Bacardi Cup
The 99th Bacardi Cup delivered another classic Biscayne Bay test on Tuesday, as a steady 13 to 15 knots from the east powered the fleet through Race two of six.
At the front once again, Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen (USA) converted an early strategic separation into their second consecutive race win, finishing ahead of Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada (POL), with Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry (BRA) third.
The race hinged on the opening beat.
Halfway up the first leg, Cayard, Kusznierewicz, and Scheidt punched out together on the left side. From there, the trio built leverage and extended, creating a gap that only widened as the race progressed. Olympians Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Christian Nehammer (AUT) kept the pressure on throughout.
On the final downwind, the leaders stretched further ahead. Cayard rounded the right gate first, Kusznierewicz close behind and immediately tacked, splitting to the left. Scheidt rounded the left gate in third. Now two hours into the race, teams still raced full effort. Cayard expertly managed the fleet on the final beat, and the top three finished in the same order they rounded the gate.
Results after Day 2: (top five, 2 races)
1. Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen (USA)
2. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL)
3. Robert Scheidt/Austin Sperry (BRA)
4. Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA)
5. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA)
Follow the Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta:
- Results: bacardiregattas.sailti.com/en/default/races
- Photos: www.facebook.com/BacardiCupInvitational/photos_albums
- Web: bacardiinvitational.com
