Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta 2025 - Day 4
by Luissa Smith 6 Mar 19:22 PST
March 3-8, 2025
Star: Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen secure the race 4 win at the 98th Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta 2025 © Marina Semenova
Over six hundred sailors in more than 200 boats and representing 24 countries took to the water across four race courses off Miami today. The Melges 24, J/70, Snipe, Viper 640 and VX One classes joined the Star fleet for the Bacardi Invitational Regatta, in a spectacular showcase of international sailing talent.
On the water it was a fantastic sight with boats filling Biscayne Bay. Shoreside you couldn't walk down the dock without rubbing shoulders with Olympians, World Champions, America's Cup sailors and some of the sport's greatest names from around the world. Biscayne Bay served up wind, sun and perfect planning conditions. It was a day of dial shifting, as teams changed tempo to adapt to the variable pressure.
Nailing a win in race 4 of the Bacardi Cup, Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen edge closer to series leaders and defending champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada. Some phenomenal performances in the other classes saw plenty of contenders go full stretch to establish themselves on the leaderboard. Notable was a hat trick from Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann in the Snipe.
After racing, it was time to soak up the atmosphere shoreside accompanied by Bacardi's renowned hospitality. The event dances to a serious and fun tune, blending world-class racing, lively parties and a unique lifestyle experience, in celebration of the spirit of sailing.
Racing continues on Friday, March 7, with the first starts scheduled for 1200 hrs.
98th Bacardi Cup
The leaderboard tightened as Cayard/Kleen claimed victory in Race 4, narrowing the gap to just 2 points behind series leaders Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada.
As the battle for supremacy intensifies, Cayard/Kleen have positioned themselves as the favourites to overhaul Kusznierewicz/Prada. The defending champions have an insatiable desire to win, but it is never an easy ride to win the Bacardi Cup.
Cayard/Kleen were delighted to get a win, adding to an already impressive scorecard of 4,3,4,1. They astutely interpreted the super tricky 10-12 knot breeze and big shifts. Cayard described the day's racing as a test of skill and adaptability, with "north-west winds, which are common and very, very shifty." Reflecting on their strategy, he admitted, "We started a little too far to the right, so we had to work the right side on the first beat and take our opportunities to get back with the boats on the left, which were the leaders."
Despite the early challenge, Cayard/Kleen stayed focused. "We just sailed the shifts pretty much the whole race,"Cayard added, "and we were fortunate enough to work our way back up to the front. We were pretty happy with the day."
A special father/son moment unfolded as Paul found himself in a battle to the finish with his son Danny, racing with Will Stout. The race culminated in a nail-biter, with Cayard/Kleen beating Stout/Cayard by about a foot.
For Danny, the Bacardi Cup has been a special experience, not just for the racing but for the chance to compete alongside his father. "I don't know what else you could ask for here at the Bacardi with the wind and the shifts and the close competition," he said. "For me to be able to race against my dad so close, it's just been amazing. Looking forward to two more."
Third to Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, with Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche finishing in fourth.
Provisional Results after Day 4: (top three, 5 races)
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL 8587) - 10 pts
2. Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen (USA 8550) - 12 pts
3. Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche (USA 8464) - 23 pts
J/70
Staying consistent in a fifty-boat fleet of J/70 teams is a challenge. Today Cate Muller-Terhune's team on 'Casting Couch' made themselves heard on the race course, ending the day in first overall in a positive start on their quest for victory.
'Casting Couch' held the early lead upwind in the opening race, before falling back to finish in second, with Brazil's 'OceanPact' helmed by Haroldo Solberg muscling their way through to finish ahead. Third to Kevin Downey's 'Mr Pitiful'.An incredibly tight finish in race 2, saw 'OceanPact' again take the win, over Peter Vessella on 'Pulse', followed by Peter Duncan on 'Relative Obscurity'.
Onto race 3 and the boats heading left upwind made massive gains, with Muller-Terhune setting the pace to take the win. 'OceanPact' couldn't repeat their earlier form, finishing 27th to end the opening day in fourth overall.
Provisional Results after Day 1: (top three, 3 races)
1. Cate Muller-Terhune/Steve Hunt/Allan Terhune Jr/Will Ryan (USA 34) - 16 pts
2. Ralph Rosa/Felipe Rondina/Julio Falcão/Guilherme Hammelman (BRA 1226) - 22 pts
3. Per Roman/Francisco Palacio/Gustavo Martinez Doreste/Gonzalo Morales/Liv Roman (SWE 1121) - 27 pts
Melges 24
Peter-David Karrié's team on 'Nefeli' emerged as the day's standout performers, securing finishes of 5,1,1. 'Nefeli' finished second here last year, so the only way is up!
It is always tight racing in the Melges 24, particularly in the mixed bag of conditions teams faced today, so staying focused and consistent is the only way to win the series. Richard Reid's team on 'Zingara' and Vladimir Prosikhin's 'Nika 860' did just that, managing the fleet skilfully to achieve solid scores.
Provisional Results after Day 1: (top three, 3 races)
1. Peter-David Karrié/Niccolo Bianchi/Alessandro Franci/Saverio Cigliano/Alessandro Saettone (GER 859) - 7 pts
2. Richard Reid/Brian Kamilar/Ian Sloan/Mark Spearman/Serena Vilage (CAN 853) - 11 pts
3. Vladimir Prosikhin/Nic Asher/Mikaela Wulff/Giorgio Tortarolo/Michele Gregoratto (ITA 854) - 12 pts
Snipe
The Snipe Class makes a return to the Bacardi line-up for a second year, with four races unfolding against the backdrop of the Miami skyline.
The USA's Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuerman set an extraordinary pace in the nineteen-boat fleet to pick up three race wins and a third. They won the silver medal at the 2024 Snipe Worlds, so no surprise they have early on positioned themselves as the ones to beat. It was an incredible start for their campaign, but the conditions were far from easy.
Reflecting on the races, they described the day as very difficult and pretty shifty, up to 30 degrees at times, with big puffs. "We had talent from all over the country come to join us," said Scheuerman, "and we feel very grateful that things went well for us."
Their strategy was clear, as Rodriguez explained, "Our strategy was to stay in phase on the lifted tack and hike hard. Of course, paired with good boat speed, this strategy helped us to make the right calls."
Enrique Quintero/Charlie Bess scored a 5,3,3,2 to sit in second. Biscayne Bay is Quintero's backyard, so he knows the nuances of the course areas like the back of his hand.
Provisional Results after Day 1: (top three, 4 races)
1. Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann (USA 31337) - 6 pts
2. Enrique Quintero/Charlie Bess (USA 31640) - 13 pts
3. Luciano Pesci/Flora Galimberti (ARG 31753) - 15 pts
Viper 640
The Viper 640 fleet is celebrating their sixteenth-year racing in Miami, with a matching sixteen teams competing.
Vir Menon/Adutya/Menon/Christopher Pfrang got on the scoresheet early with scores of 1,2,1, giving themselves a margin of safety ahead of the next 6 races.
Provisional Results after Day 1: (top three, 3 races)
1. Vir Menon/Adutya Menon/Christopher Pfrang (IND 188) - 4 pts
2. Mark Wheeler/Rob Gorman/Charlie Brewer (USA 230) - 13 pts
3. Steve Chapman/Tom Miller/Christophe Ledent (CAN 328) - 15 pts
VX One
Two-time Bacardi champions (2023, 2024) Christopher Alexander/Grace Howie/Ricky Welch have returned for a third shot at the title. Their defence opened with 2,2 before their 15th place in the final race pushed them to fourth overall.
Reflecting on the expectation on their shoulders, Howie noted, "This is a lot of pressure for us, but we are excited. This is the most looked forward to regatta of the year. We are sailing in beautiful Miami in March and Bacardi knows how to throw a good party!"
Headlining the thirty-seven-boat fleet are Doug Clark/Zach Champney, with scores of 5,1,4
Provisional Results after Day 1: (top three, 3 races)
1. Doug Clark/Zach Champney (USA 362) - 10 pts
2. Michael Kiss/Mitchell Kiss (USA 379) - 14 pts
3. Kaitlyn Liebel/Mark Liebel/Jordan Wiggins (USA 313) - 16 pts
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters play a vital role in making this week unforgettable: North Sails, Nautical Ventures, Mr.C Miami, Sail 22, Team One Newport, Hatuey, Gill, Think Inflatables, Tuuci, and Harken Derm are all integral to enhancing the event experience.
The 98th Bacardi Cup and BCIR are organized in collaboration with our club partners: Coral Reef Yacht Club, Shake-A-Leg Miami, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, the US Sailing Center, and Dinner Key Marina.
Full results available here.