Pozzi's Bombarda Wins Single Race Showdown at Bacardi
A riveting single race on Sunday, December 17, awarded Andrea Pozzi’s Bombarda with top honors at Bacardi’s first Winter Series event of 2024. Congratulations to Andrea and his team which included Filippo Amonti, Matteo Ivaldi, Stefano Ciampalini and Carlo Zermini.
December 17, 2023 - Miami, USA - A riveting single race on Sunday, December 17, determined the leaderboard for Bacardi Winter Series Event 1.
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 were sure to reward superior teamwork, and 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.
Andrea Pozzi’s team on Bombarda, a.k.a. — THE BOMB! 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 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. Pozzi’s 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!"
Dan Berezin’s Surprise wins the Melges 24 Corinthian division in Miami, FL. Congrats to him and his team which included Denys Kalchenko, Mykhaylo Mayevskyy, Aliaksandr Praskurnin and 12-year old Michale Berezin.
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. Berezin recently finished second at the 2023 Melges 24 North Americans, and won the Corinthian division at the recently held U.S. National Championship. This win confirms his win on the 2023 U.S. National Ranking Series.
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."
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.
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