2014 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Moon wind

by Sam Rogers on 16 Nov 2014 2014 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Legendary sailor/coach Gordy Bowers from Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota proclaims that when a high pressure system is parked over a region and the land cools in the evening, there is a drainage breeze that fills.

This breeze remains throughout the morning until the sun heats the land and squashes what is left of...the Moon Wind. Yes, Moon Wind. That is what the Melges 24 fleet had as they left the dock for the second day of racing at the 2014 Melges 24 U.S. Nationals hosted by the Davis Island Yacht Club (DIYC). The Moon Wind stuck around long enough for one race (Race Six) to be completed, with another race attempted but later abandoned.

With a hot battle in the only race of the day, Marty Kullman and his team on New Wave stealthily passed Brian Porter's Full Throttle on the first run to take the lead and defend it until the finish. Despite losing the race, Porter was able to grab the overall lead on a tiebreaker with Bora Gulari's New England Ropes/West Marine Rigging, just one point ahead of Kullman.

Meanwhile, Corinthian leader Kevin Nixon and his family aboard Accru+, edged out Gulari at the finish to grab a fourth place and secure a two point lead in the hotly contested all-amatuer Division. As the lone Australian entry, Nixon is enjoying Davis Island, along with racing his Melges 24 with his family on holiday. Nixon explains, 'This is our first time racing in Davis Island and we made it a family holiday to come race Melges 24s in America. We are sailing with all family, my wife Glenda, daughter Bonnie, my son Daniel and his girlfriend Christine. With a clean start in the first race today, we managed to go left on the first beat, recover from an early gybe on the last downwind to have a close finish and grab fourth.'

Nixon holds a slim two pt lead over Ryan Glaze's Gringo. While the Melges 24s are known for their bow up prowess, the teams that do well can also show finesse in the light conditions. Bruce Ayres on Monsoon, a longtime Melges 24 veteran battled back from a tough start to have a respectable finish. 'We had a bad start and were twentieth at the top mark. We battled hard around the course, and finished a respectable eighth which we were happy with.' Ayres continues on the longevity of Melges 24 racing, 'The Melges 24 Nationals with 31 boats is absolutely fantastic. There is a great group of sailors with new teams and we get to meet new people, and that is what it is all about.'

While the forecast is bleak for the final scheduled day of racing, PRO Eric Robbins has bumped up the start time to 9:30 am to take advantage of what might remain of the Moon Wind. With the overall title currently being decided on a tie breaker, and the Corinthian title up for grabs, there are some who will quietly vote for staying on the dock, while others will push to get racing.

Top ten results – Open (After Six Races, One Discard)
1.) Brian Porter, Full Throttle; 3-[5]-1-5-1-2 = 12
2.) Bora Gulari, New England Ropes/West Marine Rigging; 1-1-2-4-4-[5] = 12
3.) Marty Kullman, New Wave; 2-3-4-3-[5]-1 = 13
4.) Jeff Madrigali/Kevin Welch, Mikey; 6-[15]-6-2-2-3- = 19
5.) Bruce Ayres, Monsoon; 7-[23]-3-1-6-8 = 25
6.) Kevin Nixon, Accru+; 10-2-16-[18]-9-4 = 41
7.) Steve Rhyne, mojo; [21]-7-5-6-6-3-21 = 42
8.) Bent Dietrich, Kleine Rainbow; 8-4-[21]-17-10-6 = 45
9.) Ryan Glaze, Gringo; 9-18-8-[19]-7-7 = 49
10.) Steve Boho, The 300; [18]-12-14-8-8-10 = 52

Top three results – Corinthian (After Six Races, One Discard)
1.) Kevin Nixon, Accru+; 10-2-16-[18]-9-4 = 41
2.) Ryan Glaze, Gringo; 9-18-8-[19]-7-7 = 49
3.) Roger Counihan, Just Add Water; 5-25-9-14-11-[30] = 64

Complete Results: 

Melges 24 (31 entries)    Scoring: OneDesign

Position	Subdivision	Bow	Sail	State	Club	Name	Boat Name	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Points
1	Open	49	USA 849		Lake Geneva YC	Porter, Brian	Full Throttle	3	[5]	1	5	1	2	12.0
2	Open	21	820		Bayview Yacht Club	Gulari, Bora	NE Ropes/WM Rigging	1	1	2	4	4	[5]	12.0
3	Open	15	515			Kullman, Marty	New Wave	2	3	4	3	[5]	1	13.0
4	Open	41	USA 838		Anacortes Yacht Club	Welch, Kevin P	Mikey	6	[15]	6	2	2	3	19.0
5	Open	47	USA 747		NHYC	Ayres, Brucey	Monsoon	7	[23]	3	1	6	8	25.0
6	Corinthian	12	AUS 812		CYCA	Nixon, Kevin	Accru	10	2	16	[18]	9	4	41.0
7	Open	35	635		LYC	Rhyne, Steve	Mojo	[21]	7	5	6	3	21	42.0
8	Open	24	GER 624		HSV	Dietrich, Bent B	Kleine Rainbow	8	4	[21]	17	10	6	45.0
9	Corinthian	17	62		Rush Creek YC	Glaze, Ryan	Gringo	9	18	8	[19]	7	7	49.0
10	Open	39	USA 839		Lake Geneva Yacht Club	Boho, Steven	The 300	[18]	12	14	8	8	10	52.0
11	Open	34	622		Gulf Coast Sailing Club	Schwarting, Gary	Obsession	4	16	[22]	15	13	12	60.0
12	Open	16	720		Ocean City Yacht Club	Foxman, Scott	Relentless	12	17	11	7	[20]	15	62.0
13	Corinthian	25	125		LLSC	Counihan, Roger	Just Add Water	5	25	9	14	11	[30]	64.0
14	Open	29	CAN 629		National Yacht Club	Reid, Richard	Zingara	11	10	12	22	[29/ZFP]	9	64.0
15	Open	22	USA 687		Davis Island Yacht Club	Haynie, George	Firewater	[19]	11	13	13	17	11	65.0
16	Open	33	US 695		Carlyle Sailing Associaton	Schillebeeckx, Ian	Vollebak	17	6	27	9	12	[28]	71.0
17	Corinthian	27	USA 505		SPYC	King, David	USA-505	13	9	15	[25]	14	22	73.0
18	Corinthian	23	65		Rush Creek Yacht Club	Hoye, David	Rocket Science	[22]	13	17	11	18	14	73.0
19	Corinthian	18	USA 118			Britts, Rob	Hot Mess	14	[24]	19	10	16	17	76.0
20	Open	30	CHI 159			Perez, Cristobal	Il Mostro	16	20	7	16	[21]	20	79.0
21	Open	19	719		DIYC	Blouin, Joe	Wicked Witch	25	8	10	23	[26]	26	92.0
22	Corinthian	28	457		DIYC	Kroetsch, Bob	Rogue	15	21	18	[24]	22	18	94.0
23	Corinthian	37	292		LLSC	Shannon, Kc	Shaka	24	22	23	12	15	[27]	96.0
24	Corinthian	13	162		Rush Creek Yacht Club	Calce, Paul	Drunken' Donkey	26	19	25	20	[30]	16	106.0
25	Corinthian	20	USA 620		Seattle Yacht Club	Schmiedl, Manfred	Brio	20	26	20	[29]	19	23	108.0
26	Corinthian	36	736		Lake Geneva Yacht Club	Davenport, Frank	Rippin'	28	14	26	21	[29]	24	113.0
27	Corinthian	38	USA 88		University of Vermont	Team, Uvm Sailing	University of Vermont	[32/DNS]	30	24	28	32/ZFP	13	127.0
28	Corinthian	14	414		TAYC	Kalinski, Christoph	Zoo	29	27	[31]	26	31	19	132.0
29	Corinthian	46	CAN 346		Bayview Yacht Club	Steyn, Marc	Vapour Trail	23	[31]	29	30	27	25	134.0
30	Open	32	419		LLSC	Picknell, Kent	Apex	27	28	[30]	27	25	29	136.0
31	Corinthian	40	US- 51		Houston Yacht Club	Tulloch, Brian	Waternymph 3	30	29	28	[31]	24	31	142.0

 Subdivision: Melges 24 Corinthian (15 entries)    Scoring: OneDesign

Position	Subdivision	Bow	Sail	State	Club	Name	Boat Name	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Points
1	Corinthian	12	AUS 812		CYCA	Nixon, Kevin	Accru	10	2	16	[18]	9	4	41.0
2	Corinthian	17	62		Rush Creek YC	Glaze, Ryan	Gringo	9	18	8	[19]	7	7	49.0
3	Corinthian	25	125		LLSC	Counihan, Roger	Just Add Water	5	25	9	14	11	[30]	64.0
4	Corinthian	27	USA 505		SPYC	King, David	USA-505	13	9	15	[25]	14	22	73.0
5	Corinthian	23	65		Rush Creek Yacht Club	Hoye, David	Rocket Science	[22]	13	17	11	18	14	73.0
6	Corinthian	18	USA 118			Britts, Rob	Hot Mess	14	[24]	19	10	16	17	76.0
7	Corinthian	28	457		DIYC	Kroetsch, Bob	Rogue	15	21	18	[24]	22	18	94.0
8	Corinthian	37	292		LLSC	Shannon, Kc	Shaka	24	22	23	12	15	[27]	96.0
9	Corinthian	13	162		Rush Creek Yacht Club	Calce, Paul	Drunken' Donkey	26	19	25	20	[30]	16	106.0
10	Corinthian	20	USA 620		Seattle Yacht Club	Schmiedl, Manfred	Brio	20	26	20	[29]	19	23	108.0
11	Corinthian	36	736		Lake Geneva Yacht Club	Davenport, Frank	Rippin'	28	14	26	21	[29]	24	113.0
12	Corinthian	38	USA 88		University of Vermont	Team, Uvm Sailing	University of Vermont	[32/DNS]	30	24	28	32/ZFP	13	127.0
13	Corinthian	14	414		TAYC	Kalinski, Christoph	Zoo	29	27	[31]	26	31	19	132.0
14	Corinthian	46	CAN 346		Bayview Yacht Club	Steyn, Marc	Vapour Trail	23	[31]	29	30	27	25	134.0
15	Corinthian	40	US- 51		Houston Yacht Club	Tulloch, Brian	Waternymph 3	30	29	28	[31]	24	31	142.0

Subdivision: Melges 24 Open (16 entries)    Scoring: OneDesign