Star class Bacardi Cup at Miami, Florida - Day 2

Vince Brun & Doug Brophy win race 2 at the Star class Bacardi Cup in Miami © Jan Walker / www.RegattaActiveImages.com

Vince Brun Wins Bacardi Cup Day Two Race

Light and shifty air delayed the second day start of the Bacardi Cup in Biscayne Bay today. The international fleet of 70 Star Class boats waited on the water for almost an hour before a light 4 to 5 knot breeze arrived.

Six-time Bacardi Cup winner, Vince Brun of San Diego and crew Doug Brophy of Rowley, MA were the first to catch a breeze and they never let it go winning the second day race. The California skipper is now in first place overall.

Brun was the first around all three marks leading up until the 4th leg where Miamian Augie Diaz and crew Bob Schofield of Annapolis, Md. made a valiant attempt to catch him but ended up in second place.

“Vince dominated right from the start,” said Diaz. “On a day like today, you have to have speed, luck and you have to do things right. Vince had speed and smarts,” he added.

Rick Merriman of San Diego, CA and crew Brad Nichol of Lake Sunapee, NH sailing a brand new Star boat, took third trailed by Arthur Anosov of St. Petersburg, FL and crew David Caesar of Toronto, Canada in fourth. Anosov said this is his 8th Bacardi Cup race and it is his best yet, “even though it was a tough and slow start.”

For Merriman, all of his gains were made on the first beat by jibing early. “At the second and third marks, we closed up on Augie and Vince,” he said.

Floridians Mark Mendleblatt of St. Petersburg, and crew Mark Strube of West Palm Beach, finished in fifth place. This is Mendleblatt’s first Bacardi Cup.

First day top five finishers skippers Howie Shiebler and Peter Bromby were stuck in the middle of the pack for most of the race, with the Portuguese team of Afonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos even further back. Bromby stands in 6th place overall with Domingos holding 10th overall.

Racing continues through Friday, Mar. 11th. For race results go to www.starclass.org