The 2007 Melges 24 European Championship, being run in association with Rolex Baltic Week at Neustadt, Germany, came to a spectacular finish with one final incredible light airs race for the 74 competitors from 14 nations.
It's now 1330 hours and we're still waiting for the wind so we can completed the final two races of the Melges 24 Europeans here at Baltic Race Week in Neustadt. With a 1600 final cut off time the situation is becoming increasingly more tense.
The IMCA and the competitors at the 2007 Melges 24 Europeans at Baltic Race Week would like to say a very special thank you to the support boat crews who assisted competitors during yesterday's bad weather.
Neustadt turns out to be a place of unexpected weather extremes and after yesterday's near gales today we have no wind at all. Right now, as you can see from our photograph, the competitors are held ashore and are desperately waiting for the mist to lift and the wind to appear.
At 1530 the Race Committee of the Melges 24 Europeans at Baltic Race Week in Neustadt announced that it would not be possible to run any races on day five of the championship.
IMAC PRESS RLEASE - Sunday 27th August will see a record breaking 126 Melges 24 teams from fourteen nations commence battle on the beautiful Hyres Bay in the South of France for the 2006 Melges 24 World Championship sponsored by Aigle, Euro-Voiles and Hyres Les Palmiers.
What a difference a day makes! After yesterday's light airs and sunshine this morning we have rain and strong winds here at the Melges 24 Europeans at Rolex Baltic Week in Neustdat.
Rough weather with stormy gusts on the Bay of Neustadt caused spectacular sailing conditions for the Melges 24 sailors of the Rolex Baltic Week on Tuesday (21 August). Some of the 74 teams competing in the European Championship suffered material damages, but no major injuries.
The sixth race of the Melges 24 Worlds at Baltic Race Week in Neustadt, Germany, took place in very strong winds. Several boats elected not to start the race and a number had to retire with gear failure, however, all the boats and crews are now back ashore.
Official Rolex Baltic Week photographer Daniel Forster has been out on the water each day shooting the Melges 24 European Championship. Check out his amazing images - including some stunning pictures of the windy sixth race at WWW.REGATTANEWS.COM
