Audi Melges 20 North American Championship

Audi Melges 20 North American Championship - California Steamin

by Melges 20 on 4 Oct 2014

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship 2014 JOY | IAM20CA

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship - The term Indian Summer typically does not apply to the moderate Bay area, but with a string of days in the mid-90’s Audi Melges 20 sailors swapped their foulies for sunscreen and soaked in a perfect day of light air, flat-water racing on the Berkeley Circle.

Being patient and waiting for a northerly breeze to develop, PRO Bruce Golison and his team left the dock around 1030 and migrated the fleet just off the Berkeley shore for the start of Race One. Despite the unusual direction, the breeze was surprisingly steady in the six - eight range allowing for three balanced, fair races.

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship © Erik Simonson

As teams circled for the first start, it was a tough call finding the best breeze and even more difficult to get a handle on the strong current moving across the race course. Teams that tacked early and headed right initially looked good, but as some painfully found out when they sailed to a healthy layline that the current was helping them make mark, allowing the boats from the left to tack underneath and lay.

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship © Erik Simonson

Alexis Michas on Midnight Blue with longtime friends Mark Mendalblatt and Brian Ledbetter called a perfect layline underneath a hard charging Samba Pa Ti with John Kilroy at the helm on starboard to lead around the first mark. After a good battle around the track, Kilroy did the best job of staying in pressure and sailing fast to take the bullet followed by Michas, and Audi Melges 20 North American Fleet President Rob Wilbur on Cinghiale.

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship © Erik Simonson

With the usual suspects Kilroy and Cesar Gomes Neto on Portobello swapping blows and nabbing bullets in Races Two and Three, there was plenty of good sailing and full action in the middle of the fleet. Melges 24 owner and now, Audi Melges 20 veteran Mike Keefe and his team on Flannel saw their hard work payoff with solid first mark roundings only to have early gybes out of the downwind line-ups prove costly, but solid finished regardless.

2014 Audi Melges 20 North American Championship © Erik Simonson

Tom Kassberg on Flygfisk showed his light air ability and snuck in for a seventh in Race Two, while longtime Audi Melges 20 sailor Sid Gorham on Funner proved his fourth place at the PCC’s was no fluke will a solid Race Three.

After the fleet reached the dock a post-race session at the welcoming San Francisco Yacht Club (SFYC) bar ensued and the news quickly spread of a planned 1230 pm start time for day two, allowing sailors to live like a relaxed California bro if only for a day. The only thing more stellar than the conditions were the calls from Golison and his race management team who have allowed for a relaxing, solid racing schedule.

Day two does have more breeze in the forecast with slightly cooler temps and the potential of four races.