Sandy Askew Wins Bacardi Winter Series Event No. 2 in Dramatic Final-Race Showdown
MIAMI (Feb. 23, 2026) — Biscayne Bay delivered three distinct days of racing as Bacardi Winter Series Event No. 2 unfolded in classic Miami fashion: light-air precision to open, building pressure through the middle, and a 15–20 knot finale that turned the overall standings into a high-stakes calculation few could solve on the water.
Hosted at Shake-A-Leg Miami, the second act of the 2026 Bacardi Winter Series brought together an international Melges 24 fleet sharpening form ahead of a pivotal championship season. Fifteen teams assembled representing the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Monaco, Italy, Sweden, Bermuda, and Hungary — a convergence of experience, ambition, and recalibrated crew lineups.
Early races on Friday and Saturday rewarded patience and positioning. The opening days were defined by subtle pressure lines and disciplined risk management, with multiple teams taking turns at the top of the leaderboard. Harry Melges IV’s Zenda Express showed early pace. Bora Gulari’s Mavi, sailing as “Full Mavi” with Kyle Navin, RJ Porter, and Bri Porter, demonstrated consistency. Sandy Askew’s Flying Jenny remained firmly in the hunt, never allowing separation at the top.
By Sunday morning, the circumstances were unforgiving: Askew and Gulari entered the final race tied for the overall lead. Melges stood just one point back. Three boats. One race. No buffer.
The breeze built steadily into the mid-to-high teens, occasionally pressing 20 knots — enough to reward conviction and punish hesitation.
Gulari controlled the first beat and rounded the opening windward mark in front. Askew found pressure down the first run and surged past. Gulari slipped to sixth at one stage before clawing back into second. Melges, buried early, found gold on the right side of the next beat and charged back into contention. Positions flipped repeatedly. At various moments, all three teams carried deep-digit race scores that threatened their regatta.
No one could compute the outcome in real time. When the fleet crossed the finish line, even the leading teams were unsure of the result. Only after discards were applied did the picture resolve and reveal Askew and her Flying Jenny team had done enough.
Sandy Askew, sailing with tactician Rob Greenhalgh, Alex Gough, Patrick Farrell, and Drew Barnes, secured her first Bacardi victory in a finale that will be remembered as one of the most tightly contested in recent winter series history.
“I feel so blessed,” Askew said dockside. “This team is incredible; they work so hard and bring so much experience. And to do this with Flying Jenny, named after my mom, with her picture on our spinnaker — that makes it even more special.”
In the all-amateur division, Stuart Simpson’s Team Barbarians earned Corinthian honors with Harbor Scheuermann at the helm of Speedster finishing in second. Canada’s Chris Woodall racing OxCart came third.
Ashore, the cadence remained unmistakably Bacardi. For nearly a century, the brand’s partnership with sailing has shaped Miami’s winter rhythm: racing by day, animated debriefs at sunset, and an open Bacardi bar serving as the unofficial strategy room. North Sails supported the fleet throughout the weekend with daily weather briefings, post-race analysis, and on-site sail service — reinforcing the professional standard that defines the series.
With nine races completed and another chapter written, the Miami winter arc now bends toward its crescendo: the 99th Bacardi Cup, March 5–7. The Bacardi Cup will decide the overall Bacardi Winter Series champion, and as both a North American Sailing Series event and a Southeast Racing Series event, the stakes rise considerably. Its completion will mark two events scored in the North American Sailing Series and three in the Southeast Racing Series — tightening the leaderboard and sharpening every start.
If Event No. 2 proved anything, it is that margins are razor thin and momentum is real. Miami’s next chapter promises championship-level intensity across the board.