Cuyler Morris and Dark Horse Win the Bacardi Invitational Regatta 2026

09 March 2026 - Miami, FL, USA - At the 2026 Bacardi Invitational Regatta in Miami, the Melges 24 fleet delivered one of the regatta’s most competitive storylines, with the outcome remaining undecided until the final race after a week of close racing in classic Biscayne Bay conditions. 25 teams lined up in a high-quality international fleet where consistency proved decisive across the series.

In the end, Dark Horse, helmed by Cuyler Morris, secured overall victory after another tightly contested duel with Bora Gulari’s Mavi, continuing the rivalry already seen at the 2025 U.S. National Championship, where the same two teams had finished separated by a single point. Dark Horse’s crew of Manu Weiller, Charlie Smythe, Mark Ivey, and Alec Anderson combined speed and consistency to hold off strong pressure through the final day.

DARK ENERGY USA875 by Laura Grondin

Anna Suslova

Second place went to Dark Energy, helmed by Laura Grondin, whose team featured Taylor Canfield, Ian Liberty, George Peet, and Tomas Dietrich, remained in contention throughout the regatta and added further depth to an already world-class podium. 

MAVI USA874 by Bora Gulari

Anna Suslova

Third overall went to Mavi, where Bora Gulari and his crew of Norman Berge, Nick Ford, Trevor Burd, and Jonathan McKee stayed within striking distance all week, underlining once again the remarkable depth of the current North American fleet.

TEAM RRH NOR749 by Jan Fredrik Dyvi

Anna Suslova

In the Corinthian division, the Norwegian Team RRH (NOR 749) helmed by Jan Frederik Dyvi secured the overall Corinthian victory, delivering the most consistent all-amateur performance of the regatta. Second place went to Thin Ice (USA 52) with Stuart Hebb at the helm, while Smile and Wave (USA 829), steered by Jaime Torres, completed the Corinthian podium in third. 

The week confirmed once again the extraordinary depth currently present in the Melges 24 fleet: former world champions, leading owner-drivers, top tacticians, and strong Corinthian teams all racing within a narrow scoring range under steady Miami breeze and efficient race management.

Top 10 Overall

1. Dark Horse - USA 870 - Cuyler Morris - 22 pts

2. Dark Energy - USA 875 - Laura Grondin - 30 pts

3. Mavi - USA 874 - Bora Gulari - 30 pts

4. Full Throttle - USA 849 - Brian Porter - 36 pts

5. Zenda Express - USA 866 - Harry Melges - 40 pts

6. Sentinel - USA 856 - Geoff Fargo - 41 pts

7. Flying Jenny - USA 869 - Sandy Askew - 42 pts

8. The 300 - USA 839 - Steve Boho - 54 pts

9. Nika - MON 860 - Vladimir Prosikhin - 58 pts

10. Warcanoe - USA 825 - Michael Goldfarb - 60 pts

Top 3 Corinthian

1. Team RRH - NOR 749 - Jan Frederik Dyvi - 71 pts

2. Thin Ice - USA 52 - Stuart Hebb - 88 pts

3. Smile and Wave - USA 829 - Jaime Torres - 91 pts

Full results

Event website