Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 in Miami, USA - Day 1
by Luissa Smith 15 Dec 13:22 NZDT
December 14-15, 2024
Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 Day 1: J/70 – an unstoppable performance from ‘Casting Couch' © Hannah Lee Noll
The two-day Bacardi Winter Series Event 1 opened today, Saturday, December 14, for the forty-six teams racing in the J/70 and Melges 24 on Biscayne Bay, Miami. The strong breeze set the stage for a spectacular and thrilling showcase of speed, skill and teamwork.
The morning weather briefing from North Sails forecast the powerful and challenging conditions, which saw teams battle an east-north-easterly breeze gusting to over 25 knots. While the front of fleet players thrived on the exhilarating yet punishing racetrack, others found it a test of endurance, with more than a few wipeouts.
As the conditions closed in, with driving rain, escalating breeze and the imminent arrival of storm clouds, Principal Race Officer Mark Foster made the decisive call to abandon racing after the first race.
Back ashore, teams gathered for a lively race debrief hosted by North Sails, delving into key takeways from the day. Bacardi's renowned hospitality then took centre stage, offering the chance to unwind with signature cocktails.
Racing continues on Sunday, 15 December, with a scheduled start at 1100 hrs. Alongside the challenge for podium places at BWS #1, teams will accumulate points as the series advance to BWS #2 on January 24-26, 2025, before culminating at the series finale, the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, March 5-8, 2025.
J/70
Cate Muller's 'Casting Couch' put on a master class of superiority to lead the J/70 fleet from start to finish. Starting at the pin end, their unmatched precision and outright pace left the fleet to look on. Approaching the final mark, they powered up again, launching off to dismiss the chasing pack even further behind. Bruno Pasquinelli's 'Stampede' scored a well-fought second place, with third to John Brim's crew on 'Rimette'.
Muller, who returns to Miami for the first time since the Melges Midwinters in February 2023, described the day, saying, "It was not pleasant in the rain sense, but a really fun day of sailing pleasant!"
Referring to the conditions, Muller added, "It was top end of the range. We really just got off the line clean and let the boat do what it does. We were sailing pretty fast today, so it was a pleasant trip around the racecourse! We had a good time."
Muller complimented her team's strong dynamic, adding, "I have Nick Turney, who has been sailing with me like forever, he is still trimming kite and jib. Then Alan, my husband, is on the bow and Steve Hunt is trimming the main and calling tactics. It's going really well. I think that Nick and I have always had a really great vibe and it's awesome to have Steve and Alan, because they are both so incredibly talented, and now they can complement each other in a really fun way. There is tons of confidence in everyone and it's really, really fun.
J/70 Provisional Results: (top ten after 1 race)
1. Cate Muller-Terhune / Allan Terhune / Steve Hunt / Nick Turney (USA 34) - 1 pt
2. Bruno Pasquinelli / Greiner Hobbs / River Paquin / Patrick Wilson (USA 240) - 2 pts
3. John Brim / Ian Barrows / Ed Lebens / Scott Ewing (USA 19) - 3 pts
4. Margaret McKillen / David Gilmour / Chuck Norris / Orrin Starr (USA 1523) - 4 pts
5. John Heaton / Will Felder / Mark Ivy / Goncalo Ribeiro (USA 169) - 5 pts
6. Richard Witzel / Tomas Dietrich / Carlos Robles / Max Salminen (USA 1562) - 6 pts
7. James Murray / James Murray / Zeke Horowitz / Steve Leuck / Will Howard (USA 152) - 7 pts
8. John Gochberg / Michael Devlin / Cole Barney / Chris Schon (USA 551) - 8 pts
9. Kevin Morgan / Kris Werner / Dan Cameron / Scott Nixon (USA 40) - 9 pts
10. Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa / Guilherme Hamelmann / Julio Falcão Carvalho / Felipe Rondina (BRA 1226) - 10 pts
Melges 24
Ruthless racing in the Melges 24 saw Cuyler Morris and his 'Dark Horse' team launch a winning opener. Controlling the fleet from the outset was Richard Reid's crew on 'Zingara', who capitalised on their well-positioned mid-line start. Reid rounded the final windward mark ahead, but Morris had the speed advantage and reeled them in. Third to Brian Wynne's team on 'Trim Reaper'.
Describing the day, Cuyler Morris said, "We had a decent start, small fleet and just hung in upwind and had good run in the breeze. Then it really got exciting in the top second run, which is where the breeze really came. I have been sailing with these guys for a while, so we're kind of used to the heavy air and managed to slide downwind on that last run pretty nicely, before all the dark clouds really showed up. My crew is awesome. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to sail with."
Describing racing a Melges 24 in big breeze, Morris explained, "The boats are fast. They are challenging upwind and downwind. It's like hot butter on a skillet downwind, especially in that breeze. You get people in the back of the boat and it just goes downwind. It's a lot of fun!"
Melges 24 Provisional Results: (top ten after 1 race)
1. Cuyler Morris / Keiran Searle / Manu Weiler / Charlie Hibben / Elizabeth Whitener (USA 863) - 1 pt
2. Richard Reid / Brian Kamilar / Serena Vilage / Mark Spearman / Alan Johnson (CAN 853) - 2 pts
3. Brian Wynne / Eddie Adams / Ricky Welch / Emily Alfortish / AJ Pereira (USA 420) - 3 pts
4. Peter McClennen / Mike Marshall / Severin Gramm / Wilson Stout / Key Becker (USA 811) - 4 pts
5. Jaime Torres / Marty Kullman / Neil Battrum / Nick Amendola / Nick Barta (PUR 829) - 5 pts
6. Jan Frederik Dyvi / Jan Borø / Herman Horn-Johannessen / Stian Ness Rørvik / Malin Rørvik-Sundelin (NOR 749) - 6 pts
7. Stuart Simpson / Sam Hunt / Fred Kemp / John Downey / Bernard FitzPatrick (GBR 691) - 7 pts
8. Alexander Korakis / Ashley Korakis / Jason Chavez / Nadia Daggett / OH Rogers (USA 737) - 8 pts
9. Connor Baker / Ella Baker / Max Baker / Devon Baker / Todd Jones (USA 078) - 14 pts
10. Roger Lyon / Owen Szafran / Kevin Alcock (USA 443) - 14 pts
bacardiinvitational.com