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
