Bombarda of Andrea Pozzi Takes the Crown in Single Race Showdown at Bacardi Winter Series Event 1

December 17, 2023 - Miami, USA -  A riveting single race on Sunday, December 17, determined the leaderboard for Bacardi Winter Series Event 1.

Bacardi Winter Series photo gallery by Hannah Lee Noll in Flickr

The overcast sky that lingered from Saturday gave way to clearing skies on Sunday, with a westerly breeze exceeding 20 knots and gusts up to 30 knots on Biscayne Bay. Once again, the vagaries of the weather played havoc with the schedule, disrupting the Race Committee's initial hope for three back-to-back races. A one-hour postponement ashore and no let-up in the weather conditions led the committee to opt for a single race.

The challenging conditions would reward superior teamwork, and with both J/70 and Melges 24 running deep with talent, it was a question of where the luck would lie. Despite just one race, teams were happy to get out on the water and enjoy plenty of on-the-edge action.

Bombarda ITA865 - Andrea Pozzi / Filippo Amonti / Matteo IvaldI / Stefano Ciampalini / Carlo Zermini

Hannah Lee Noll

Andrea Pozzi’s team on Bombarda took control of the seventeen-boat Melges 24 fleet to secure the top spot, with Cuyler Morris on Dark Horse coming in second and Laura Grondin’s Dark Energy finishing third.

Reflecting on their performance, Pozzi remarked, "Although we didn’t sail a lot, it was great. Today was very good. I like these Miami conditions; it was fantastic. Today, there was a lot of wind, and I like the wind. Bombarda is very fast with the wind, and this is a good program for San Francisco,” he added in optimistic reference to the upcoming Melges 24 Worlds, August 17-24, 2024. 

Bombarda will race Bacardi Winter Series 2 and the BCIR before heading to San Francisco. 
 
Pozzi commended the event, stating, "Bacardi consistently excels in organization; everything is superb. It's why we return year after year!"

Surprise CAN629 of Dan Berezin with Denys Kalchenko / Mykhaylo Mayevskyy / Aliaksandr Praskurnin / Michale Berezin

Hannah Lee Noll

 
Dan Berezin's Canadian team on Surprise claimed the top Corinthian spot, in 11th place overall, with Berezin's twelve-year-old son contributing to the success. ‘Surprise' recently finished second at the 2023 Melges 24 North Americans.

 Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Berezin commented, "Probably not the best conditions for us, but I guess we managed, and it was enough for the Corinthian title. It wasn’t the best race, but sometimes it is enough to finish! I am looking forward to being here next month."

Melges 24 Final Top 10 results
1. Andrea Pozzi / Filippo Amonti / Matteo IvaldI / Stefano Ciampalini / Carlo Zermini (ITA 865)
2. Cuyler Morris / Keiran Searle / Charlie Hibben / Elizabeth Whitner / John Bowden (USA 863)
3. Laura Grondin / Taylor Canfield / Federico Michetti / Ian Liberty / Mark Ivey (USA 864)
4. Geoff Fargo / Jackson Benvenutti / Grant Janov / William McBride / Haydon Stapleton (USA 856)
5. Richard Reid / Serena Vilage / Ian Sloan / Bill Gooderham / Brian Kamilar (CAN 853)
6. Bora Gulari / Norman Berge / Nicholas Ford / Carlos Robles / Dave Hughes (USA 820)
7. Sandra Askew / Drew Barnes / Key Becker / Robert Greelhalg / Nicolas Muller / Nick Turney (USA 869)
8. Jaime Torres / Rob Britts / Meaghan Hislop / Dawn Menegazzi / Marty Kullman (USA 545)
9. Michael Wilson / Helen Wilson / Stuart Bithell / Luke Patience / Simon Potts (USA 801)
10. Steven Boho / Ted Keller / Tom Babel / Andrew Girrell (USA 839)

Complete results
 
The post-race Bacardi party and prize giving were celebrated at Shake-A-Leg Miami.

The next event on the program is Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 from January 26-28, 2024, followed by the concluding event of the series, the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta from March 6-9, 2024. Miami, renowned for its unique blend of world-class racing and vibrant social atmosphere, combined with Bacardi hosting its renowned daily happy hours, entertainment and music makes the perfect backdrop.
 

Text Credit: Luissa Smith
Photo Credits: Hannah Lee Noll

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