Melges 24 World Championship Middelfart 2023 - Day 1
by International Melges 24 Class Association 28 Jun 2023 06:17 AEST
27 June - 1 July 2023
Melges 24 fleet on Day One at the 2023 Worlds - Middelfart, Denmark © Mick Knive Anderson
Melges 24 World Championships 2023 were officially opened in Hindsgavl Castl on Monday June 26, when the Melges 24 sailors from all over the world were welcomed by Johannes Lundsfryd Jensen, the Major of Middelfart Kommune; Laura Grondin, the Chair of the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA); Soren Blume Svendsen, the President of the Danish Melges 24 Class and Soren Laugesen, the Event Chair of the Melges 24 Worlds and CEO of GoSail.
Sailors could enjoy the local hospitality and some of Denmark's finest landscape surrounding Hindsgavl Castle looking at the glittering waters of the Little Belt thru the old trees of the castle park.
Three days of registration, measurements, and inspections has come to an end and today, at midday the first warning signal was about to sound for the Melges 24 World Championship 2023 off Middelfart.
The forecast for today was strong, but not as strong as it appeared to be on the racecourse. It has been blowing under sunny skies a steady 22-25 knots from NW here all the morning with occasional big gusts on top of that. First attempt to start the race was called off with a general recall and during that sequence wind started to pick up even more. The Race Committee was waiting wind to drop, but after waiting about fifteen minutes, PRO David Bartol decided to display AP over H sending the fleet ashore. But since the wind didn't drop and stayed as forecast, then at 3.15 pm the Race Committee was forced to call off racing for today here at the Worlds in Middelfart and scheduled the first warning signal for 11 am tomorrow.
At the marina we had a chance to catch up with Ante Cesic, the helmsman of the newest boat in the fleet - Melges 24 hull #867 built in Europe after more than ten years hiatus by the Yacht Service in Szczecin, Poland and mast produced by Ceilidh Composites in the Netherlands. The boat called Razjaren, owned by Lukasz Podniesinski, and sailing under Croatian flag, is being christened just in time for the 2023 World Championship in Denmark.
"We really wanted to have a new boat already last year, and then Melges Performance Sailboats started to build the boats here in Europe. We got the boat two days ago and she touched the water here in the Nordic, not in Croatia, where we are from. As we expected, till now we are very satisfied with a boat, having tested only two days of short sailing. I think, for the whole Class it's great to have the production back in Europe again. I know already some owners who want to buy a new boat - the Class can only improve from it!"
Celebrating 30 years of Melges 24 racing this year, the Melges 24 is especially happy to see new boat launched in Europe. Harry Melges III, successor to late Buddy Melges, was happy to see that launch happening exactly for the World Championship.
"Everyone here at Melges Performance Sailboats is wishing all of our friends in Middelfart a great World Championship and plenty of celebration for 30 years of M24 memories. We're super proud of the Melges 24 class and what it has meant to all of us through the years and the friendships that sailing M24's has cultivated.
"We're also excited to be once again supplying new, European built boats and masts to help the class flourish for the next 30 years and beyond. Cheers to all from Zenda, USA!"
Buddy's rich legacy is fully alive, kicking and celebrated at the Melges 24 Worlds!
Racing at the Melges 24 World Championship 2023 will resume at 11 am, on Wednesday, June 28.