Full bar at Bacardi bash

The 2026 Bacardi Cup is firing on all cylinders as 175 boats in five classes slice up Biscayne Bay in Miami, FL. With racing on March 2-7, the Star Class has not had to share the glam conditions for the first three days, but are now joined by the Snipe, Melges 24, J/70, and VX One classes.

With one race a day, Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen (USA) have terrorized the 75-boat Star fleet with a 1-1-1-2. Having that many boats, it’s not hard to stumble but the Star’s exceedingly long course legs allow the cream to rise. Cayard must be very creamy.

More domination occurred in the Snipe as Enrique Quintero and Lorena Fundora (USA) posted a 3-1-1 in their first day, but they held the rum drinks for Chris Alexander and his VX One team of Grace Howie and Ricky Welch (USA) after they won all their races.

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Event report from March 5:
Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry won Race Four at the 99th Bacardi Cup today, snapping Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen’s run of race victories, but not quite loosening their grip on the overall regatta.

Scheidt controlled the race from the front, but behind them the fight was relentless. Cayard and Diego Negri with Sergio Lambertenghi traded pressure throughout the final legs, each looking for the moment to gain the upper hand. Scheidt held on for the win. Cayard secured second. Negri finished close behind in third.

What Cayard and Kleen have built through four races is simple: consistency, in one of the strongest fleets the Bacardi Cup has assembled in years. Among the 75 teams are 17 Olympians, six Olympic medalists, three Olympic champions, and 14 Star World Champions. Yet Cayard has posted a near-perfect 1-1-1-2 scoreline.

“Paul is on fire,” said Scheidt. “He’s having a super great regatta. Not making any mistakes.”

Cayard understands exactly what that level of competition demands. “There are a lot of world champions, a lot of top-quality sailors in this class,” he said. “Everywhere you look you are in a battle.”

The approach onboard Cayard’s boat has remained deliberately simple. Start clean. Trust the speed. Then react.

“Our boat speed is good, so we’re not changing much,” Cayard said. “We try to stay clean on the start and let our speed work for us. Then halfway up the first beat we try to find where everybody is and make a strategy from there.” In a fleet where dozens of sailors are capable of winning a race, that discipline has kept Cayard firmly in control heading into the final two days of the 99th Bacardi Cup.

J/70 — 34 Teams
J/70 U.S. Class President John Heaton’s Empeiria leads an international fleet with teams from USA, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay, and the UK. Heaton and his team of iconic Portuguese duo Gonçalo Ribeiro and Paulo Manso as well as Aussie Mark Spearman have 12 points after three races, but world champion Joel Ronning is hot on the trail.

His Catapult team is now a Mixed-Plus entry that features J/70 World Champion Jeremy Wilmot as well as 49erFX Olympian Stephanie Roble, ILCA Olympian Sarah Douglass, and Etchells World Champion Beccy Anderson. This star-studded squad is just two points behind the leaders. No stranger to front of the pack, Haroldo Solberg’s OceanPact from Brazil rounds out the podium.

“We feel like we sailed well, but there are a lot of really good teams & sailors so don’t want to get too high after one good day,” said Heaton. “The top 15 boats are phenomenal – there’s no one single team we’re watching out for. This regatta is great for the Class every year. It’s wonderful to see all the international boats here in the US. Just spectacular for the fleet.”

Melges 24 — 25 Teams
A rivalry is brewing in the Melges 24 fleet. At the Melges 24 U.S. National Championship a few months ago, Cuyler Morris’s Dark Horse passed Bora Gulari’s Mavi and won the title by just one point. Today at Bacardi, they’re painting the same picture. Dark Horse has 9 points to Bora Gulari’s 10. Each has a race win under their belt.

And don’t count out 2025 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, 2025 J/70 World Champion, and 2025 Melges 24 Worlds Runner-Up Laura Grondin with her tactician Taylor Canfield who just took the win at SailGP. Grondin’s famous Dark Energy team sits just a handful of points behind the Dark Horse / Mavi rivalry.

“One race at a time,” Dark Horse’s Mark Ivey reminds us. “Beautiful conditions, efficient racing, and more to come. Really looking forward to the battles ahead. We know we have a lot of teams all wanting to put it all together and win the Bacardi Invitational!”

VX One — 26 Teams
Opening day saw four races and four first place finishes for four-time consecutive Bacardi winner Chris Alexander with Gracie Howie and Ricky Welch. Despite the dominant start, Alexander expects the regatta to remain a battle. “We’ve got a good fleet and some really stiff competition,” he said. “I don’t think it’s ever going to get easier.”

The VX One fleet has continued to build momentum in recent seasons, and the strength of the entry list in Miami reflects that growth as teams look ahead to the Class’s first-ever World Championship, also scheduled to take place on Biscayne Bay.

Snipe — 16 Teams
Last year, Ernesto Rodriguez walked away with the Bacardi Invitational Regatta Snipe Champion title. This year, he’s got some competition. Enrique Quintero with Lorena Fundora kick off 2026 Bacardi in pole position, a point ahead of 2025 Snipe World Championship Runner-Up Rodriguez, now sailing with Spanish crew Marina Cano.

“We had a great day despite a few mistakes,” said Quintero. “Speed-wise, we’re good. Strength-wise, we’re good. But we’ve got a few more days to go.”

When asked about beating his training partner Rodriguez, Quintero commented, “He’s one of the best in the world. Sharing the race course with someone like this is an honor.”

“The snipe fleet is super fortunate to be a part of this prestigious event alongside the Stars and all the fleets,” he added.