2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Day 2

2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Day 2 - Crushin' It

by Melges 24 on 9 Apr 2017

Brian Porter's 'Full Throttle' verges on capturing a record-breaking seventh Melges 24 U.S. National title JOY / USM24CA

Wow, what a difference a day can make. This was the theme of Day Two (April 8) of the 2017 U.S. Melges 24 National Championship hosted by the Charleston Yacht Club (ChYC). More sunshine, cool temps, and a lot less breeze settled the fleet in well for round two of Melges 24 racing.

Three races were conducted with six-time Melges 24 U.S. National Champion Brian Porter (1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015) on Full Throttle (USA-849) winning all three heats. With a ten point advantage over second place finisher John Brown on Blind Squirrel (USA-547), it is highly likely that 2017 will see Porter collect a record-breaking, seventh National Championship title. Kevin Welch's Mikey (USA-838) with Jason Rhodes at the helm, is now in third.

PRO Hal Smith got the racing started on time, despite the possibility that with a stiff, outbound current and a very shifty breeze, Race Four may not come easy. A first attempt ended in abandonment, leaving the fleet to wait for almost two hours before having another chance to start a race.

Kevin Welch's Mikey (USA-838) with Jason Rhodes at the helm, is now in third after Day 2 in Charleston © JOY / USM24CA

Around 2 o'clock, Smith and his ChYC Race Committee set the course and the fleet went racing. Thankfully, the breeze came in early allowing for not only one race, but three for a total of six complete, activating a discard of each boat's worst score.

Indeed Porter had a flawless day, but others managed to bask in the spotlight too such as relatively new fleet member Michael Goldfarb on Warcanoe (USA-825) scoring a second place finish in Race Five, while Corinthian George Haynie on Firewater (USA-687) also found some speed to place third. Southeast District Governor Gary Schwarting on Obsession (USA-578) grabbed a top ten finish in Race Six, as did Tom Babel at the helm of Thomas Roop's Le Coq (USA-121).

Second day of the 2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship in Charleston © JOY / USM24CA

Don't Tread On Me

While Porter dominated today's overall division, the fleet was under siege in the Corinthian category. Atlanta-based teams Brent McKenzie at the helm of Ex-Kahn (USA-575) and K.C. Shannon's Shaka (USA-801) chose to 'go to the mattresses.' After a light, shifty and very tricky day of sailing, only one point separates these two teams with Shannon taking over the lead from Friday leader McKenzie. 'We're gonna take'em out', said Reid Collins, long-time Melges 24 sailor and crew member aboard McKenzie's Ex-Kahn. 'Like an 'Ex-Kahn' would!' he furthered in friendly banter. The perseverance of these two teams paid off nicely today as they now find themselves also in the top ten overall standings.

The Corinthian fleet turns up the heat with Shannon's Shaka (USA801) taking charge of the all-amatuer division © JOY / USM24CA

Stuart Simpson's Team Barbarians (GBR-691) struggled a bit sliding back one space to round out the podium in third. Zane Yoder's FNG/Eelsnot (USA-9) is fourth, and Lake Geneva's, 76-year old Frank Davenport on Wild Goose (USA-736) emerged to round out the top five Corinthian standings.

Sunday is the final day of scheduled racing, where the fleet will attempt two more final races.

John Brown's Blind Squirrel (USA-547) jumped to the second place after Day 2 in Charleston © JOY / USM24CA

Atlanta-based team Brent McKenzie at the helm of Ex-Kahn (USA-575), being second in the all-amatuer division after Day 2 © JOY / USM24CA

Bruce Ayres' Monsoon (USA-851) ended Day 2 at the Melges 24 U.S. Nationals in Charleston on the fourth position © JOY / USM24CA

Top Ten Results (Preliminary - After Six Races, One Discard)

1.) Brian Porter, Full Throttle: 1-4-2-1-1-1 = 6
2.) John Brown, Blind Squirrel; 3-2-7-2-6-3 = 16
3.) Kevin Welch/Jason Rhodes, Mikey; 2-7-5-5-5-4 = 21
4.) Bruce Ayres, Monsoon; 5-1-6-5-18-4-6 = 22
5.) Michael Goldfarb, Warcanoe; 8-5-10-6-2-7 = 28
6.) Peter Duncan, Jigs In Space; 12-6-3-7-21-2 = 30
7.) Wes Whitmyer, Jr.; SlingSHOT; 7-8-4-4-9-10 = 32
8.) Travis Weisleder, Lucky Dog/Gill Race Team; 25/RET-3-1-20-10-5 = 39
9.) (C) KC Shannon, Shaka; 17-14-9-3-8-18 = 51
10.) (C) Brent McKenzie, EX-KAHN; 9-9-12-8-14-19 = 52

Top Five Corinthian Results (Preliminary - After Six Races, One Discard)

1.) KC Shannon, Shaka = 51 pts.
2.) Brent McKenzie, EX-KAHN = 52 pts.
3.) Stuart Simpson, Team Barbarians = 56 pts.
4.) Zane Yoder, FNG Eelsnot = 68 pts.
5.) Frank Davenport, Wild Goose = 70 pts.

2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Preliminary Cumulative Results

			Bow	Sail Number	Yacht Name	Yacht Design	Owner/Skipper	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	T O	Total
U.S. National Championship Racing
	One Design Division
		Melges 24
		1.	49	USA 849	Full Throttle	Melges 24	Brian Porter	1	4	2	1	1	1	[4]	6.0
		2.	547	USA 547	Blind Squirrel	Melges 24	John Brown	3	2	7	2	6	3	[7]	16.0
		3.	838	USA 838	MiKEY	Melges 24	Kevin Welch	2	7	5	5	5	4	[7]	21.0
		4.	851	USA 851	Monsoon	Melges 24	Bruce Ayres	5	1	6	18	4	6	[18]	22.0
		5.	825	USA 825	Warcanoe	Melges 24	Michael Goldfarb	8	5	10	6	2	7	[10]	28.0
		6.	515	USA 515	Jigs in Space	Melges 24	Peter Duncan	12	6	3	7	21	2	[21]	30.0
		7.	747	USA 747	SlingSHOT	Melges 24	Wes Whitmyer Jr	7	8	4	4	9	10	[10]	32.0
		8.	848	USA 848	Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team	Melges 24	Travis Weisleder	25/RET	3	1	20	10	5	[25]	39.0
		9.	801	USA 801	Shaka (Corinthian)	Melges 24	KC Shannon	17	14	9	3	8	18	[18]	51.0
		10.	575	USA 575	EX-KAHN (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Brent McKenzie	9	9	12	8	14	19	[19]	52.0
		11.	691	GBR 691	Team Barbarians (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Stuart Simpson	13	13	8	11	17	11	[17]	56.0
		12.	526	USA 526	3 1/2 men	Melges 24	Steve Suddath	4	16	16	14	11	12	[16]	57.0
		13.	121	USA 121	Le Coq	Melges 24	Thomas Roop	11	17	14	16	20	8	[20]	66.0
		14.	9	USA 9	FNG/Eelsnot (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Zane Yoder	6	15	19	12	16	23	[23]	68.0
		15.	736	USA 736	Wild Goose (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Frank Davenport	14	19	22	13	7	17	[22]	70.0
		16.	491	USA 491	Old School (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Jay Greenfield	19	11	13	9	18	21	[21]	70.0
		17.	201	USA 201	JACK Mormon Coffee	Melges 24	Mossman/ Hutchinson	10	10	11	24	23	16	[24]	70.0
		18.	905	USA 805	Decorum (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Hunter Ratliff	25/OCS	12	15	17	12	15	[25]	71.0
		19.	687	USA 687	Firewater (Corinthian)	Melges 24	George Haynie	25/DNC	25/DNC	20	15	3	14	[25]	77.0
		20.	587	USA 587	OBSESSION	Melges 24	Gary Schwarting	15/RDG	25/DNS	25/DNS	21	15	9	[25]	85.0
		21.	419	USA 419	Apex	Melges 24	Kent Picknell	16	21	21	19	13	22	[22]	90.0
		22.	738	USA 738	Dark Energy (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Laura Grondin	18	20	18	23	22	13	[23]	91.0
		23.	24	USA 34	Bad Idea	Melges 24	Scot Zimmerman	15	18	17	22	24	24	[24]	96.0
		24.	77	USA 77	Bones (Corinthian)	Melges 24	Robert Harf	25/DNF	25/DNS	25/DNS	10	19	20	[25]	99.0


2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Corinthian Teams - Preliminary Cumulative Results

			Bow	Sail Number	Yacht Name	Yacht Design	Owner/Skipper	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	T O	Total
U.S. National Championship Racing
	One Design Division
		Melges 24
		1.	801	USA 801	Shaka	Melges 24	KC Shannon	17	14	9	3	8	18	[18]	51.0
		2.	575	USA 575	EX-KAHN	Melges 24	Brent McKenzie	9	9	12	8	14	19	[19]	52.0
		3.	691	GBR 691	Team Barbarians	Melges 24	Stuart Simpson	13	13	8	11	17	11	[17]	56.0
		4.	9	USA 9	FNG/Eelsnot	Melges 24	Zane Yoder	6	15	19	12	16	23	[23]	68.0
		5.	736	USA 736	Wild Goose	Melges 24	Frank Davenport	14	19	22	13	7	17	[22]	70.0
		6.	491	USA 491	Old School	Melges 24	Jay Greenfield	19	11	13	9	18	21	[21]	70.0
		7.	905	USA 805	Decorum	Melges 24	Hunter Ratliff	25/OCS	12	15	17	12	15	[25]	71.0
		8.	687	USA 687	Firewater	Melges 24	George Haynie	25/DNC	25/DNC	20	15	3	14	[25]	77.0
		9.	738	USA 738	Dark Energy	Melges 24	Laura Grondin	18	20	18	23	22	13	[23]	91.0
		10.	77	USA 77	Bones	Melges 24	Robert Harf	25/DNF	25/DNS	25/DNS	10	19	20	[25]	99.0