The Bacardi Cup officially starts today in Miami, USA.
For nearly one century, the Bacardi Cup has attracted the world’s top sailors with its popularity and international intrigue. Started as a regatta for Star Class boats in Havana, Cuba in 1927, the Bacardi Cup is celebrating its 91st anniversary in 2018, and for 56 straight years, has called home the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami.
For 2018, the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta continues to attract the best of the Star Class where a 6-race series will be held for the 81 entrants on March 5 to 10.
The reigning World Champions - Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Joshua Revkin (USA) - will be competing alongside so many incredible champions, some of them returning to the Star class after some time off. Like Iain Percy (GBR) holder of Gold and Silver Olympic medals, two times Star World Champion (2002 with Steve Mithchell and 2010 with Andrew 'Bart' Simpson), back in the fleet after two America's Cup Campaign with Artemis Racing, he will be sailing with Anders Ekstrom (SWE), bronze medal in Qingdao and Star World Champion in 2004 with skipper Freddy Loof (SWE). Notable on the Star course is Diego Negri (ITA) who claimed a medal at each of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Star World Championships; Olympic Silver medallist Xavier Rohart (FRA); and Robert Scheidt (BRA), the multiple Olympic and World Champion in the Laser Class and 2008 Olympic Silver medallist in the Star Class.
Even the Bacardi Cup title holder, Mark Mendelblatt and Magnus Liljedahl (USA) will be competing, but on two separate boats, Mark with Brian Fatih (USA) and Magnus crewing for Ante Razmilovic (USA)
An international field will be on the Star course with U.S. teams joined by a line-up from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Racing starts tomorrow at 12,00 local time (-5 GMT) with the starting signal of the first race. The format, always the same since 1927, only plans one race per day per six days. This year, the winner will earn 3,000 points for the SSL Rankings..quite a big prize!
SSL Press Officer since 2015