U.S. Multihull Championship - Consistency pays

by Jake Fish on 28 May 2010 2010 U.S. Multihull Championship.

Through four days of racing and nine races complete, the team of Pete Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Nat Shaver (Long Beach, Calif.) have won US Sailing's 2010 U.S. Multihull Championship, hosted by the Houston Yacht Club. Melvin and Shaver had a lead after each day of racing throughout the event.

Their fourth place finish in Thursday’s lone race was good enough to keep the hard charging team of Greg Thomas (Temecula, Calif.) and Jacques Bernier (San Marcos, Calif.) at bay. Thomas and Bernier made it close by posting a bullet today. They also finished first and third yesterday. Melvin and Shaver had a five point lead entering today’s racing, and held on to win the championship by two points.
Shaver and Melvin were sailing together for the first time.

'Our plan was to race consistently,' Melvin said. 'There were so many good teams, the courses were short, and we were using the same boats.'

Michael Easton (Lexington, Ma.) and Tripp Burd (Marblehead, Ma.) moved up a spot from fourth to third by finishing second today. Meanwhile, 2008 USMC Champion, Alex Shafer (Clermont, Fla.) and his teammate Nigel Pitt (Hartwell, Ga.) dropped to fourth. Olli Jason (Oldsmar, Fla.) and Patrick Gilles (Madison, Wisc.) had another solid performance. They finished third in today’s race and fifth overall. Two-time winners of the event and defending champions, John Casey (Longwood, Fla.) and John Williams (Long Beach, Calif.) finished the championship in sixth place. Winds were blowing at approximately five knots today on the calm waters of Galveston Bay.

A former national champion in the 420 and 470 classes, Melvin picked up catamaran sailing in the late 1980s. He won the 1988 Olympic Trials in the Tornado class. Soon after, he sailed in the ProSail professional sailing circuit in 1989 and won the Hobie 21 series.

'I always admired these boats, and eventually I got one,' mentioned Melvin. 'It was a revelation at first. These boats are demanding and fast. I think it’s one of the better ends of the sport you can be in.'

This event is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard, and Hobie Polarized Sunglasses. The C2 F-18s are provided by our official suppliers at Australian High Performance Catamarans and Fun in the Sun Services.

For more information on the U.S. Multihull Championship, visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMHChampionship.htm.