With one race left in the 86th Bacardi Cup, the Brazilian team of Lars Grael and Mario Lagoa saw their weeklong lead slip to only two points Friday as a Miami team worked its way up from the bottom of the fleet to the runner-up position.
Going into Saturday’s final on Biscayne Bay, only six points separate the top five boats in the fleet of 56 Stars.
In Friday’s final race of the day, the Brazilians finished 32nd for a total score of 23 points, and Miamians Mark Mendelblatt and crew Brian Fatih came in first for 25.
The Miamians had a terrible start Monday — sent to the basement after crossing the line early — but progressed throughout the week with finishes of 13th, third, two fourths, and Friday’s win. Teams are allowed to discard their worst finish.
Defending champion skipper Xavier Rohart of France and crew Serge Pulfer are third overall, only a point behind the Americans. Italy’s Diego Negri and Frithjof Kleen are fourth, followed by Miami skipper Augie Diaz — the 2003 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year — and crew Arnis Baltins in fifth.
The competition among the Stars is the headline event of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, which began Monday. The four other classes — Audi Melges 20; Melges 24; Viper 640; and J/70 — began racing Thursday.
After four races in the 45-boat Melges 20 class, James Wilson of Rye, N.Y., and his team Friday maintained their opening-day lead. Skipper Alan Field of Los Angeles and crew top the Melges 24 class after four races.
Skipper Pieter Taselaar of Newport, R.I., leads his 18-boat class after six races. In the 20-boat J/70 fleet, Brian Keane of Weston, Mass., and his crew are in the top spot after six races.
Fishing
After the first day of fishing in the Jimmy Johnson National Billfish Championship in Key Largo, the crew of Blue Time has a one release lead over the Get Let Fishing Team.
The JJNBC is the final leg in the three-part series of the Quest for the Crest, and the Get Lit fishing team, skippered by Quinton Dieterle, is in first place after releasing nine sails.
“We are in the lead for the crest, but I want to win the tournament, too,” Get Lit owner Kitt Tomey said.
Throughout most of the morning The Edge, in fourth by time, held the lead but by lunch time Get Lit, Blue Time and Liquid Skillstorm had pulled ahead.
COREY W. CAMPBELL
Standing: Blue Time 10, Get Lit 9, Liquid Skillstorm 9, The Edge 9, Kawama 8, 4 Aces, 7, Skipjac 7, Weez in the Keys 7, Jichi 7, Irish Twin 6. Top anglers: Peter Adrian (4 Aces) 5, Ray Rosher (Blue Time) 4, Andres Gomes (Utopia ) 4, Albert Castio (Jichi) 4, Skip Dana (Liquid Skillstorm) 4. Top Female: Sandra MacMillan (Sandman) 1. Top Junior: Joe Akar (High Life) 3.
Corey W. Campbell
Elsewhere
• Men’s tennis: No. 4 Barry beat Georgetown 7-2 at the Buccaneer Tennis Center on Friday. The Bucs (11-0) won two of three doubles and five of six singles.
• Men’s basketball: No. 7 Barry lost to No. 2 Florida Southern 75-57 in the quarterfinals of the Sunshine State Conference tournament. No. 6 Nova Southeastern lost to No. 3 Eckerd 62-48.
RSS
My Yahoo