Please select your home edition
Edition
J Composites J/45

Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta 2023 - Day 3

by Luissa Smith 9 Mar 2023 03:23 GMT 5-11 March 2023

Expectations for racing at 1100 hours today were swept aside as the breeze filled in later and lighter than forecast on race day 3 at the 96h Bacardi Cup.

Eivind Melleby/Mark Strube played another consistent hand with finesse, scoring a 4th to edge into the series lead.

An on-water postponement saw the Race Committee searching Biscayne Bay for the breeze, before selecting the southern bay area. In extremely shifty conditions racing got under way and two races took place. The Race Committee subsequently abandoned the opening race of the day, series race 2, which will be resailed on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

After a long eight-hour day on the water, tonight's mid-week Bacardi party and cocktails was a welcome unwind.

Playing it safe

Seventy-three boats make a long start line, so no surprise it took three general recalls, then a black flag start to get race 3 away. Casualties of the UFD penalty included Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, who plummet to 40th overall.

Switzerland's Piet Eckert/Frederico Melo led the fleet upwind in 14 knots of breeze, but were overhauled by Austria's Hans Spitzauer/Christian Nehammer who went on to take the win. The Austrians were at their best, making up for yesterday's 10th place finish, and will no doubt continue to nurture their winning formula.

"We did our programme during starting, we were of course aware of the black flag, so it's super dangerous. We did a really good start, conservative but good," said Nehammer. "We were able to stay on the left side and be at the top mark second or third and we were able to get into first place."

Pushing hard behind Spitzauer/Nehammer were defending Bacardi Cup champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada in second, with Eckert/Melo going on to finish in third. Eckert/Melo, who were 2020 Star Class European Champions, were satisfied with the result, despite passing over the lead.

"Sometimes it's hard to lose the lead," commented Eckert. "But I think it was a great day for us. A great keeper so we are motivated for the next days. We want to stay in contention, not make mistakes or less mistakes than the others and then we will see and count the points in the end."

Bacardi Cup leaders Melleby/Strube have previously raced together, but it has been a while as Melleby explained, "We kind of figure it out together, but there is always a little bit of practice so we can still up our game a little bit. Hopefully we can do that over the next three days, so it will be exciting."

"We had solid races so far, the boat is working very well, so a shout out to Austin Sperry for letting us use the boat," concluded Melleby.

Just three points behind are Kusznierewicz/Prada, with overnight leaders Jørgen Schönherr/ Markus Koy in third after their 10th place result, and on tiebreak with Spitzauer/Nehammer in fourth.

Provisional Results after Day 3: (top ten, 2 races)

1. Eivind Melleby / Mark Strube (NOR 2017) - 6 pts
2. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8548) - 9 pts
3. Jørgen Schönherr / Markus Koy (DEN 8532) - 11 pts
4. Hans Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer (AUT 8529) - 11 pts
5. Marin Misura / Tonko Barac (CRO 8531) - 16 pts
6. Leandro Altolaguirre / Lucas Altolaguirre (ARG 1945) - 17 pts
7. Piet Eckert / Frederico Melo (SUI 8575) - 18 pts
8. Paul Cayard / Frithjof Kleen (USA 1988) - 18 pts
9. Peter O'Leary / Stephen Milne (IRL 8118) - 22 pts
10. George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA 8537) - 22 pts

Full results can be found here.

Related Articles

Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 overall
'Relative Obscurity' clinches J/70 victory with a race to spare Three days of exceptional sailing on Biscayne Bay, January 24-26, set the stage to make Bacardi Winter Series 2 a perfect event. Miami delivered stunning weather and challenging conditions that tested every aspect of performance. Posted on 27 Jan
Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 Day 2
'Relative Obscurity' extends J/70 lead as Melges 24 fleet closes in on 'Melgina' A sunny, breezy day greeted the J/70 and Melges 24 fleets on Day 2. Overnight leaders Peter Duncan's 'Relative Obscurity' in the J/70 class and Paolo Brescia's 'Melgina' in the Melges 24 class continue to top their respective leaderboards. Posted on 26 Jan
Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 Day 1
'Relative Obscurity' and Melgina' shine on day one The opening day of the Bacardi Winter Series Event 2, January 24-26, brought puffy, shifty conditions to Biscayne Bay, rewarding those who could interpret the very nuanced racetrack. Posted on 25 Jan
Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 takes center stage
Shake-A-Leg Miami (SALM) will serve as hosts to over 60 teams representing 12 countries The Bacardi Winter Series is back in 2025. Event 2 is set to deliver another thrilling weekend of J/70 and Melges 24 racing on Biscayne Bay, January 24-26. Posted on 23 Jan
Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 overall
J/70 and Melges 24 winners declared in Miami, USA The highly anticipated Bacardi Winter Series Event 1, held December 14-15 on Biscayne Bay, Miami, faced tough conditions as strong winds impacted the racing schedule for the 46 teams in the J/70 and Melges 24 fleets. Posted on 15 Dec 2024
Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 Day 1
Big Breeze and Big Wins for 'Casting Couch' and 'Dark Horse' The two-day Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 opened Saturday for the forty-six teams racing in the J/70 and Melges 24 on Biscayne Bay, Miami. The strong breeze set the stage for a spectacular and thrilling showcase of speed, skill and teamwork. Posted on 15 Dec 2024
Ready to race at Bacardi Winter Series Event 1
The regatta brings approximately fifty teams to Biscayne Bay The opening event of the Bacardi Winter Series 2024/2025 kicks off this weekend, December 14-15, in Miami, featuring the J/70 and Melges 24 fleets. Posted on 11 Dec 2024
Entry open for Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta
There is no better place to experience a unique blend of exhilarating racing and Bacardi hospitality Set sail for the world-renowned 2025 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta and the 2024/2025 Bacardi Winter Series. Our online entry is officially open! Posted on 5 Sep 2024
97th Bacardi Cup overall
Kusznierewicz/Prada Secure their fifth straight victory With unwavering focus, Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada controlled the fleet from start to finish, clinching an unprecedented fifth consecutive victory and once again forced the chasing fleet to walk in their shadow. Posted on 10 Mar 2024
97th Bacardi Cup Day 5
Who dares wins in three-way tiebreak going into the final day Another intense day of racing in fantastic conditions on Biscayne Bay at the 97th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta. The usual shifty breeze was around 8-10 knots with plenty of race track nuances. Posted on 9 Mar 2024