77 stars power across Biscayne Bay on opening day of 99th Bacardi Cup

MIAMI (March 2, 2026) — The 99th Bacardi Cup opened Monday with champagne sailing and a close finish that set the tone for the week ahead. On a 15 to 17 knot champagne day, 77 Star teams charged off the line on Biscayne Bay for the first of six scheduled races.

After more than two hours of long-course racing, Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen (USA) claimed the opening victory over six-time consecutive Bacardi Cup champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada (POL). Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry (BRA) finished third.

“The competition is super strong,” said five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt. “It’s like a world championship. There’s a mix of Olympic medallists, world champions, and legends of the sport. The racing is fierce, but the camaraderie is most special. That’s what makes the Star Class unique.”

The opening beat stretched more than two nautical miles, with the left side paying early before the breeze began oscillating across the course.

“It was a beautiful day on the water,” said Kusznierewicz. “Champagne conditions. But very tactical. On the final beat we were waiting for a right shift. It came just a little too late.”

On the final approach, the leaders split one last time. As Kusznierewicz and Prada gained at the top of the final beat from the right, they appeared poised to overtake Cayard and Kleen in the final moments. Cayard recognised the favoured end of the finish line and held his lane.

“Mateusz was physically ahead of us,” said Cayard. “If I had gone to him, he would have crossed me. But the wind had shifted so far right that we could nearly lay the finish. We tacked and managed to hold on.”

Behind the front three, Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) finished fourth, followed by Brian Ledbetter and Brian Terhaar (USA) in fifth.