The final day of racing at the US Nationals was an absolute corker with clear skies, sunshine and 72 degrees. Winds were 10-12 knots from 180-190 degrees. Three races were completed to make the regatta total - nine races, with one throw out.
Production of the new Devoti Melges 24 is now fully up and running at Devoti Sailing's facility in Poland with the first completed boats expected to be finished within a couple of weeks. View a picture gallery of images from the factory showing the first boats in build.
North Sails Race Week, held from Long Beach CA between 27-29 June is the first US West Coast event in this year's World Ranking Series. There are 7 races over 3 days of races (Friday's races starts at 2:30).
Brian Porter and his Melges 24 Team of Andy Burdick, brother John Porter and Dave Navin won the 3 Regatta Melges 24 Winter Series for 2003. This is the 6th time this team has won this exciting series. Brian's Melges 24 Full Throttle won the Jacksonville, Florida regatta in mid November.
Miami Beach was the location for the final US winter series regatta for the growing Melges 24 Class. The Melges 24 Winter Series begins in Jacksonville, Florida. The Midwinters is in Key West and then the final stop is Miami.
The NOR and Entry form for both Torbole Melges Week, 1-4 May on Lake Guarda, Italy, and the new Massilia Mono Regatta, which takes place in Cassis, France, from 4-6 April, are now available on line.
The next three events in the World Ranking Series are just around the corner so if you haven't already put in your entries and booked your accommodation for the US Nationals (13-15 March, Pensacola, FL), the Texahoma Lakefest Regatta (11-13 April, Lake Texhoma, TX) and SNIM (18-21 April, Marseille,
Eric Hood reports direct from the race course of the 2003 St Petersburg NOOD - Nineteen Melges 24 teams made it to this years annual event. I believe it was the sixteenth or seventeenth event hosted by great sponsors and of course our primary sponsor Sailing World magazine.
The number of boats based in Holland and Belgium is steadily increasing and long standing Melges 24 owner Simon Hughes, now based in Holland, is keen to get in touch with all Melges sailors in the area with a view to arranging joint events, travel, etc.