Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta 2025 - Overall
by Luissa Smith 9 Mar 05:34 GMT
March 3-8, 2025
Star: Bacardi Cup legends Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada sail to a sixth straight victory - 2025 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta © Marina Semenova
On a day where every gust mattered and every tack counted, Biscayne Bay transformed the light-air finale into a masterclass of precision and teamwork. With the 6-10 knot breeze whispering across the water, the fleet faced postponements and shifting conditions, turning the racecourse into a stage for tactical brilliance.
The 98th Bacardi Cup fleet was a who's-who of sailing greatness, featuring six former Bacardi Cup winners, eleven Star World Champions and a host of Star Class legends. Consistency across six races was a monumental task, but Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada rose to the occasion once again, defending their title and securing an incredible sixth consecutive victory with a race to spare.
In the Snipe, Viper 640 and VX One, the overnight leaders emerged triumphant, with Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann, Vir Menon/Adutya Menon/Christopher Pfrang and Chris Alexander/Madeline Baldridge/Grace Howie claiming their class titles. A turning of the tables in the J/70, as Peter Duncan's 'Relative Obscurity' obliterated the fleet, while Peter-David Karrié's nailed the Melges 24 win on a tiebreak.
The 98th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta made history, with a record-breaking entry uniting over 600 sailors across 200 teams to compete for some of sailing's most coveted titles. The event concluded in style with a spectacular prize-giving at Shake a Leg Miami, followed by the legendary Bacardi after-party.
The sense of being part of something special is palpable, as this jewel in the sailing calendar draws teams back year after year with its unique blend of world-class racing and unforgettable camaraderie. Save the date and come sail with us from March 1-7, 2026.
98th Bacardi Cup
The desire to win amongst the world's best makes the Bacardi Cup an annual pilgrimage. This year, 65 Star teams made the journey to Miami, where since 1962 the Coral Reef Yacht Club has proudly hosted the event.
Winning the Bacardi Cup is an ultimate ambition for Star sailors - a rare achievement that is open to all but attained by only a few. The Bacardi Cup exudes an air of relaxed camaraderie, yet out on the race track lies a battlefield where only the extraordinary prevail. Victory is never promised, and the leaderboard stands as a testament to unmatched skill and perseverance.
Yet, once again, Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada defended their title, securing an incredible sixth consecutive win. By the end of Friday's race 5, the duo had already clinched victory, as a remarkable comeback through the fleet to finish in second place left them with an unassailable scorecard. With a 5th-place discard, their total score would only rise to 12 points whatever their result from today's final race, making it mathematically impossible for Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen to catch them. Out of respect for the event and their fellow sailors, Kusznierewicz/Prada sailed the final race, finishing 19thwhile staying clear of the front-runners.
With the title out of reach, Cayard/Kleen shifted focus to defending their second place. The podium battle would be intense, with just 6 points separating the teams in second through fourth. The race 6 showdown was set between Cayard/Kleen, Will Stout/Danny Cayard, Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, and Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche.
In a riveting race, Cayard/Kleen fell out of contention early, slipping through the pack. At the finish, Doyle/Infelise and Jennings/Trouche were neck and neck, vying for second overall. Jennings/Trouche needed at least one boat between themselves and Doyle/Infelise to move up but couldn't manage it, settling for third overall as they crossed the finish line in 3rd just ahead of their rivals in fourth. Doyle/Infelise claimed second overall, while Stout/Cayard ended the regatta in fourth, with Cayard/Kleen rounding out the top five.
Following tradition, Eddie Cutillas of Bacardi was at the finish line to congratulate Kusznierewicz/Prada. Later at the prize-giving, amidst huge applause, the champions celebrated their remarkable achievement by sipping Bacardi rum from the iconic Bacardi Cup Trophy and Tito Bacardi Cup.
Kusznierewicz/Prada have forged a genius and formidable team to remain as custodians of the Bacardi Cup Trophy and Tito Bacardi Cup for six successive years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. They first made history in 2023, as the only same-crew team to win five consecutive times and have now reset the history books again. They will however need to add another three titles to their trophy cabinet to match the eight titles achieved by James 'Ding' Schoonmaker.
A bit overwhelmed after their win, Kusznierewicz said, "I'm still trying to get this win into myself. I still can't believe we made it. It's every time a different regatta, every time we have like a fresh approach, but now it comes to me that we did something unbelievable. Six years in a row to sail so well, especially that the fleet is so strong and every year is a little bit different game. It's amazing, I still don't feel it."
"It's an outstanding thing," added Prada. "Not to win six Bacardi's, but six in a row. It is not normal in the Star Class that this happens. Since I started sailing Star, I never saw this before. We have a program to develop equipment and sailing and everything with Augie, and I think this make a big difference."
They make winning the Bacardi Cup look effortless, but Kusznierewicz assures it is anything but, saying, "Trust me it's not easy. We left everything on the racecourse. It's amazing how tired we are. It's full concentration, it's feeling the wind, analysing everything. Before the race we spent hours on discussion and analysing the weather forecast, the settings, our notes, what other people were doing. It is hours, days, weeks or months of preparation. This is the sport on the highest performance level, and this is how we approach this. We just spoke after finishing that it was one of the toughest Bacardi Cups for us physically."
Kusznierewicz also shared some words of wisdom from his idol John Bertrand, which still inspire him, noting, "His way of approaching life and the key to longevity is 'someone to love, something interesting to do and something to look forward to', and I think together with Bruno, we've got it also in our lives."
The U30 Bacardi Cup continues to nurture the next generation of talent, with ten U30 teams competing this year. Top U30 finishers Nick Heuwinkel/Jesper Spehr (23rd overall), along with champions Kusznierewicz/Prada, will receive Bacardi's support to compete at the Star Class Worlds in Croatia, from September 5-13, 2025.
Star Class Overall Results: (top three)
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL 8602) - 12pts
2. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA 8580) - 20 pts
3. Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche (USA 8464) - 21 pts
Prizes were also presented to the category winners:
U30 (skipper under 30) - Nick Heuwinkel/Jesper Spehr
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+) - Augie Diaz/Tudor Bilic
Tammy Rubin-Rice Trophy - Hubert Merkelbach/Christian Nehammer
J/70
The final day of racing for the 50-boat J/70 fleet delivered drama and surprises, as the series leaders were unseated in a three-race showdown. In a talent-packed fleet, recovering from a mid-fleet position proved nearly impossible.
Overnight leaders 'Casting Couch' faced a tough start, battling weeds and a massive downwind shift in Race 5, which saw them tumble to a 32nd-place finish. Haroldo Solberg's 'OceanPact' seized the win, taking the overall lead, while Peter Duncan's 'Relative Obscurity' climbed to second with a 2nd-place finish.
Race 6 brought more twists, with 'Casting Couch' and 'OceanPact' struggling deep in the fleet. Duncan's 'Relative Obscurity' secured another 2nd-place, putting them in pole position heading into the final race.
Onto race 7 and the regatta was Duncan's to lose. He sailed conservatively, staying in the top 10 before pushing to yet another 2nd-place finish, clinching the series by a commanding 17-point margin. 'Casting Couch' redeemed themselves with a 4th-place finish, securing third overall behind 'OceanPact' on tiebreak.
A great result for Duncan, who has reunited his 2017 J/70 World Championship-winning team, in preparation for their publicly declared mission to win the 2025 J/70 Worlds.
"It was a really tough fleet, and we had some tough spots," commented Willem VanWay on their win. "We battled and we were fighting a little as a team, but we got it all figured out and today was much better. We had great starts. We figured out a few things with our upwind speed and communication. We got to the weather in the top eight each race, managed to get a 2,2,2 and be consistent - that's all it is out here. So, we're stoked, amazing, nice to put it all together."
'Relative Obscurity' also claimed the Bacardi Winter Series title, while division honors went to Joel Ronning's 'Catapult' (Mixed+), Vernon Robert's 'Morenita' (Corinthian), and Susan Wayne's 'Seabiscuit' (One Pro).
J/70 Overall Results: (top three)
1. Peter Duncan/Victor Diaz de Leon/Judson Smith/Willem VanWay (USA 1311) - 25 pts
2. Haroldo Solberg/Carlos Robles/Gabriel Silva/Mario Tinoco (BRA 849) - 42 pts
3. Cate Muller-Terhune/Steve Hunt/Allan Terhune Jr/Will Ryan (USA 34) - 42 pts
Melges 24
Geoff Fargo's team on 'Sentinel' won race 4 and edge up to fourth overall. However, it is Peter-David Karrié's 'Nefeli' who continue to lead the pack, holding firm despite a fifth-place finish today.
Points are super close, but there can be no doubt 'Nefeli' is the standout favourite to win the event and secure the Bacardi Winter Series title. Karrié, who celebrated his first Bacardi event win at BWS2 in January, his first since debuting at Bacardi events in 2019, is now on the brink of another milestone.
Reflecting on the long day, Karrié praised the race management team. "The PRO did a really great job, really tried to get this one race in and it was perfectly managed. It was tricky for us with this light wind and shifty, but it was a fair race, and we managed a fifth."
Behind 'Nefeli', Vladimir Prosikhin's 'Nika 860' made a strong move up the leaderboard, leapfrogging Richard Reid's 'Zingara' after a second-place finish compared to 6th for Reid. A third-place finish for Harry Melges IV's team on 'Zenda Express' promotes them to fifth overall.
"Vladimir is doing really well," complimented Karrié. "He is a nice guy, I just met him here. It is good that we have new teams in the class, and such strong team like the 'Nika' team is always a pleasure."
Melges 24 Provisional Results: (top three, 4 races)
1. Peter-David Karrié/Niccolo Bianchi/Alessandro Franci/Saverio Cigliano/Alessandro Saettone (GER 859) - 12 pts
2. Vladimir Prosikhin/Nic Asher/Mikaela Wulff/Giorgio Tortarolo/Michele Gregoratto (ITA 854) - 14 pts
3. Richard Reid/Brian Kamilar/Ian Sloan/Mark Spearman/Serena Vilage (CAN 853) - 17 pts
Snipe
Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann entered the final day with a 7-point lead, which they increased to 14 points after wrapping up race 7. By Race 8, they were assured of the title, turning it into a victory parade and finishing 4th, which became their discard. Over the 8-race series, Rodriguez/Scheuermann won five races, an impressive feat in a super-talented fleet.
"It was light, shifty and pretty challenging for everyone, including myself," said Rodriguez. "I am super happy. Here in Miami being part of the Bacardi Cup, it was amazing."
On their approach to the event, he added, "I just try to sail well and if it happens it happens. I like the process of getting ready for the regatta, so that's what I enjoy the most. The result, whether it comes or not, is sometimes out of your hands."
Second overall to local sailor Enrique Quintero, racing with Charlie Bess, who claimed their second win of the series in the final race. The battle for third place was intense, with four boats capable of stepping onto the podium. Ultimately JC Hermus/Carter Cameron managed to deliver one of their best races of the series to edge ahead by 1 point over Argentina's Luciano Pesci/Flora Galimberti.
Snipe Overall Results: (top three)
1. Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann (USA 31337) - 11 pts
2. Enrique Quintero/Charlie Bess (USA 31640) - 17 pts
3. JC Hermus/Carter Cameron (USA 30017) - 27 pts
Viper 640
Three races for the 16-boat Viper 640 fleet, and series leaders on 'Rolling Thunder', Vir Menon/Adutya Menon/Christopher Pfrang, kept on rolling to win with today's 3,6,2 scorecard.
Mark Wheeler/Rob Gorman/Charlie Brewer on Vapor Trail ended the day where they started, in second overall. Two wins for Mike Deyett/Curtis Woodsworth/Michael Hull surged them into contention. A 5th-place finish in the final race secured them the 3rd spot on the podium.
Viper 640 Provisional Results: (top three)
1. Vir Menon/Adutya Menon/Christopher Pfrang (IND 188) - 18 pts
2. Mark Wheeler/Rob Gorman/Charlie Brewer (USA 230) - 24 pts
3. Mike Deyett/Curtis Woodsworth/Michael Hull (USA 305) - 26 pts
VX One
Two-time defending champions Chris Alexander/Madeline Baldridge/Grace Howie on 'Counterproductive' did it again, securing their third consecutive victory. With their dominance in the VX One fleet cemented, it was all about what happened behind.
Doug Clark/Zach Champney secured their 2nd-place position with scores of 2,1. A tie-break finish to determine the third spot on the podium, was seized by Canada's Josh Yale/Geoffrey Moore who moved into play after winning the opening race of the day. They followed up with a 4th place finish to topple Marc Farmer/Tej Trevor Parekh down to fourth.
VX One Overall Results: (top three)
1. Chris Alexander/Madeline Baldridge/Grace Howie (USA 276) - 23 pts
2. Doug Clark/Zach Champney (USA 362) - 23 pts
3. Josh Yale/Geoffrey Moore (CAN 262) - 29 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.