Big wins to Casting Couch and Dark Horse on day one at Bacardi Winter Series

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 Top 10 results - 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