Race winners DSQ

Brazilians claim race one of the Bacardi Cup

A beautiful sunny Miami welcomed Star sailors to the first day of the 88th Bacardi Cup. As usual, one race is scheduled for each day of this six day event which now forms part of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week presented by EFG Bank.

With winds around 10 knots from the east, the racing area was set about 1¾ miles south of Dinner Key Channel. The course is set at 95° with two mile legs, which will test the sailors’ endurance both mentally and physically.

After a short postponement, 54 boats started the first race of the event. Everyone seemed excited and very competitive resulting in two general recalls, and then leading to a black flag start with all boats clear.

First boat around the weather mark was Benjamin Sternberg/Stuart MacIntosh, followed by Mark Reynolds/Magnus Liljedahl and Arthur Anosov/Andrey Shafranuk respectively. Arthur Anosov sailed a spectacular downwind leg to round the gates in first with Larry Whipple/Austin Sperry and Brazilians Jorge Joao Zarif/Bruno Prada close behind. The standings at the second weather mark rounding held through to the finish with Larry Whipple/Austin Sperry crossing the line first, followed by the Brazilians in second, and Anosov/Shafranuk third.

“It was good,” said Whipple. “At the first top mark we were top 10, 8th or 9th, then we gybed away to the left hand side and got more pressure on the run and ended up second at the bottom of the run. On the second beat we got a little bit father right of Austen, Bruno and Jorge and were able round the weather mark a little bit in front of them. We were just barely able to hold them off on the run; I think we only won by 2 boat lengths. It was a fun day, nice breeze, a little shifty, but always in the 8-12 knot range.”

Unfortunately, Whipple and Sperry were scored as DSQ for breaking rule 11.1, failing to check-in before the start.

Zarif crossed the line second, but is scored 1st. He said of sailing today: “Was really hard because the wind was changing a lot and there was a lot of pressure from both sides. You had to choose a side to work and try to work the shifts and pray to your God.” Prada added: “We were pretty lucky with our decisions. In a race like BACARDI with only 6 races, the consistency counts.”

Arthur Anosov is up to second, despite his crew, Andrey Shafranuk, sailing stars for the first time. “It was great fun, especially for him and for me obviously.” Anosov said of the racing today. “Obviously we wanted to win, we were leading after the first time around and we lost two boats, but we are so happy with a third place, those guys are so great. Bacardi has always been my favorite regatta; I have been in the US since 1994, and I don’t think I have missed more than one or two.

“This is the best place to sail in the world right here, whether you win or lose; I have always said that. The first Bacardi Cup I came to was 1973, I haven’t been to all of them, but I have been to a lot and it’s always fun. Out of 60 boats I bet we have 30 boats from Europe or South America. You can tell when that many people want to come here that it’s a pretty good place to sail.“

Hopefully, after their tough break today, Larry and Austen will come back strong tomorrow.

Apres-sailing is taking place at the Bacardi Village in Kennedy Park, complete with Bacardi rum, food, music and great company. A special art exhibit, Sailing Dreams by Vicki DaSilva, is set up in CocoWalk, along with a pop-up store inside Unit 115. DaSilva is exhibiting 10 light paintings (made by moving a hand-held light source while taking a long exposure photograph) that present to the community how she interprets the beautiful sport of sailing into art.