Bacardi Sailing Week a big part of the Grove

Miami Bacardi Sailing Week has been in town for the 2015 sailing event. It started Sunday, March 1 and will run through Saturday, March 7. Teams representing the world will meet again to race here in Biscayne Bay.

The STAR Class will compete for the 88th time. 

Bacardi has a racing event party each night this week where locals can mix and mingle with the sailors. You've probably seen the white tents and red snails in Kennedy Park. That's the location. There are sponsored tents, including the Coconut Grove BID and others. 

Thursday it was the Vipers and the Stars raced. All ages, both men and women from many countries were racing today in high southerly winds off Coconut Grove. Some said that the only place they ever raced in the world that looked like it really did on tv was here. They all remembered Miami from Burn Notice and Miami Vice and could see the causeway today just as it had appared on tv; letting out their brilliantly colorful spinakers on the bay. 

To celebrate each night there are strong  Bacardi rum drinks as well as the videos taken from atop and around the boats as they sped across the bay. Although parched by the sun and a little dazed by their adrenaline highs, the racers were still high energy and continued playing (ping pong and bean bag toss) and on their cell phones reporting home about their great victories. 

Photos by Tiffany Field