2015 Melges 24 European Sailing Series - Day 1
by International Melges 24 Class Association on 28 Mar 2015
Audi tron ITA-840 - Melges 24 European Sailing Series - Portoroz IM24CA/Zerogradinord
The first day of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2015 first event in Portoroz, Slovenia welcomed the sailors with a pouring rain and +12 degrees. As a result of the day three races were completed.
The north/east wind called Bora, which is cold, dry and very gusty, filled the bay with the gusts of 20 knots. Heavy rain together with Bora forced to postpone the racing for one hour. After three races sailed Audi tron (ITA-840) is leading the Melges 24 fleet of 22 boats from 10 countries with three bullets, ahead of Imagine (GBR-557) and Storm Capital Sail Racing (NOR-751). FGF Sailing Team (HUN-728) being at the fourth position in overall is leading the fleet of Pro Am (Corinthian) division.
'It was a good sailing here in Portoroz day - nice, but a little cold. In the first race the wind was steady and we managed to win the race with almost two minutes margin ahead of the second which allowed us to test some new sail in the second and third race,' said the helm of Audi tron Riccardo Simoneschi. 'The fleet here is great and very competitive. We are looking forward to the next days,' admitted Simoneschi.
The helmsman of the current leader of the Pro Am division FGF Sailing Team Robert Bakoczy said that it was a terribly cold but fun day on the water. 'The organisation of the racing was great and Race Committee did their job very well. Wind was shifty and similar to the Lake Balaton - most probably this gave us the advantage today. It's our first competition of the season and we are happy with the results of the first day. We enjoyed the racing and the pizza after the racing,' Bakoczy and the team were saying happily.
Action in Portoroz resumes tomorrow at 11:00.
The results for the Top 10 boats:
1 ITA 840 13 - Audi tron Riccardo Simoneschi 3, 0 1 1 1
2 GBR 557 22 - Imagine David Rowen 12, 0 2 8 2
3 NOR 751 4 - Storm Capital Sail Racing Peder Jahre 12, 0 4 4 4
4 HUN 728 8 - FGF Sailing Team Robert Bakoczy 15, 0 5 2 8 - Pro Am
5 AUT 681 6 - Four and a half men Franz Urlesberger 16, 0 3 10 3
6 NOR 787 10 - Blow Henry Lloyd Peder Nergaard 19, 0 6 6 7
7 NED 827 17 - Team Kesbeke/SIKA/Gill Ronald Veraar 21, 0 13 3 5 - Pro Am
8 UKR 819 1 - Marusia Oleg Dyvinets 23, 0 8 9 6 - Pro Am
9 GER 690 3 - Plato Markus Scheel 28, 0 10 7 11
10 GBR 694 20 - Gill Race Team Geoff Carveth 30, 0 11 5 14
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