Entry is open for the 2023 Melges 24 North American Championships in Toronto, Canada
by International Melges 24 Class Association 7 Mar 2023 16:36 PST
September 14-17, 2023
Melges 24 fleet racing in front of the Toronto skyline at the Canadian National Championship 2022 © Alina Heinrich
After four years of hiatus, the Melges 24 North American Championship will be sailed again! The International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA) along with the Canadian Melges 24 Class Association (CanM24CA) is delighted to announce that entry is open for the 2023 Melges 24 North American Championship to be hosted by the National Yacht Club (TheNYC) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 14 to 17 September.
The last time when the international Melges 24 fleet was enjoying Canadian hospitality, was the Melges 24 World Championship hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club with the Canadian Forces Sailing Association and Victoria International Marina as a hosting venue in Victoria, BC back in 2018. That was the venue, where the ultimate stalwart of the Melges 24 - Andrea Racchelli and his team on Altea from Italy claimed their first and well-deserved Melges 24 Worlds' title.
Meanwhile, it was the Grand Traverse Yacht Club in Traverse City, Michigan, USA which hosted the Melges 24 North American Championship in 2019, where another Melges 24 stalwart Travis Weisleder and his team on Lucky Dog/Gill Race Team (USA) claimed the title, while Fraser McMillan’s Sunnyvale from Canada was crowned as the Corinthian North American Champion. Due to the global pandemic, the next Melges 24 North Americans were postponed twice to finally take place in September 2023.
Laura Grondin, the IM24CA Chair is happy to see that the organisation of the postponed title event is well under way, and eight teams have signed up since the recently opened registration.
“2023 is the 30th Anniversary of the advent of the Melges 24 sailboat and this is the tenth time to race for the Melges 24 North American titles! I am so pleased that we are once again able to host our signature, major events such as these North Americans. I especially want to thank our hosts who have waited an additional two years to put on this regatta. I hope to see you there! “ said Grondin.
Head to Canada this fall to experience high-intensity sailing on one of the most magical skylines in Canada and in the best conditions of the season.
Dan Berezin, owner of Surprise and President of CanM24CA says: “On behalf of the Canadian Melges 24 Class Association, I am inviting all Melges 24 teams on the continent, Corinthian and Open alike to sign for the 2023 North American Championships to be held at The National Yacht Club in Toronto.”
“We held the M24 Canadian Championship last year over the same period, we got 11 races under conditions that ranged from 5-25 knots, under the same PRO, Dave Sprague, there were lots of smiles all the way around, “ said Richard Reid, the owner of Zingara, runner-up of the 2019 North Americans and Vice Commodore - Fleet of National Yacht Club.
Scott Blair, Regatta Chair from the National Yacht Club insists: „Our team will make sure that we have just as much fun on shore as on the water, we’ll have a few fun surprises for the fleet.”
Check-in and measurement for the regatta will open on Thursday 14 September, with the practice race taking place the same day, and North American Championship will run from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 September. A total of ten windward/leeward races are scheduled, with one race required to constitute the championship. Once six races have been completed a single discard will be introduced.
Melges 24 North American Championship is event #8 in the series of the U.S. Melges 24 Class' National Ranking 2023 and the third event of the Quantum Melges 24 Great Lakes Cup consisting of four high-profile events across the Midwest District of the U.S. Melges 24 Class.
The Notice of Race and online entry for the regatta at https://www.melges24.com/northamericans2023
Important Dates:
- August 1 - Entry Fee increase
- September 5 - Online entry deadline
- September 5 - Corinthian competitors registered with World Sailing
- September 15 - Close of Registration
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