99th Bacardi Cup Day 3
by Hannah Lee Noll & Ana Stewart 5 Mar 06:25 UTC
March 2-7, 2026
Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen are undefeated with a 1-1-1 scoreline at the 99th Bacardi Cup. Three days in, and it's been a test of endurance. With heavy breeze on Biscayne Bay, nearly 80 teams have battled through long, physical races, and the forecast calls for more of the same in the coming days.
Race Three delivered a gritty contest as the fleet reached the midpoint of the series. Cayard led wire to wire. The leaders started on the left, worked toward the middle, then returned left as the first beat developed. The first windward mark was fronted by Americans: Cayard, Brian Ledbetter, and Eric Doyle. By mark two, Norway's Eivind Melleby and Ireland's Peter O'Leary advanced. Little by little, Robert Scheidt recovered from a deep start and clawed his way back to fourth place overall, passing Mateusz Kusznierewicz in the overall podium.
On the final beat, Cayard extended his advantage and confidently took the win. Three back-to-back bullets. Hat trick secured.
With another bullet on his scorecard, he is distinguishing himself from Kusznierewicz and Scheidt, the trio that defined the opening days.
"It was just beautiful sailing - as good as it gets on Biscayne Bay," said Doyle, who finished second. "Paul stepped out a little bit on the final leg and showed why he's leading the regatta right now."
With three races complete, Cayard and Kleen now sit firmly atop the leaderboard, but with three races still to sail and a throw-out looming after five, the Bacardi Cup remains unclaimed.
"The game is still pretty open," said Scheidt.
Results after Day 3: (top five, 3 races)
1. Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen (USA) - 3 points
2. Robert Scheidt/Austin Sperry (BRA) - 10 points
3. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL) - 13 points
4. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) - 16 points
5. Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) - 17 points
Coconut Grove Comes Alive as the Invitational Fleets Arrive
Beginning Thursday, the regatta grows.
The Bacardi Invitational Regatta invites the J/70, Melges 24, VX One and Snipe fleets onto Biscayne Bay, adding another 111 boats to the week and turning Miami into one of the largest gatherings of high level one-design racing in the world.
For many sailors, the draw is the combination of elite competition and the community around it.
"We really love sailing here in Miami," said many-time world champion Victor Diaz de Leon. "A lot of legends of the sport are here at Bacardi. You see them around the club, you talk with them, you learn from them. It makes you want to be part of it."
Ashore, the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove provides the backdrop that has long defined Bacardi Cup Invitational Week.
"My parents are from Coconut Grove, so coming back here is always special," said four-time consecutive VX One Bacardi Champion Chris Alexander. "After racing, we de-rig the boat, grab our skateboards, and cruise over to the Bacardi bar. That's the Grove."
World-class racing remains the centerpiece. The atmosphere surrounding this week is what makes Bacardi Cup Invitational Week unlike any other in sailing.
The first races of Bacardi Invitational Regatta are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday.
The 99th Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta is supported by Centennial Bank, North Sails, Shore Premier Finance, Palm Beach Yachts, Regatta Brokerage - the Brian Kamilar Team and Shake-A-Leg Miami.
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