Melges 24 World Championship Middelfart 2023 - Day 2
by International Melges 24 Class Association 28 Jun 2023 16:34 PDT
27 June - 1 July 2023
For the 47 Melges 24 World Championship fleet in Middelfart, Denmark, it was a demanding second day on the water as the weather gods were delivering much less wind today compared to Tuesday. The wind was reluctant to put in a proper appearance making conditions throughout the three races generally light, but consistent at between 6 and 9 knots.
After three races, reigning Melges 24 World Champion Peter Duncan and his Raza Mixta (USA) crew of Morgan Trubovich, Erik Shampain, Patrick Wilson, Victor Diaz De Leon has a four-point lead over Drew Freides' Pacific Yankee (USA), with Chris Rast steering Michael Goldfarb's War Canoe (USA) third and Ante Botica and his crew of Mataran 24 (CRO) fourth, being the best Corinthian team in the fleet by now.
The first race got away at the second attempt with westerly winds at 1137hrs. The wind shifts played into the cards to the ones who chose the left side of the course and were on top in this race leaving the initial leaders far behind.
"We didn't really have a good start, we got tangled up and in a mess-up in the pin-end, but we ended up picking the right side since we had strong beliefs in the left-hand side, and it really paid off. We rounded up in the first mark like third or fourth, had two good laps and the second upwind was excellent, so it paid off and we won the first race," commented Peder Nergaard, the helmsman of Norwegian Blow their success in the first race of the Worlds.
"It was a great feeling, a great start! It's one of those experiences that you really enjoy and live on for a long time - so that was great!"
The second to cross the finish line was another Corinthian crew - Chinook of Akos Csolto, the Corinthian winner of the 2022 European Sailing Series, from Hungary, current leader Raza Mixta of Peter Duncan third followed by third best Corinthian team Mataran 24 of Ante Botica, 2022 Corinthian European Champion, from Croatia and Pacific Yankee of Drew Freides rounding up the top five.
Peter Duncan and his team on Raza Mixta, got a substantial lead and victory in the second race of the day. "It was a different day - a lot different than yesterday. Today was a soft breeze of maybe ten knots - light and tricky. You had to figure out what side to get on, where the velocity was coming from and stay in the breeze, and we did a pretty good job.
"In the second race we played every shift pretty well and sailed downwind very well - that's why we extended. You know - you just get lucky once in a while," Duncan said happily.
When he was asked about defending the Worlds title he gained in Ft Lauderdale last year, he said: "I was told a long time ago, that you cannot win a regatta in the first day, but you can certainly lose it. And we have three hard days yet in front of us. It's a really fun racing, the boats are going fast, everybody is sailing very hard!"
Following Duncan was the only female skipper in the fleet - Melges 24 Class Chair Laura Grondin and her crew on Dark Energy (USA) and the newest baby in the fleet - Razjaren with Ante Cesic (CRO) steering rounded the top three.
The third race got maybe the best conditions of the day, however light though. Another new set of top finishers with the class stalwart and most experienced skipper of the Melges 24 World Championships, Bruce Ayres' team on Monsoon (USA) crossing the finish line first. Three Corinthian teams in top five with Michael Tarabochia's White Room from Germany with Luis Tarabochia at the helm were right after Monsoon finishing second as the best Corinthian team. Drew Freides' Pacific Yankee (USA) finished third, Chinook of Akos Csolto as fourth and top five was rounded by Tõnu Tõniste's Lenny from Estonia - the last two are both Corinthian teams.
Michael Tarabochia, the owner of White Room, admitted that it was a very tricky day. "It was like a lake sailing in our hometown Munich in Bavaria, where is always very shifty and the current is coming the second. We had a very good start and then good lifts to upwind mark, very good speed and at the end we switched to the left side. We rounded first lap third and had lot of fights with Lenny and US boats. At the end we were lucky to finish as first Corinthian and second overall. It's amazing to be here, there are many amazing sailors, and we enjoy very much!"
Tomorrow on June 29, three more races are scheduled with the first start set for 1100.
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