2026 Bacardi Cup

Bacardi Star Fleet Builds for the Next Hundred Years

MIAMI (March 3, 2026) — The 99th Bacardi Cup delivered another classic Biscayne Bay test on Tuesday, as a steady 13 to 15 knots from the east powered the fleet through Race two of six. At the front once again, Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen (USA) converted an early strategic separation into their second consecutive race win, finishing ahead of Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada (POL), with Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry (BRA) third.

The race hinged on the opening beat.

Halfway up the first leg, Cayard, Kusznierewicz, and Scheidt punched out together on the left side. From there, the trio built leverage and extended, creating a gap that only widened as the race progressed. Olympians Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Christian Nehammer (AUT) kept the pressure on throughout.

On the final downwind, the leaders stretched further ahead. Cayard rounded the right gate first, Kusznierewicz close behind and immediately tacked, splitting to the left. Scheidt rounded the left gate in third. Now two hours into the race, teams still raced full effort. Cayard expertly managed the fleet on the final beat, and the top three finished in the same order they rounded the gate.

“Can’t start Bacardi much better than that,” Cayard joked when asked about his 1-1 scoreline. “But it was very tough racing out there with Mateusz and Robert: very physical in 15 knots. It’s a two-hour nonstop physical exertion.”

The back-to-back wins give the American-German team early momentum, but Cayard was quick to temper expectations. “It won’t be any different tomorrow, and it won’t be any easier. Long way to go.”

Scheidt victory in Race Five sets up winner-take-all finale

MIAMI (March 6, 2026) — The 99th Bacardi Cup is headed for a final-day showdown. Will we see a Paul Cayard vs. Robert Scheidt match race? Just two teams are left in contention for the 99th Bacardi Cup title: Paul Cayard / Frithjof Kleen and Robert Scheidt / Austin Sperry.

Five-time Olympic medalist Scheidt won Race Five on Friday, narrowing Cayard and Kleen’s lead to just three points and tightening the battle for one of sailing’s most historic trophies.

Cayard holds the advantage. And everyone knows America’s Cup veteran Cayard is no stranger to a match race. The stakes couldn’t be higher: neither skipper has ever won the Bacardi Cup, despite their decorated resumes. Not for lack of trying.

After five races on Biscayne Bay, the American team leads the regatta with 5 points, followed by Scheidt and Sperry with 8. With the discard now applied, the mathematics are simple: only Cayard/Kleen or Scheidt/Sperry can win the 99th Bacardi Cup.

“Obviously we have a little advantage on Robert. We’re confident. We have good speed and a little margin on him. I think he has to beat us by three or four places, so we’ll try to stay close to him,” said Cayard. “He has to be first or second in the race. If he’s not, then he doesn’t win. The logical thought is that if I have the opportunity to match race him and push us both down to twentieth, then the race just got a lot easier for us. Exactly how and when we might execute that, I have to think about it and dig deep into my America’s Cup experience to decide what the smart thing to do is.”

Cayard opened the regatta with three straight wins before posting a 2 and a 6.

Scheidt posted a consistent 3-3-4, then found the groove and won back-to-back races.

Scheidt controlled today’s race from the start in a 12 to 15 knot breeze on Biscayne Bay’s turquoise waters. Scheidt and Sperry crossed the finish line in first with big smiles, a private high five, and then an immediate look back to confirm Cayard’s position. That’s two consecutive race wins for the Brazilian entry. Will the late-game surge be enough to hoist the Bacardi Cup instead of the formidable Cayard?

Scheidt plans to stay focused on fundamentals: “Tomorrow, we’ll try to get a good start and hopefully be ahead of him on the first cross,” he said. “The first cross will be very decisive.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Brazilian legend remains energized by the challenge. “We’re improving as a team day by day,” Scheidt said of the new power duo team with Sperry. “We’re going to keep fighting because this is such a prestigious title to win.”

Cayard Ends 45-Year Pursuit in Dramatic Match-Race Finale Against Robert Scheidt

MIAMI (March 8, 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.

Opening Day at Bacardi Invitational Regatta Sees Heaton, Morris, Alexander, and Quintero Take Early Lead 

MIAMI (March 5, 2026) — Cayard holds a strong grip on the fleet at the 99th Bacardi Cup. Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry won Race Four at the 99th Bacardi Cup today, snapping Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen’s run of race victories, but not quite loosening their grip on the overall regatta. 

Scheidt controlled the race from the front, but behind them the fight was relentless. Cayard and Diego Negri with Sergio Lambertenghi traded pressure throughout the final legs, each looking for the moment to gain the upper hand. Scheidt held on for the win. Cayard secured second. Negri finished close behind in third.

What Cayard & Kleen have built through four races is simple: consistency, in one of the strongest fleets the Bacardi Cup has assembled in years. Among the 77 teams are 17 Olympians, six Olympic medalists, three Olympic champions, and 14 Star World Champions. Yet Cayard has posted a near-perfect 1-1-1-2 scoreline.

“Paul is on fire,” said Scheidt. “He’s having a super great regatta. Not making any mistakes.”

Cayard understands exactly what that level of competition demands. “There are a lot of world champions, a lot of top-quality sailors in this class,” he said. “Everywhere you look you are in a battle.”

MIAMI (March 4, 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.

Top 5 Overall After Race Three

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

Cayard and Kleen edge Kusznierewicz and Prada in dramatic photo finish 

MIAMI (March 2, 2026) — The 99th Bacardi Cup opened Monday with champagne sailing and a close finish that set the tone for the week ahead. On a 15 to 17 knot champagne day, 77 Star teams charged off the line on Biscayne Bay for the first of six scheduled races.

After more than two hours of long-course racing, Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen (USA) claimed the opening victory over six-time consecutive Bacardi Cup champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada (POL). Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry (BRA) finished third.

“The competition is super strong,” said five-time Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt. “It’s like a world championship. There’s a mix of Olympic medalists, world champions, and legends of the sport. The racing is fierce, but the camaraderie is most special. That’s what makes the Star Class unique.”

The opening beat stretched more than two nautical miles, with the left side paying early before the breeze began oscillating across the course.

“It was a beautiful day on the water,” said Kusznierewicz. “Champagne conditions. But very tactical. On the final beat we were waiting for a right shift. It came just a little too late.”

That late shift defined the finish.

On the final approach, the leaders split one last time. As Kusznierewicz and Prada gained at the top of the final beat from the right, they appeared poised to overtake Cayard and Kleen in the final moments. Cayard recognized the favored end of the finish line and held his lane.

“Mateusz was physically ahead of us,” said Cayard. “If I had gone to him, he would have crossed me. But the wind had shifted so far right that we could nearly lay the finish. We tacked and managed to hold on.”

Behind the front three, Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) finished fourth, followed by Brian Ledbetter and Brian Terhaar (USA) in fifth.

Race 1 Top 5

1. Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen (USA)

2. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL)

3. Robert Scheidt/Austin Sperry (BRA)

4. Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA)

5. Brian Ledbetter/Brian Terhaar (USA)