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2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship kicks off in Charleston

by U.S. Melges 24 on 4 Apr 2017
2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship U.S. Melges 24 Class Association
This weekend, for the third time in Class history, the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association (USM24CA) is excited to bring back its highly-coveted National Championship to Charleston, S.C., graciously hosted by the Charleston Yacht Club (ChYC) on April 7-9. This time however, it also collectively serves as Act 2 of the Quantum World Winter Series, and is Stage 1 of the 2017 NorAm Tour.

Charleston is an all-time Melges 24 Class favorite, not just because of its warm shoreside southern hospitality and progressive social scene, but also for its addictive one-design harbor racing elixir - relatively flat water conditions, plenty of breeze and current. 2017 is poised to serve up that magic concoction for three straight days, mixed with just the right amount of on-shore festivities and camaraderie.

National Championship Event Chair Randy Draftz, who also acts as Sperry Charleston Race Week Chairman, has been hard at work, carefully putting many of the parts and pieces into place to make this Nationals the best it can be. 'We've got a great fleet of Melges 24s for the Nationals - some new faces as well as some of the Class' veteran teams will be here with us. Most of the teams will also participate at Race Week too, so April will provided a lot of racing opportunity for this legendary sportboat. Regardless of the conditions, there should definitely be some fireworks on the harbor front throughout the month.'

'Thanks to Randy's great organizational skills, this event will be just as fantastic as Race Week itself,' said USMCA Vice President and Nationals Corinthian competitor George Haynie sailing Firewater (USA-687) based out of Tampa, Fla. 'Charleston is such a fun place to sail, which makes the trip all the way from Florida all the more worthwhile. My team and I are really looking forward to some fun times on- and off-the-water!'

Among the Melges 24 teams scheduled to appear in the overall division is seven-time National Champ Brian Porter on Full Throttle (USA-849), Travis Weisleder's Lucky Dog/Gill Race Team (USA-848) will feature recently crowned World Champion crew member and 2016 Olympian Dave Hughes as tactician, John Brown's Blind Squirrel (USA-547), Peter Duncan's Jigs in Space (USA-515), Wes Whitmyer Jr.'s SlingSHOT (USA-747), Bruce Ayres' Monsoon (USA-851) and Kevin Welch's Mikey (USA-838).

The all-amatuer sector is also taking shape. Thus far, ten Corinthian teams have qualified. Intense competition is a sure thing. Third runner-up in the Corinthian division at the 2016 Miami Worlds Decorum (USA-805) helmed by Hunter Ratliff will be present, as well as Atlanta's KC Shannon on Shaka (USA-801), Laura Grondin on Dark Energy (USA-738), Frank Davenport on WILDGoose (USA-736), and the very youthful entry of Jay Greenfield on Old School (USA-491).

Registration and measurement all take place on Thursday followed by some live music and dinner at ChYC for the Melges 24 fleet. PRO Hal Smith will be in charge of the fleet starting on Friday, and concluding on Sunday.

2017 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship - Current Entries
S/N
 Yacht Name Owner's Name Home Port Yacht Type Length

1.   USA 526 3 1/2 men Steve Suddath Jacksonville, FL, USA Melges 24 24
2.   USA 419 Apex Kent Picknell Crestwood, KY, USA Melges 24 24
3.   USA 34 Bad Idea Scot Zimmerman Traverse City, MI, USA Melges 24 24
4.   USA 547 Blind Squirrel John Brown Philadelphia, PA, USA Melges 24 24
5.   USA 77 Bones (Corinthian) Robert Harf Sonoma, CA, USA Melges 24 24
6. Quantum Sails  USA 738 Dark Energy (Corinthian) Laura Grondin West hartford, CT, USA Melges 24 24
7.   USA 805 Decorum (Corinthian) Hunter Ratliff Chicago, IL, USA Melges 24 24
8.   USA 575 EX-KAHN (Corinthian) Brent McKenzie Flowery Branch, GA, USA Melges 24 24
9.   USA 687 Firewater (Corinthian) George Haynie Tampa, FL, USA Melges 24 24
10.   USA 9 FNG/Eelsnot (Corinthian) Zane Yoder Daphne, Al, USA Melges 24 24
11.   USA 849 Full Throttle Brian Porter Fontana, WI, USA Melges 24 24
12.   USA 201 JACK Mormon Coffee Mossman/ Hutchinson Mt Pleasant , SC, USA Melges 24 24
13.   USA 515 Jigs in Space Peter Duncan Rye, New York, USA Melges 24 24
14.   GER 624 Kleine Rainbow Bent Dietrich Hamburg, GER Melges 24 24
15.   USA 121 Le Coq Thomas Roop Traverse City, MI, USA Melges 24 24
16.   USA 848 Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team Travis Weisleder Richmond, VA, USA Melges 24 24
17.   USA 838 MiKEY Kevin Welch Anacortes, WA, USA Melges 24 24
18.   USA 851 Monsoon Bruce Ayres Newport Beach, CA, USA Melges 24 24
19.   USA 587 OBSESSION Gary Schwarting Naples, FL, USA Melges 24 24
20.   USA 491 Old School (Corinthian) Jay Greenfield Charleston, SC, USA Melges 24 24
21.   USA 801 Shaka (Corinthian) KC Shannon Fayetteville, GA, USA Melges 24 24
22.   USA 747 SlingSHOT Wes Whitmyer Jr Stamford, CT, USA Melges 24 24
23.   CAN 811 TBA John Sherlock Port Credit, ON, CAN Melges 24 24
24.   GBR 691 Team Barbarians (Corinthian) Stuart Simpson London, London, GBR Melges 24 24
25.   USA 825 Warcanoe Michael Goldfarb Seattle, WA, USA Melges 24 24
26.   USA 820 West Marine Rigging Bora Gulari Detroit, MI, USA Melges 24 24
27.   USA 736 Wild Goose (Corinthian) Frank Davenport Williams Bay, WI, USA Melges 24 24


2024 fill-in (bottom)North Sails Performance 2023 - FOOTERHenri-Lloyd - For the Obsessed

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