Bacardi Cup Regatta Kicks Off Bacardi Miami Sailing Week

With more than 95 boats registered, the 84th edition of the iconic Bacardi Cup is set to see one of the fiercest title battles in recent years as some of the most recognizable athletes in the sport return to the waters of Biscayne Bay for the headline event of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week. To date, competitors from 25 countries are entered to race from March 7-12, in one of five classes – Melges 20, Melges 24, J/24, Star and Viper 640 – that will see action throughout the weeklong series.

“We are all looking forward to a great week,” said Bill Allen, President of the International Star Class Association, explaining that the class was very excited to be part of the expanded Bacardi Miami Sailing Week. “ Bacardi and the Star Class have been partners for 84 years – first in Cuba and in Miami since the 1960s. The Bacardi Cup is one of the premier events on our racing calendar; only the world championship has a more talented field.”

(Photo by Cory Silken) 

Star action on Biscayne Bay during the

2010 Bacardi Miami Sailing Week.

The Olympics being little more than a year away is sure to be a factor driving these elite sailors, as Allen counted off 15 teams with the potential to end up on the podium. 

“We will have at least five world champions and 10 to 15 continental champions,” Allen said. “At least 10 of the top 20 in the world rankings will be competing, and picking the medal winners among these outstanding sailors would be impossible.”

Among the elite field is Mark Reynolds (San Diego, Calif.), often referred to as the “Star of the Star Class,” who has a resumé that includes two world championship titles (1995, 2000) and three Olympic medals (1992 Gold, 1988 Silver, 2000 Gold) in arguably the most competitive one-design class in the world. Additional Olympians in the fleet include Mateusz Kusznierewicz of Poland, who won Olympic gold and bronze in the Finn class (1996 and 2004) before switching to the Star for the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he finished fourth; New Zealand’s three-time Olympian (1996, 2004, 2008) Hamish Pepper; and Ireland’s 2008 Olympian Peter O’Leary.  

The Bacardi Cup was conceived in 1927 as a three-day event with sailors competing for the Trofeo Bacardi as part of the Cup of Cuba’s Mid-Winter Championship. In 1962 political unrest forced the Bacardi Cup to move from Havana to Coconut Grove, Fla., where it has since been hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club, the organizing authority for the Bacardi Cup.  

In its second year, Bacardi Miami Sailing Week is building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, again offering six days of remarkable sailing competition. The 84th running of the Bacardi Cup for the Star class will be the marquee event of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, with racing from Monday, March 7 through Saturday, March 12. Competition for the Melges 20, Melges 24, J/24 and Viper 640 classes takes place Thursday, March 10, through Saturday, March 12, with the Melges 20s also competing for their Winter Series and the Viper 640s also competing for their Pan American Championship.   Racing will take place on three courses approximately two miles out on Biscayne Bay. Co-hosts for Bacardi Miami Sailing Week are Coral Reef Yacht Club, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, the U.S. Sailing Center Miami and Shake-A-Leg.

Nightly social events will feature award presentations, entertainment and art displays including exhibits by, among others, renowned Italian maritime photographer Franco Pace and Miami pop artist Stephen Gamson, designer of the official event poster.  The art exhibits will be located in the North Hall of the Coconut Grove Convention Center, along with “100 years of the Star Boat,” a collection of information, photos and artifacts detailing the path of the Star boat from the original design in 1911 to the present day.  

For more information on the 84th Bacardi Cup and 2nd annual Bacardi Miami Sailing Week please visit www.BacardiCup.com and www.MiamiSailingWeek.com.

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