Quantum Key West Race Week - Wet and Wild Day 2

by International Melges 32 Class Association on 22 Jan 2014 At the 2014 Quantum Key West Race Week (KWRW) regatta, after two days and three races in Key West, Fla, Alec Cutler from Bermuda sailing hedgehog remains in the overall Melges 32 Class lead, ahead by two slim points. Deneen Demourkas on Groovederci traded places with Dalton DeVos on Delta to take second, after a somewhat wet and wild day.

The fleet left the docks this morning in high anticipation that racing would commence on-time. Once out on the course, it was obvious that the oscillating wind was not about to make things easy for the Race Committee. Teams spent the next three-and-a-half hours floating around waiting for the breeze to stablize.

After a few substantial wind shifts and several rain squalls later, the breeze filled in and allowed for the start of Race Three in the KWRW Series.

Shortly past two-thirty in the afternoon, the Melges 32s went racing. Demourkas was clearly ready as she launched off the starting line, taking control of the fleet rounding the top mark in first. Just moments later, no more than a couple of boat lengths, DeVos rounded and a torrential rain began to fall as Dieter Shoen's Momo came third. It rained even harder as Eduardo Souza-Ramos aboard Phoenix rounded in fourth.

Demourkas held her own, extending with each leg of the Course 5 race to take a coveted win. Souza-Ramos turned up the speed to find second place at the finish line, followed by Richard Goransson's Helly Hansen Inga From Sweden in third.

The current Wednesday forecast is calling for windy conditions ranging 20-30 mph. Two races are scheduled.

Full Results (After three races)
1. Alec Cutler/Richard Clarke, hedgehog; 1-1-4 = 6
2. Deneen Demourkas/Cameron Appleton, Groovederci; 3-4-1 = 8
3. Dalton DeVos/Jonathan McKee, Delta; 2-3-5 = 10
4. Richard Goransson/Morgan Larson, Helly Hanson Inga From Sweden; 6-2-3 = 11
5. Eduardo Souza-Ramos/Andrea Fonseca, Phoenix; 5-6-2 = 13
6. Dieter Schoen/Markus Wiesser, Momo; 4-5-6 = 15
7. Chris Wientjes/Benz Faget, Stormvogel; 7-7-8/DNS = Full Results