Storm Conditions Open Melges 32 US Nationals

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (December 4, 2015) – Day One of the 2015 Melges 32 U.S. Nationals awoke to torrential downpours that lasted most of the morning, prompting PRO Clyde Wright to wisely postpone the start.

Around 10:30 a.m., the skies parted briefly allowing for a slight 7-9 SSE gradient breeze to fill the course. What would be a consistent theme throughout the day, sailors were left guessing as to what the passing rain clouds would bring to the racecourse.

Normally wearing the team colors of Volpe, Dick DeVos has grabbed the helm of Delta this weekend and launched himself into first place in the first race of the day. Starting mid-line and extending to the left corner, DeVos along with tactician Jonathan McKee and a well-oiled Delta team were able to pick a few small shifts up the first beat and getting an early extension for the lead, ultimately getting the win. Continuing from an impressive European season in 2015, Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio on G-Spot took second, followed by Jason Carroll’s Argo Team in third.

With more rain clouds above, the breeze began to show initial signs of what would be a slow right trend throughout the remainder of the day. Learning lessons from Race One, Carroll picked a few nice places to move up the first beat and round with a healthy lead over Melges 32 newcomers Grant Hood on Quest and Veit Hemmeter/Christian Schwoerer on La Pericolosa. The newbies maintained their positions to finish second and third respectively behind Carroll.

After a brief relocation of the starting line to allow for the trending breeze, the third and final race of Day One began with a heavily-condensed, boat-end favored starting line. Despite the rush-hour traffic at the committee boat, Carroll tacked onto port at the gun and dug into the right corner, flopped onto port and never looked back. A few teams were able to be patient on the left side of the course and make it work, but in the end it was Carroll, Hemmeter/Schwoerer and Richard Goransson’s Inga from Sweden that pieced together the trickiest conditions of the day.

Overall, going into Day Two, Carroll carries a six point lead ahead of Hemmeter/Schwoerer in second with eleven points.

With more rain in the forecast, the breeze is expected to be stronger out of the NE on Day 2, but if today’s random wind was any indication, the forecast will be about as useful as a tube of sunscreen was today.

TOP FIVE RESULTS – OVERALL (Preliminary, After Three Races)
1.) Jason Carroll/Cameron Appleton, ARGO; 3-1-1 = 5
2.) Veit Hemmeter/Christian Schwoerer, La Pericolosa; 6-3-2 = 11
3.) Dick DeVos/Jonathan McKee, Delta; 1-7-5 = 13
4.) Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, G-Spot; 2-8-4 = 14
5.) Ryan DeVos/Mark Mendelblatt, Volpe; 4-4-8 = 16

Event website – Scoreboard – Photos – Facebook

Report by Sam Rogers.