Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen Crowned 99th Bacardi Cup Champions
by Hannah Lee Noll 8 Mar 18:45 GMT
March 2-7, 2026
After 45 years of chasing one of sailing's most storied trophies, Paul Cayard finally won the Bacardi Cup. Alongside Frithjof Kleen, the two put the cherry on top of their legendary year: after winning the 2025 Star World Championship, Cayard now claims a title he has been chasing for 46 years.
"A dogfight for the ages" — The trophy was hard-earned. Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry, just three points behind Cayard and Kleen, forced a final race showdown that history won't soon forget.
How often do spectators get to witness a match race during a fleet race between two of the sport's most legendary stars? "When I'm dead, they'll still be playing that one," said a smiling Cayard onshore.
On Saturday afternoon in Coconut Grove, Cayard and Frithjof Kleen secured victory in the 99th Bacardi Cup, defeating Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry in a dramatic final race.
For nearly a week the regatta had been a duel between two of the sport's most decorated sailors.
Cayard's America's Cup-honed match race prowess sealed the championship and ended one of sailing's longest personal pursuits: "I've been chasing the Bacardi Cup for 45 years," Cayard said. "I've gotten second many times. It was the one thing I hadn't won in the Star class."
Cayard vs. Scheidt Showdown
Ten minutes before the start, Cayard engaged.
The two teams match raced for five minutes before the starting sequence even began. And Cayard is no stranger to match racing.
After five days of racing, the mathematics were simple: only Cayard or Scheidt could win. Cayard entered the race with a three-point lead and a plan. Scheidt needed to win the race or finish second, while Cayard could sail his throwout.
"So when you get a situation like that, you have the opportunity to try to make it not a race," Cayard explained. "We got on Robert and just made his life miserable basically."
The aggressive pre-start engagement pushed both boats deep behind the fleet as the gun fired. "Robert & Austin had some difficulties in the boat handling, and we both crossed the starting line way behind the fleet, 100 meters late," Cayard said. "So I would say 90 percent of my job was done right there."
Both boats had deep starts well behind the fleet. Cayard went right while the rest of the fleet went left, keeping close tabs on his rival as the two legends fought their own battle on the first beat. At the windward mark, Cayard rounded in 26th place and Scheidt in 30th. For Cayard, that was exactly where he needed to be.
Scheidt fought hard to escape his captor and eventually managed to shake loose, charging through the fleet in a remarkable comeback. Despite Cayard's efforts to control him, Scheidt passed boat after boat and climbed toward the top of the leaderboard.
On the final lap, Cayard and Kleen began to visibly relax. Their fate was now in Scheidt's hands. Could he pass the entire fleet and finish in the top two? Scheidt did everything he could. His heroics carried him past dozens of boats to finish 10th overall. But it was not enough. Cayard and Kleen had done their job. The Bacardi Cup was theirs.
"This means a lot to me," Cayard said. "I've been frustrated for so many years. Bacardi's Eddie Cutillas keeps telling me, 'Next year is gonna be your year.' The pressure builds and builds. I'm grateful that we got the job done. A two hundred pound gorilla fell off my back."
"For the first time in a long time, we have a new champion," said Eddie Cutillas, Bacardi USA. "This victory in the Bacardi Cup is a capstone for Paul's very successful career."
Kleen reflected on the partnership that carried them through the week. "What makes a dominant team is chemistry. When we sail our best, we're pretty hard to beat." The German Olympian and former Bacardi Cup Champion also provided a dose of humor about their approach on the racecourse: "Sometimes you have to eat some shit," Kleen joked. "Sometimes you have to win with just two meters instead of two minutes. But Paul likes perfection."
For both sailors, the victory carries weight far beyond one single regatta. "The Star class is the most important one-design class in the world," Kleen said. "It's the boat, it's the community, it's the camaraderie, it's the tradition."
The podium was completed by six-time consecutive champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada who defeated Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi in a who-beats-who final race to earn the bronze medal.
Next year marks the 100th Bacardi Cup, a milestone that reflects one of the longest-standing commercial partnerships in all of sport. For 99 years, Bacardi has stewarded this iconic regatta, preserving the traditions and camaraderie that define the Star fleet. Cayard now joins the long line of champions whose names are etched into the history of the Cup.
99th Bacardi Cup Overall Results: (top five)
1. Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen (USA) - 11 points
2. Robert Scheidt/Austin Sperry (BRA) - 12 points
3. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL) - 16 points
4. Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) - 23 points
5. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) - 30 points
Final-Race Finales Define 2026 Bacardi Invitational Regatta in Perfect Miami Conditions
Morris, Heaton, Rodriguez, and Alexander Claim Titles
Championship drama came down to the final race across every fleet at the 2026 Bacardi Invitational Regatta, where 177 boats from 23 countries battled all week on Biscayne Bay before champions were finally decided on Saturday afternoon.
Part of the larger celebration surrounding the 99th Bacardi Cup, the Bacardi Invitational Regatta once again brought together top sailors in the J/70, Melges 24, Snipe, and VX One classes for a week of racing alongside the historic Star Class event. In the end, Cuyler Morris (Melges 24), John Heaton (J/70), Ernesto Rodriguez (Snipe), and Chris Alexander (VX One) emerged as fleet winners after tight regattas that remained undecided until the final race.
Biscayne Bay delivered the kind of sailing conditions Miami is famous for. Consistent easterly breeze in the mid-teens, warm sunshine, and steady seas created what many competitors described as near-perfect racing.
"It was the best conditions of any regatta I've ever sailed," said VX One winner Chris Alexander, whose team won eight races during the regatta. He's now a five-time champion at this event. "Three days solidly out of the east, 15 to 18 knots the entire time. Just absolutely perfect conditions."
Across the fleets, the level of competition was stronger than ever. In the Melges 24 class, Morris and the Dark Horse team held their nerve in a deep international field stacked with world-class sailors. "You can't ever let your guard down," Morris said. "If you look at the list of sailors on these boats, it's incredible. We've been sailing together for about a year now, and that consistency really helped us this week."
The J/70 fleet also came down to the wire, with John Heaton's team on Empeiria delivering a steady performance throughout the week. "We just tried to be consistent and precise, not take too many risks, and sail the boat well," Heaton said. "Plus, we made sure to have fun. Miami is a great place to sail, and the competition here is really strong."
In the Snipe class, Rodriguez secured another Bacardi Invitational title alongside crew Marina Cano after a hard-fought final day battle. "It was a great week," Rodriguez said. "The conditions were perfect. This is Miami at its best. The racing was tight and it came down to the last race, but my crew stayed optimistic the whole time. That is one tough chick."
The week-long Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta is known as much for its atmosphere as its racing, and once again the shoreside experience matched the action on the water. Hosted by Bacardi at Shake-A-Leg Miami and across most of Miami's yacht clubs and sailing centers, competitors enjoyed daily debriefs, live music, and the legendary Bacardi hospitality that has made the event a favorite stop on the international sailing calendar.
The regatta is made possible thanks to the continued support of its partners and sponsors, including North Sails, Centennial Bank, Premier Shore Finance, Palm Beach Yachts, Regatta Brokerage - the Brian Kamilar Team, Tuuci, TeamOne Newport, Hatuey Beer, Jaguar Therapeutics, and Shake-A-Leg Miami, along with many dedicated volunteers and race officials who deliver world-class racing on Biscayne Bay year after year.
With the 100th Bacardi Cup on the horizon in 2027, the countdown has officially begun. If the competition this year was any indication, the centennial celebration promises to be one for the history books.
Bacardi Invitations Regatta Results: (177 boats, 23 nations represented)
J/70
1. EMPEIRIA – John Heaton / Gonçalo Ribeiro / Paulo Manso / Mark Spearman
2. MAGATRON – Margaret McKillen / Orrin Starr / Lucas Calabrese / Scott Norris
3. CATAPULT – Joel Ronning / Jeremy Wilmot / Stephanie Roble / Sarah Douglass / Rebecca Anderson
Melges 24
1. DARK HORSE – Cuyler Morris / Manu Weiller / Charlie Smythe / Mark Ivey / Alec Anderson
2. DARK ENERGY – Laura Grondin / Taylor Canfield / Ian Liberty / George Peet / Tomas Dietrich
3. MAVI – Bora Gulari / Norman Berge / Nick Ford / Trevor Burd / Jonathan McKee
VX One
1. COUNTERPRODUCTIVE – Chris Alexander / Grace Howie / Ricky Welch
2. COLOMBIAN PRINCESS – Timothy Pitts / Eric Cusin / Abby Brown
3. Evan Hoffman / Jeff Eiber
Snipe
1. Ernesto Rodriguez / Marina Cano
2. Enrique Quintero / Lorena Fundora
3. Ivan Shestopalov / Lexi Pline
Full results can be found here.