Peter Wright was not yet 21 when he won his first Bacardi Cup in 1975, racing alongside his father on Biscayne Bay. Half a century later, he has entered the 100th edition.
That journey, from father-and-son victory to centennial return, says something about what this regatta has become. Few sailing events survive long enough to mean something across generations. The Bacardi Cup, first contested in 1927, is one of them.
Registration for the March 7-13, 2027 edition opened last week. Within 24 hours, 140 teams had signed up.
The entry list already spans the spectrum of Star Class ambition. Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada, who have won six consecutive editions, are in. So are reigning champions Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen, and 2018 title holders Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi. Wright, a three-time winner, rounds out a field that reads as a condensed history of the class.
“For 100 years, this event has brought together competition, friendship, and celebration in a way that is truly unique,” said Eddie Cutillas of Bacardi USA. “Seeing 140 teams commit within the first 24 hours shows just how special this centennial edition will be.”
The regatta runs across five Miami yacht clubs, with Biscayne Bay providing the race track and the clubs handling the rest, including the hospitality that has become as much a part of the Bacardi Cup identity as the racing itself.
Event Director Sara Zanobini called the early response a measure of what the regatta means beyond any single year’s results. “Past champions, sailing legends, longtime competitors, and newcomers all coming together to be part of this historic celebration,” she said.
There remain eight months of entries still to come.
https://bacardiinvitational.com/
