Audi Melges 20 fleet anticipates intense final day of racing in Miami

by Sam Rogers on 8 Feb 2015 The stellar conditions from Day One spilled over into Day Two as the 37-strong Audi Melges 20 fleet enjoyed three more races in a NNE breeze that had big changes in velocity, and even bigger shifts. While some teams were able to stay in phase and make sense of the big puffs rumbling in from the right and left sides of the course, others were caught rubbernecking, chasing shifts and doing more head scratching than grinning.

With super-fan wives Karen Hollerbach and Tovi Kiss spectating, fellow Michiganders Marc Hollerbach on Fu and Michael Kiss on Bacio decided to put on a show, and between the two teams they dominated the racing. After struggling on Day One, Hollerbach and his team put together a three – three - one, ultimately winning the day and sliding firmly back into the top ten.

The last race was particularly impressive after rounding the top mark in 14th, Hollerbach pulled off two perfect gybe sets picking off boats downwind faster than an American Sniper. He screamed into the finish line stealing the win and earning some well earned dockside refreshments and props from fellow racers.

Kiss' consistent finishes continued by posting a two – five - three, giving him an overall regatta scoreline that does not feature worse than a seventh. Kiss seemed to have an extra gear upwind that propelled him to the front of the pack in every race thus far, and with two races remaining and a seven-point lead, one top five finish tomorrow will seal the win.

Sailing impressively and sitting second overall, twelve-year old Liam Kilroy on Wildman won the fifth race and showed that not only is he growing taller, but smarter and more experienced with each regatta that he sails. Recovering from a fourteenth place in Race Four, Alessandro Rombelli's STIG with 2014 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson as tactician, finished with a second to land third overall going into the final day.

Another battle is being waged in the Corinthian fleet as fellow Canucks Brian Hill on Atlas, and Julian Plante on Shimmer are separated by just two points for the title. Sailing consistently, Audi Melges 20 fleet newcomer Plante has been in the mix in just about every race, while Hill has had more of a roller-coaster-ride grabbing a second in Race Five (nearly winning the race), followed by 20th that allowed Plante to get off the mat and stay in the fight. Rumor has it that the winner gets a year supply of maple syrup from the loser.

The third and final day of racing expects to see two more races and an Easterly breeze direction with similar velocity that will provide teams their last opportunity to move up in the standings. After racing each day, the fleet has organized its extremely popular debrief for everyone to gather around, listen to the tips from the day that helped the teams who did well, as well as the pitfalls that others struggled with.

Top Ten Overall Results

(Preliminary, After Six Races, One Discard)

1.) Michael Kiss/Mike Buckley, Bacio; [7]-3-2-2-5-3 = 15
2.) Liam Kilroy/Steve Hunt, Wildman; 8-4-4-[10]-1-5 = 22
3.) Alessandro Rombelli/Terry Hutchinson, STIG; 4-8-1-[14]-8-2 = 23
4.) Richard Davies/Charlie McKee, Section 16; 3-6-6-5-[22]-13 = 33
5.) John Kilroy/Bill Hardesty, Samba Pa Ti; 1-2-13-1-18-[21] = 35
6.) Paul Reilly/Andy Burdick, Red Sky; 5-[10]-7-4-10-9 = 35
7.) Alexis Michas/Mark Mendelblatt, Midnight Blue; 10-14-3-[25]-4-10 = 41
8.) Marc Hollerbach/Jonathan McKee, Fu; 18-[23]-17-3-3-1 = 42
9.) Drew Weirda/Scott Nixon, Peshmerga; 2-17-9-12-[27]-7 = 47
10.) Jim Wilson/Jeremy Wilmot, Oleander; [24]-24-5-9-9-4 = 51

Top Three Corinthian Results

(Preliminary, After Six Races, One Discard)

1.) Julian Plante, Shimmer; 63 pts.
2.) Brian Hill, Atlas; 64 pts.
3.) Vincent Porter, Windhover; 99 pts.

 

2014/2015 International Audi Melges 20 Miami Winter Series : Event No. 2 - 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 Miami Winter Series Racing   One Design Division     Audi Melges 20     1. 13 USA 13 Bacio Audi Melges 20 Michael Kiss 7 3 2 2 5 3 [7] 15.0     2. 311 USA 311 WildMan Audi Melges 20 Liam Kilroy 8 4 4 10 1 5 [10] 22.0     3. 65 ITA 65 STIG Audi Melges 20 Alessandro Rombelli 4 8 1 14 8 2 [14] 23.0     4. 16 USA 16 Section 16 Audi Melges 20 Richard Davies 3 6 6 5 22 13 [22] 33.0     5. 313 USA 13131 Samba Pa Ti Audi Melges 20 John Kilroy 1 2 13 1 18 21 [21] 35.0     6. 14 USA 14 Red Sky Sailing Team Audi Melges 20 Paul Reilly 5 10 7 4 10 9 [10] 35.0     7. 228 USA 228 Midnight Blue Audi Melges 20 Alexis Michas 10 14 3 25 4 10 [25] 41.0     8. 21 USA 21 Fu Audi Melges 20 Marc Hollerbach 18 23 17 3 3 1 [23] 42.0     9. 196 USA 196 Peshmerga Audi Melges 20 Drew Wierda 2 17 9 12 27 7 [27] 47.0     10. 250 USA 250 oleander Audi Melges 20 James Wilson 24 24 5 9 9 4 [24] 51.0     11. 15 USA 1315 Ninkasi Audi Melges 20 John Taylor 15 9 22 11 7 14 [22] 56.0     12. 217 USA 217 Slingshot Audi Melges 20 Wes Whitmyer Jr 16 13 16 6 24 8 [24] 59.0     13. 88 USA 088 YOLO Audi Melges 20 Tony Tabb / Steve Sisson 11 12 10 7 30 22 [30] 62.0     14. 8 CAN 229 Shimmer (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 Julian Plante 9 20 12 23 11 11 [23] 63.0     15. 245 BRA 245 Portobello Audi Melges 20 Cesar Gomes Neto 22 1 20 20 17 6 [22] 64.0     16. 115 USA 115 Atlas (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 Brian Hill 6 16 21 26 2 20 [26] 65.0     17. 76 USA 7676 Kuai Audi Melges 20 Daniel Thielman 17 15 24 8 12 15 [24] 67.0     18. 3 USA 3 Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team Audi Melges 20 Travis Weisleder 27 7 11 27 6 24/ZFP [27] 75.0     19. 236 USA 236 Pacific Yankee Audi Melges 20 Drew Freides 19 18 15 16 19 12 [19] 80.0     20. 214 CAN 214 Grinning Streak Audi Melges 20 Rhonda Joyce 13 11 31 15 32 16 [32] 86.0     21. 414 USA 414 Cinghiale Audi Melges 20 Robert Wilber 21 21 8 13 25 31 [31] 88.0     22. 193 USA 193 Heartbreaker Audi Melges 20 Robert Hughes 20 30 19 18 15 23 [30] 95.0     23. 4 USA 4 Windhover (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 Vincent Porter 14 22 28 17 29 18 [29] 99.0     24. 211 USA 211 Makaira Audi Melges 20 Skip Shapiro 25 5 26 24 20 27 [27] 100.0     25. 290 USA 231 Blind Squirrel (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 John Brown 29 26 18 19 16 24 [29] 103.0     26. 213 USA 213 Flannel Audi Melges 20 Mike Keefe 23 25 25 28 14 19 [28] 106.0     27. 225 USA 225 Flygfisk Audi Melges 20 Tom Kassberg 12 27 34/ZFP 21 23 26 [34] 109.0     28. 226 USA 226 Midlife Crisis Audi Melges 20 Jay Golison 28 28 14 22 26 28 [28] 118.0     29. 150 DEN 150 upupup Audi Melges 20 Bo Boje Pedersen 32 19 29 31 21 25 [32] 125.0     30. 222 CAN 222 Wild Deuces (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 Paul Currie 26 29 30 30 13 29 [30] 127.0     31. 238 USA 238 Affordable Mistress Audi Melges 20 Brian Henke 31 32 23 32 28 30 [32] 144.0     32. 201 USA 201 D I E S E L Audi Melges 20 Tate Russack 30 31 38/DNC 29 31 32 [38] 153.0     33. 128 USA 128 Murder Audi Melges 20 Gualberto Naldi 34 34 33 33 34 34 [34] 168.0     34. 131 USA 131 Le Rescator Audi Melges 20 Erwan le Gall 33 33 32 38/DNF 38/DNS 38/DNS [38] 174.0     35. 171 USA 171 Speedemon (Corinthian) Audi Melges 20 Richard Mallinson 38/DNF 38/DNC 38/DNC 34 33 33 [38] 176.0     36. 177 USA 177 Endorphin Audi Melges 20 Russell Hopper 38/DNF 38/DNS 38/DNC 35 35 35 [38] 181.0     37. 116 USA 116 Yo MOMMA Audi Melges 20 Devin McGranahan 38/DNC 38/DNC 38/DNC 38/DNC 38/DNC 38/DNC [38] 190.0   2014/2015 International Audi Melges 20 Miami Winter Series : Event No. 2 - 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 Miami Winter Series Racing   One Design Division     Audi Melges 20     1. 8 CAN 229 Shimmer Audi Melges 20 Julian Plante 9 20 12 23 11 11 [23] 63.0     2. 115 USA 115 Atlas Audi Melges 20 Brian Hill 6 16 21 26 2 20 [26] 65.0     3. 4 USA 4 Windhover Audi Melges 20 Vincent Porter 14 22 28 17 29 18 [29] 99.0     4. 290 USA 231 Blind Squirrel Audi Melges 20 John Brown 29 26 18 19 16 24 [29] 103.0     5. 222 CAN 222 Wild Deuces Audi Melges 20 Paul Currie 26 29 30 30 13 29 [30] 127.0     6. 171 USA 171 Speedemon Audi Melges 20 Richard Mallinson 38/DNF 38/DNC 38/DNC 34 33 33 [38] 176.0