2017 Melges 24 European Sailing Series Marstrand, Sweden Day 2 - Maidollis Keeps the Lead, Taki 4 Near Behind

18.06.2017
June 17, 2017 - Marstrand, Sweden - Would be hard to ask better weather conditions for sailing than they were in Marstrand today. Compared to the first day, the sailors were met with lovely sunshine and consistent westerly winds of ten to twelve knots - just a perfect day! These conditions made the mission easier for the Race Committee of the Marstrands Segelsällskap who managed four great races for Melges 24 teams being on the same race course today with the Dragon class having here the historical Apply Emtunga Cup. Two Italians - Maidollis ITA854 and Taki 4 ITA778 - had the main battle today being now top two boats on the scoreboard with a nice margin ahead of Gill Race Team GBR694.
 
Maidollis ITA854 - Marstrand SWELuca Perego's Maidollis ITA854 with Carlo Fracassoli helming took two more bullets today in Marstrand. Photo (c) Anna Bergkvist
 
It was a black flag what mixed the cards today quite a lot. Being on the same race course with another class meant a more strict timeline for getting the races started and Race Committee managed this situation well, although the sailors' eagerness to get races started got penalized by the black flag for quite some boats. It was the case for the yesterday's second, Kristoffer Spone's Baghdad II NOR400 dropping to the fourth from the second place yesterday. Also both teams from overseas got BFD today once dropping them few places in the ranking. Top three boats did not mistake and current leader, Luca Perego's Maidollis ITA854 with Carlo Fracassoli helming took two more bullets today, but also fourth place and discarded thirty three points for DNF, securing the leading position with fifteen points in total.
Taki 4 ITA778 - Marstrand SWE
The Corinthian leader, Marco Zammarchi's Taki 4 with Niccolo Bertola in helm was showing consistent score of 1-3-4-3 today.  - Photo (c) Anna Bergkvist
Just three points behind, with eighteen points in total, on the second position now is the Corinthian leader, Marco Zammarchi's Taki 4 ITA778 with Niccolo Bertola in helm. With consistent score of 1-3-4-3 today the reigning Corinthian World champion is showing their improving strength and performance approaching the upcoming Worlds in Helsinki. It was totally different day for Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team GBR694 with Geoff Carveth in helm today. Being eleventh on the first day, they managed to score consistent 2-2-3-5 completing the podium of today. 
 
Gill Race Team GBR694 - Marstrand SWE
Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team GBR694 with Geoff Carveth in helm managed to score consistent 2-2-3-5 completing the podium of today. Photo (c) Anna Bergkvist
Miles Quinton, the owner of Gill Race Team GBR694, was very happy with the day and results achieved. "It was much better day today for us. Also the conditions were much in favor both for sailors and Race Committee. The course was stable today giving you also better opportunities to pass. It was really fair racing and Race Committee did a really good job keeping a good discipline and timeline. The fleet here is very competitive and it makes the competition very interesting and challenging. Both Italian teams are really very consistent and we are a bit less consistent with U.S. teams. Also it's great to see strong performance from Norwegian fleet and Danish teams. I forecast that the competition at the Worlds in Helsinki will be really fierce! We all are very much looking forward to it!"

In Corinthian division only the third position changed comparing to the yesterday's results. Taki 4 ITA778 helmed by Niccolo Bertola is keeping the leading position with eight points in total (1-2-2-1 today) and two points behind is Gill Race Team GBR694 helmed by Geoff Carveth (2-1-1-2). Tomas Skalen's Miss Devil SWE666 achieved to overall top ten ranking three times today, what brought him to the third place with twenty six points in total.

Miss Devil SWE666 - Marstrand SWE
Today evening the Melges 24 teams will have a Sailors' Dinner at the restaurant Shanti-Shanti and can enjoy long daylight of the Nordic. The last day of the regatta will start with the warning signal at 9.55 a.m. Three races are scheduled and the same weather forecast for tomorrow is as good as it was today.

 

For media photos please contact: 
Piret Salmistu 
IM24CA Administrator & Media Coordinator 
+372 507 7217 
piret@melges24.com
2017 Melges 24 European Sailing Series consists of the six events altogether. The first event was held in Portoroz in April, the second regatta was sailed in Riva del Garda in Italy in May; the points for the third event will be collected during the Swedish and Nordic Melges 24 Championship in Marstrand, Sweden in June; the most significant Melges 24 event of the season which is also the fourth event of the series, will be held in July-August in Helsinki, Finland, where the World Champion will be awarded; the fifth event will head to Medemblik in the Netherlands and the series will conclude with the sixth event in Luino, Italy in October.
 
Any queries regarding the event on Marstrand can be directed to:
Marstrand Segelsellskäp
Hans Zickerman
hans.zickerman@gmail.com 
and
Marcus Blomberg
m.blomberg@mclub.se

For further information on the Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2017, please contact:
Piret Salmistu 
IM24CA Administrator & Media Coordinator 
+372 507 7217
Marstrand logos