WHITE ROOM Wins Melges 24 Austrian Open Nationals 2025, AUT 502 Crowned Austrian Champion
30 June, 2025 - Attersee, Austria - The Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2025 made its next stop in the heart of the Alps with the Austrian Open Nationals, held on the picturesque Attersee from June 27–29 and hosted by Segelclub Kammersee (SCK).
With 13 teams from Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy, the regatta offered a dynamic mix of international competition and local tradition. A total of six races were sailed in shifting and often tricky thermal breezes over the first two days, while Sunday brought calm conditions and no further racing.
Challenging but Rewarding Conditions
SCK President and Principal Race Officer Stephan Beurle anticipated challenging conditions, and Attersee certainly delivered. Westerly winds on Friday and Saturday provided unstable but sailable conditions, with big shifts and tactical battles to the finish line. “We look forward to welcoming the Melges 24 sailors and creating fair and safe conditions,” Beurle said ahead of the regatta—and he delivered.
Despite no racing on Sunday due to weak winds, the fleet made the most of their opportunities earlier in the event. Each race saw tight mark roundings and frequent lead changes, highlighting the depth and quality of the fleet.
Tight Battle at the Top
At the top of the scoreboard, WHITE ROOM (GER 677), helmed by Luis Tarabochia and crewed by Sebastian Bühler, Marco Tarabochia, Jules Nett, and Michael Tarabochia, took the overall win with 10 points, showing impressive consistency with a 1-1-3 on Day 1 followed by 2-3 on Day 2.
Tied on 12 points were two strong contenders:
• CHINOOK (HUN 850), skippered by Akos Csolto, had a spectacular Day 2, scoring 1-2 to move up the rankings.
• AUT 502, led by Michael Luschan, stayed steady with another strong performance to retain a podium position.
With these results, WHITE ROOM took the event win, while AUT 502 was declared Austrian Champion 2025 as the highest-placed Austrian team.
Final Standings – Top 5
1. WHITE ROOM (GER 677) – Luis Tarabochia – 10 pts (1, 1, 3, [4], 2, 3)
2. CHINOOK (HUN 850) – Akos Csolto – 12 pts (5, 3, 1, 1, [7], 2)
3. AUT 502 – Michael Luschan – 12 pts (2, 2, 2, [6], 1, 5)
4. ANGRY DRAGON (AUT 752) – Norbert Voith – 20 pts (3, [8], 5, 3, 5, 4)
5. PURE (AUT716) - Michael Schineis - 22 pts (6, [14], 4, 2, 3, 7)
Words from the Winner
“We know the lake and have been coming back for many years,” said Michael Tarabochia of WHITE ROOM. “We were very happy to see teams from Italy and Hungary joining again after a long time. The races demanded everything, but we had tremendous fun. We had luck in some sequences and bad luck in others – that’s sailing! Ultimately, we’re very happy to win and thankful for the great competition. It’s always a pleasure to sail with and against such fantastic teams.”
A Fantastic Event Despite a Calm Final Day
Sunday brought blue skies but no wind, as the thermal breeze failed to develop. After waiting until 13:00, the race committee made the call to end racing, locking in the results after six races.
Melges 24 sailors now look ahead to the next stage of the series in Monfalcone, Italy, from July 5–7.