Patience tested at Melges 24 Worlds

Middelfart, Denmark (July 1, 2015) – Light winds continued for the second day of the Melges 24 World Championship, but the 7-10 knots of wind was still enough to complete three races. With six races now scored, the 95 teams are able to discard their worst race.

Thanks to a solid progression, Italian Andrea Racchelli’s Altea ITA735 (6-5-8 today) is now leading the ranking with five point margin on Bora Gulari’s Air Force One USA820 (4-8-13), that uses the discard to throw away the 44 points collected in race number three. The provisional podium is completed by Swiss Chris Rast’s EFG SUI684 (20-1-16), that anticipates the first hour leader Czech Martin Trcka’s ICZ/Rodop CZE704 (30-11-23) and Italian Riccardo Simoneschi’s Audi tron ITA840 (11-2-31), together with 50 points.

“We are really happy about this great start and we will try to do our best to defend our leadership but it will be not easy: the fleet is really huge and wind is light and shifty,” said Racchelli. “It seems that tomorrow will be a windy day and we are ready to surf the waves – finally.”

Also the fight for the Corinthian Trophy starts to be interesting, with German Kicker Schäfer’s Musto Racing GER803 (17-24-11) that is now in front of Austrian Four And A Half Men AUT681 (8-30-3) with Franz Urlesberger in helm and Estonian Tõnu Tõniste’s Lenny EST790 (1-18-20). The Corinthian boats are respectively on the sixth, ninth and twelfth positions in the overall ranking.

The weather forecast prediction on Thursday is the windiest of the week.

Eighteen nations are represented: Austria (3), Czech Republic (1), Denmark (17), Estonia (2), Finland (2), Great Britain (3), Germany (18), Hungary (2), Italy (5), Lichtenstein (1), Netherlands (5), Norway (18), Slovenia (1), Switzerland (4), Slovak Republic (1), Sweden (9), Ukraine (2) and United States of America (1).

A maximum of 14 races will be sailed and the schedule allows for up to three races per day.

Five (5) races are required to be completed to constitute the championship. When fewer than six (6) races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. When from six (6) to twelve (12) races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her scores excluding her worst score. When thirteen (13) or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her two worst scores.

The professional and Corinthian crews will race against each other in a single fleet for the overall Melges 24 World Championship title, with the Corinthian results being extracted to determine the winner of the Corinthian World Championship title. Fifty-six out of ninety-five teams will fight for the Corinthian (non-professionals allowed) World Champion’ Trophy which comes all the way long from Australia here.

The World Championships will be covered with live TV, taped interview shows, online tracking and on social channels.

Danish broadcasting company SportsXstream will use their custom-build TV-catamaran to cover the racing with additional cameras placed on the race course. This will be mixed live with tracking devices on the boats to make it possible to follow the racing – even for the people who need to be at work.

Day Two Results (Top 10 of 95; 6 races, 1 discard)

Event details – Entry list – Results – Facebook – Live-Streaming

Event dates:
Saturday 27 to Monday 29 of June: Measurement and registration
Monday 29 of June: Practice race and the Opening Ceremony at the Hindsgavl Castle
Tuesday 30 of June to Sunday 5th of July: 2015 Melges 24 World Championship
Sunday 5 of July: Closing Ceremony