News

07

March 2023

SSL sailors battle it out as the Bacardi Cup gets underway

The Bacardi Cup has always been one of the marquee events of the Star class, and this year is no exception, with 73 teams battling it out on Biscayne Bay with the Miami skyline as the backdrop to the racing. Remarkably this is the 96th running of the event.

96th Bacardi Cup racing set against Miami city skyline (c) Martina Orsini
96th Bacardi Cup racing set against Miami city skyline (c) Martina Orsini

We’ve had one race so far, and a host of SSL Team Sailors and Captains near the top of the leaderboard.

While Denmark's Jørgen Schönherr and Markus Koy took the win on day one, hot on their heels were SSL Team Norway Captain Eivind Melleby, sailing with Mark Strube. In third was SSL Team USA’s Eric Doyle, sailing with Payson Infelise.

SSL Team Poland’s Captain Mateusz Kusznierewicz is sailing with the SSL Team Brazil Manager Bruno Prada. The powerhouse team were flying high in second place, before dropping down the ranking on the second upwind leg as Mateusz explains:

"Everyone caught us because we made seven unnecessary tacks. We were in second and Hans (Spitzauer) and Christian (Nehammer) were tacking on us, so we had to tack again and again, losing 30 to 40 metres as we had to get away into clear wind."

Seventy-three Star Class teams from 17 nations compete at 96th Bacardi Cup (c) Martina Orsini
Seventy-three Star Class teams from 17 nations compete at 96th Bacardi Cup (c) Martina Orsini

SSL Team USA Captain Paul Cayard and SSL Team Germany Captain Frithjof Kleen may be rivals when it comes to the SSL Gold Cup, but they regularly sail together in the Star class and finished 12th in the opening race of the Bacardi Cup.

Elsewhere SSL Team Brazil’s Pedro Trouche is 13th, crewing for the USA’s Jack Jennings, SSL Team Portugal’s Frederico Melo is 15th, crewing for Switzerland’s Piet Eckert, SSL Team Ireland’s Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne are 17th and SSL Team Portugal’s Afonso Domingos is 32nd crewing for his fellow countryman John Orneberg.

We will keep you updated as the regatta progresses. The racing is always extremely tight, so expect the leaderboard to change day by day!

Full results can be found here.

96th Bacardi Cup (c) Martina Orsini
96th Bacardi Cup (c) Martina Orsini

 

Mark Jardine

Mark has been managing sailing websites since 1996, always being at the forefront of technology, and now manages the combined Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com network. He has covered events such as the International Moth World Championship and Cowes Week, focusing on the sailors' thoughts and words. Mark has been European Champion in the Farr 30 & J/24 class and has won numerous UK titles, and competes regularly in local and national events in dinghies and sportsboats.