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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.”