day to wrap up in 7th overall.

No change in the top three in the VX One, as Sendit (Bill Wiggins/Jeff Eiber/Darby Cappellin) maintained their form, to win by 2 points over Flying Jenny (Sandra Askew/Kyle Kandt/Jason Curvie) and just 1 point behind in third was VX1 (Ched Proctor/David Guggenheim/Monica Morgan). Today’s only race was won by LM Realty (Tim Pitts/Rachel Daye/Ethan Hanley), who lost out on a podium place on tiebreak and had to settle for fourth overall.

In the new Olympic windsurf class, it was a challenging day out on the track as the foilers tackled the gusty wind and chop. Gabriel Browne (BRA) again demonstrated his speed in the Open Windfoil to take out another win, ending his debut here in Miami with 7 race wins and two 2nd places to easily secure victory. Justin Ahearn (USA) finished in second overall and Alexander Temko (USA) in third.

An eight-race series for the Cabrinha AV8, the flying kiteboards, saw Damien LeRoy win both of today’s concluding races and the overall series. It was an all-American podium, with Brendan Healy in second and third to Kent Marcovich.

Cork Harbour sailors will be part of a record-breaking Bacardi Cup Regatta in Miami next week when more than 500 sailors from around the world will race in Biscayne Bay Florida at the 93rd edition of the Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta from March 1-7, 2020. 

Ireland's Commodore's Cup-winning captain Anthony O'Leary will race a Viper 640 (named Antix) while sons Peter and Robert are back in their Star boat Archie for the week of competition.

From Myrtleville, North Sails Ireland boss Nigel Young is also Miami bound. Racing under the burgee of Guernsey Yacht Club, Young is racing the Melges 24 Black Seal with Richard Thompson, Mike Claxton, Catherine Alton and William Goldsmith.

See the entry list here.

The O'Leary family are, of course, Bacardi Cup regulars with the brothers coming very close to lifting the prestigious Cup on a race track where they have enjoyed notable previous success.

Offering a unique blend of world-class racing, atmosphere and social events, the Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta is undoubtedly one of the world’s most prestigious regattas that, in 2020, will welcome a record-breaking 196 entries, attracting an international entry list of professional rock star racers and super-talented Corinthian teams.

The goal is to build on the long tradition of the Star Class and maintain and champion performance in other popular classes, whilst retaining the mix of outstanding racing on Biscayne Bay and superb shore side atmosphere and socials for which the event is renowned.

Across the fleets, sailors from around the USA will be joined by teams representing nineteen countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand. Four courses will operate simultaneously and this year, the iconic Star Class will be joined by the J/70, Melges 24, Viper 640, and brand new for the race track this year are the VXOne sports boat and AV8 and Windfoil classes.

Racing for the Star Class gets underway in Biscayne Bay on Monday 2 March, with the J/70, Melges 24, Viper 640, VXOne and windfoils taking to the track on Thursday 5 March. The Star fleet will contest their traditional one race per day in a true test of endurance relished by the sailors, whilst all other fleets will sail eight races across three days. 

“We have an outstanding race management team who join us for the event and ensure scrupulous attention to detail,” commented Mark Pincus, Regatta Chairman. “We are super pleased to continue our path of innovation by embracing the latest technology and new for this year will be the MarkSetBot robotic mark laying system. These self-propelled marks are controlled by a smartphone and will help us deliver fast mark laying whatever the weather throws at us. The race tracks are complex and unpredictable, ensuring lots of opportunities for teams to really test themselves and guarantee some intense action.”

The largest entry goes to the Star Class where World Champions, Olympians and America’s Cup legends will crowd out the fleet in the pressure battle for the elusive Bacardi Cup title. The Star Class competed at eighteen Olympic Games over eighty years and holds a pedigree for producing legends of the sport and plenty of them will be in Miami. Numerous mainsails will feature the golden Star logo, awarded only to Star Class World Champions, including the renowned Paul Cayard (USA), who has been sailing the Star for over 40 years alongside his successful career in the America’s Cup and big yacht racing. Gold stars on the track will also be carried by two-time World Champion Xavier Rohart (FRA), and 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist and reigning World Champion Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL), who will be racing with his record five-time Star World Champion crew Bruno Prada (BRA). Kusznierewicz is also a Gold and Bronze Olympic medalist in the Finn class, and Prada is an Olympic Silver and Bronze medalist in the Star. The 2016 Star World Champion and runner up at the 2019 Worlds Augie Diaz (USA) will be racing, as will Diego Negri (ITA) who won the 2018 Bacardi Cup and this year is crewed by the renowned Frithjof Kleen (GER). Looking to trump them all however and keep a tight hold of their title will be the 2019 Bacardi Cup winners, Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise (USA), who will once again hope to enjoy the sweet taste of victory and retain the honour of drinking Bacardi rum from the winner’s trophy come Sunday 7 March.

The J/70 fleet has a compelling line-up of forty teams with the potential to seize the crown, as demonstrated at the two winter warm-up events where different faces claimed the top three standings. Those likely to feature up front include the USA teams headed up by Joel Ronning, Ryan McKillen, John Heaton, Trey Sheehan and Pamela Rose. But equally, some of the newer teams such as Great Britain’s JOLT, which includes plenty of Olympic talent, could pack a punch and change the leaderboard guard. Of course, the reigning J/70 World Champion, Paul Ward (GBR), will no doubt also set the race track rivalry stakes.

Plenty of twists and turns will unfold in the fully-primed Melges 24 fleet, where both the reigning silver and bronze World Championship medalists, Bruce Ayres (USA) and Andrea Pozzi (ITA), will be on the starting line. Amongst those also up for the challenge in the twenty-eight boat fleet will be the best two overall finishers from the two warm-up events here in Miami over the winter, Bora Gulari (USA) and Travis Weisleder (USA), who will resume their neck and neck performance.

Last year’s champion in the Viper 640, Mary Ewenson, returns to defend her title but will have to go through some tough opposition to be on top of the twenty-two other teams on the track. Plenty of talent will join the action across the VXOne, AV8 and Windfoil classes and new heroes will be born.