Miami delivers for start of 88th Bacardi Cup

Miami, FL (March 2, 2015) – A beautiful sunny Miami welcomed Star sailors to the first day of the 88th Bacardi Cup. One race is scheduled for each day of the 6-day event as part of the BACARDI Miami Sailing Week (BMSW) presented by EFG Bank. With winds around 12 knots from the East, the racing area was set about 1 ¾ miles south of Dinner Key Channel. The course is set at 95 degrees with 2-mile legs, which will test the sailors’ endurance both mentally and physically.

After a short postponement, 57 Stars checked in for the 1st race of the event. Everyone seemed excited and very competitive resulting in 2 general recalls, and then leading to a black flag start with all boats clear.

The first boat around the weather mark was Benjamin Sternberg and Stuart MacIntosh, followed by Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl, and Arthur Anosov and Andrey Shafranuk, respectively. Arthur Anosov sailed a spectacular downwind leg to round the gates in first with Larry Whipple and Austin Sperry, and Jorge Joao Zarif and Bruno Prada close behind. The standings at the 2nd rounding of the weather mark held through the finish with Larry Whipple and Austin Sperry crossing the line first, followed by Jorge Joao Zarif and Bruno Prada in second, and Arthur Anosov and Audrey Shafranuk in third.

“It was good,” says Larry Whipple about the first race. “At the first top mark we were top 10, 8th or 9th, then we jibed away to the left hand side and got more pressure on the run and ended up second at the bottom of the run. On the second beat we got a little bit father right of Bruno and Jorge and were able round the weather mark a little bit in front of them. We were just barely able to hold them off on the run; I think we only won by 2 boat lengths. It was a fun day, nice breeze, a little shifty, but always in the 8-12 knot range.”

Editor’s note: Larry Whipple and Austin Sperry were scored as DSQ for breaking rule 11.1, failing to check-in before the start. However, after filing a redress protest, the jury reinstated them in their finishing position.

“Was really hard because the wind was changing a lot and there was a lot of pressure from both sides,” explained Brazil’s Jorge Joao Zarif. “You had to choose a side to work and try to work the shifts and pray to your God.” His crew, Bruno Prada added that, “we were pretty lucky with our decisions. In a race like BACARDI with only 6 races, the consistency counts.”

Biscayne Bay is known for being a great place to sail, and according to Larry Whipple, “This is the best place to sail in the world right here, whether you win or lose; I have always said that. The first Bacardi Cup I came to was 1973, I haven’t been to all of them, but I have been to a lot and it’s always fun. Out of 60 boats I bet we have 30 boats from Europe or South America. You can tell when that many people want to come here that it’s a pretty good place to sail.”

Complete results – Event directory – BACARDI Miami Sailing Week – BACARDI Cup

Background: The 88th Bacardi Cup for the Star Class is March 2-7, while racing for the 6th BACARDI Miami Sailing Week is March 5-7 for the J/70, Viper 640, VX One and M32 classes. On the water activities are coordinated by Coral Reef Yacht Club in collaboration with the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and with the help of the U.S. Sailing Center and Shake-A-Leg Miami.