Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
On a day where every gust mattered and every tack counted, Biscayne Bay transformed the light-air finale into a masterclass of precision and teamwork. With the 6-10 knot breeze whispering across the water, the fleet faced postponements and shifting conditions, turning the racecourse into a stage for tactical brilliance
The 98th Bacardi Cup fleet was a who’s-who of sailing greatness, featuring six former Bacardi Cup winners, eleven Star World Champions and a host of Star Class legends. Consistency across six races was a monumental task, but Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada rose to the occasion once again, defending their title and securing an incredible sixth consecutive victory with a race to spare.
The 98th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta made history, with a record-breaking entry uniting over 600 sailors across 200 teams to compete for some of sailing’s most coveted titles. The event concluded in style with a spectacular prize-giving at Shake a Leg Miami, followed by the legendary Bacardi after-party.
The sense of being part of something special is palpable, as this jewel in the sailing calendar draws teams back year after year with its unique blend of world-class racing and unforgettable camaraderie. Save the date and come sail with us from March 1-7, 2026.
98th Bacardi Cup
The desire to win amongst the world’s best makes the Bacardi Cup an annual pilgrimage. This year, 65 Star teams made the journey to Miami, where since 1962 the Coral Reef Yacht Club has proudly hosted the event.
Winning the Bacardi Cup is an ultimate ambition for Star sailors - a rare achievement that is open to all but attained by only a few. The Bacardi Cup exudes an air of relaxed camaraderie, yet out on the race track lies a battlefield where only the extraordinary prevail. Victory is never promised, and the leaderboard stands as a testament to unmatched skill and perseverance.
Yet, once again, Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada defended their title, securing an incredible sixth consecutive win. By the end of Friday’s race 5, the duo had already clinched victory, as a remarkable comeback through the fleet to finish in second place left them with an unassailable scorecard. With a 5th-place discard, their total score would only rise to 12 points whatever their result from today’s final race, making it mathematically impossible for Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen to catch them. Out of respect for the event and their fellow sailors, Kusznierewicz/Prada sailed the final race, finishing 19thwhile staying clear of the front-runners.
With the title out of reach, Cayard/Kleen shifted focus to defending their second place. The podium battle would be intense, with just 6 points separating the teams in second through fourth. The race 6 showdown was set between Cayard/Kleen, Will Stout/Danny Cayard, Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, and Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche.
In a riveting race, Cayard/Kleen fell out of contention early, slipping through the pack. At the finish, Doyle/Infelise and Jennings/Trouche were neck and neck, vying for second overall. Jennings/Trouche needed at least one boat between themselves and Doyle/Infelise to move up but couldn’t manage it, settling for third overall as they crossed the finish line in 3rd just ahead of their rivals in fourth. Doyle/Infelise claimed second overall, while Stout/Cayard ended the regatta in fourth, with Cayard/Kleen rounding out the top five.
Following tradition, Eddie Cutillas of Bacardi was at the finish line to congratulate Kusznierewicz/Prada. Later at the prize giving, amidst huge applause, the champions celebrated their remarkable achievement by sipping Bacardi rum from the iconic Bacardi Cup Trophy and Tito Bacardi Cup.
Kusznierewicz/Prada have forged a genius and formidable team to remain as custodians of the Bacardi Cup Trophy and Tito Bacardi Cup for six successive years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. They first made history in 2023, as the only same-crew team to win five consecutive times and have now reset the history books again. They will however need to add another three titles to their trophy cabinet to match the eight titles achieved by James ‘Ding’ Schoonmaker.
A bit overwhelmed after their win, Kusznierewicz said, “I’m still trying to get this win into myself. I still can’t believe we made it. It’s every time a different regatta, every time we have like a fresh approach, but now it comes to me that we did something unbelievable. Six years in a row to sail so well, especially that the fleet is so strong and every year is a little bit different game. It’s amazing, I still don’t feel it.”
“It’s an outstanding thing,” added Prada. “Not to win six Bacardi’s, but six in a row. It is not normal in the Star Class that this happens. Since I started sailing Star, I never saw this before. We have a program to develop equipment and sailing and everything with Augie, and I think this make a big difference.”
They make winning the Bacardi Cup look effortless, but Kusznierewicz assures it is anything but, saying, “Trust me it’s not easy. We left everything on the racecourse. It’s amazing how tired we are. It’s full concentration, it’s feeling the wind, analysing everything. Before the race we spent hours on discussion and analysing the weather forecast, the settings, our notes, what other people were doing. It is hours, days, weeks or months of preparation. This is the sport on the highest performance level, and this is how we approach this. We just spoke after finishing that it was one of the toughest Bacardi Cups for us physically.”
Kusznierewicz also shared some words of wisdom from his idol John Bertrand, which still inspire him, noting, “His way of approaching life and the key to longevity is ‘someone to love, something interesting to do and something to look forward to’, and I think together with Bruno, we’ve got it also in our lives.”
The U30 Bacardi Cup continues to nurture the next generation of talent, with ten U30 teams competing this year. Top U30 finishers Nick Heuwinkel/Jesper Spehr (23rd overall), along with champions Kusznierewicz/Prada, will receive Bacardi’s support to compete at the Star Class Worlds in Croatia, from September 5-13, 2025.
Final Star Results - Top 3
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL 8602) - 12pts
2. Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA 8580) – 20 pts
3. Jack Jennings/Pedro Trouche (USA 8464) - 21 pts
Prizes were also presented to the category winners:
U30 (skipper under 30) - Nick Heuwinkel/Jesper Spehr
Master (skippers aged 50 through 59) - Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise
Grand Master (skippers aged 60+) - Paul Cayard/Frithjof Kleen
Exalted Grand Master (skippers aged 70+) - Augie Diaz/Tudor Bilic
Tammy Rubin-Rice Trophy - Hubert Merkelbach/Christian Nehammer
