Freides repeats as Melges 20 Worlds Champion

Cagliari, Italy (October 13, 2018) – All it took was one last, wild ride today, the final day of competition at the 2018 Melges 20 World Championship hosted by Yacht Club Cagliari, to give the International Melges 20 Class Association its second-ever, double, back-to-back World Champion – Drew Freides’ Pacific Yankee.

His magic combination team of tactician Morgan Reeser and crew Charlie Smythe entered the day in third to finish first overall, crowning them supreme for a second year in a row.

Filippo Pacinotti’s Brontolo (ITA) with Manu Weiller as tactician and crew members Federico Michetti and Silvia Morini were runners up. Igor Rytov’s Russian Bogatyrs with tactician Konstantin Besputin and crew Anton Sergeev rounded out the podium in third.

It was a hard fight on the final day, but what was key for Freides was his ability to stay ahead of Pacinotti and Rytov. With the breeze coming from the East Southeast at 10-12 knots, the final race was filled with a string of emotions as the top three teams were separated by only four points.

While Pacinotti and Rytov chose the right side of the course, Freides went left. At the first weather mark things were quite heated as Freides rounded fourth behind Rytov in third, Pacinotti was deep.

Just when it seemed that Pacinotti was out the the game, his very experienced team clawed their way back into the top ten finishing the race in sixth, behind Rytov in fifth, but the race win by Freides sealed the title.

The 2019 World Championship happens April 4-7 in Miami, Florida.

Racing was held October 10-13.

Final Results (Top 10 of 36; 7 races, 1 discard)
1. Pacific Yankee, Drew Freides , USA – 1 -4 -[13] -11 -4 -1 -1 ; 22
2. Brontolo, Filippo Pacinotti , ITA – 4 -8 -1 -1 -[21] -3 -6 ; 23
3. Russian Bogatyrs, Igor Rytov , RUS – 7 -[12] -6 -4 -1 -2 -5 ; 25
4. Alex Team, Alexander Mikhaylik , RUS – [28] -7 -4 -4 -7 -8 -2 ; 32
5. Nika, Vladimir Prosikhin , RUS – 2 -5 -10 -8 -[14] -6 -4 ; 35
6. Mag Tiny, Krzysztof Krempec , POL – 3 -[21] -5 -20 -6 -12 -3 ; 49
7. Oleander, James Wilson , USA – 11 -1 -2 -7 -[17] -15 -15 ; 51
8. Pirogovo, Alexander Ezhkov , RUS – 6 -6 -18 -5 -10 -[20] -7 ; 52
9. Raya, Matteo Marenghi Vaselli , ITA – 9 -14 -3 -6 -[25] -7 -17 ; 56
10. Fremito D’arja, Dario Levi , UK – [24] -3 -21 -16 -8 -4 -9 ; 61

Event details – Results – Facebook

 
MELGES 20 WORLD CHAMPIONS
2018 (USA) – Drew Freides, PACIFIC YANKEE
2017 (USA) – Drew Freides, PACIFIC YANKEE
2016 (USA) – Michael Illbruck, PINTA
2015 (USA) – John Kilroy, Jr., SAMBA PA TI
2014 (USA) – John Kilroy, Jr., SAMBA PA TI
2013 (USA) – John Taylor, NINKASI