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Extreme40 Cardiff 26.08.2017

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26/08/17

SAP Extreme Sailing Team steals the lead on day two in Cardiff

Four podium finishes, including two bullets, were enough for SAP Extreme Sailing Team to take the overnight lead on day two of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Cardiff, but Alinghi is in hot pursuit.

The crowds packing the shores of Cardiff Bay were treated to sun and a spectacular foiling display from the international fleet of GC32s, as an unexpected breeze filled in just in time for the Stadium Racing in the Welsh capital.

„We’re happy with the day. It’s very difficult not to have a couple of races that are challenging but we only had one or two, so we’re pretty happy with that,“ said co-skipper and mainsail trimmer Rasmus Køstner.

„We have worked a lot on our starts and we came off the line really well today, and that makes a big difference,“ added Køstner, whose Danish-flagged squad is tied on points with leader Oman Air on the season scoreboard.

Defending Series champion Alinghi lost its day one lead but remains in strong contention, just four points behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team and with two full days of racing still to come. Co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis remains positive.

„Today was great for us,“ said Psarofaghis, who helmed his team to two wins but also suffered one last place blot on his scorecard. „We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of points, but overall the day was really good for us and we’re really happy with the way we sailed.

„Nothing has changed since the last Act in Hamburg, it just wasn’t our regatta,“ added Psarofaghis, whose team has had two bad results in the past two Acts, leaving it under pressure to perform in Cardiff.

Oman Air had a mixed bag, with only three podium finishes from the six races, including one win and one sixth place.

„Today was a bit of a horrid day for us, we didn’t really gel and we didn’t get the boat going in the right places,“ said skipper Phil Robertson, whose team enters the second half of Act 6 in third, but with a troubling nine-point deficit on the leader.

„We snuck a few good results in but when we weren’t on the podium we were doing a lot of damage and that’s not what you want to do, you want to keep it consistent,“ he added.

Kiwi squad NZ Extreme Sailing Team follows the Omani crew in fourth, with Red Bull Sailing Team climbing two spots to fifth.

Land Rover BAR Academy, who sits in sixth, celebrated its first win of the Act in race six, as it crossed the line to the sound of cheers from the crowds and with a mammoth lead on the rest of the pack.

„It came together nicely for us. To look back as you come across the finish line with that much of a lead is pretty epic,“ said a delighted skipper, Rob Bunce, whose team welcomed Welsh rugby star and Land Rover UK Ambassador Leigh Halfpenny on board as a Guest Sailor in the opening race.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, whose crew includes British Olympians Stevie Morrison and Alain Sign, dropped two spots to seventh but managed to bag one third place finish.

After 10 races in the Flying Phantom Series ZEPHYR by Idreva, crewed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, still tops the standings but Red Bull Sailing Team is fighting back. Olympians Thomas Zajac and Will Ryan sailed the Austrian-flagged boat to three consecutive wins, moving from sixth to second out of the fleet of 13. Culture Foil drops from second to third.

The Flying Phantoms will race from 10:00 – 15:00 UTC+1 tomorrow, with the GC32s scheduled to start at 15:00 UTC+1. Fans can watch the live stream of the racing on the official Facebook and YouTube pages from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+1.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00 UTC+1, with plenty of on shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 2, 8 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 84 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 80 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 75 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 73 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 68 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 66 points.
7th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 58 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 2, 10 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 182 points.
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 178 points.
3rd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 169 points.
4th Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 165 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 157 points.
6th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 147 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 137 points.
8th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 135 points.
9th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 132 points.
10th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 129 points.
11th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 95 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 94 points.
13th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 83 points.

 

Extreme40 Cardiff 26.08.2017

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26.08.2017

SAP Extreme Sailing Team steals the lead on day two in Cardiff

Four podium finishes, including two bullets, were enough for SAP Extreme Sailing Team to take the overnight lead on day two of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Cardiff, but Alinghi is in hot pursuit.

The crowds packing the shores of Cardiff Bay were treated to sun and a spectacular foiling display from the international fleet of GC32s, as an unexpected breeze filled in just in time for the Stadium Racing in the Welsh capital.

„We’re happy with the day. It’s very difficult not to have a couple of races that are challenging but we only had one or two, so we’re pretty happy with that,“ said co-skipper and mainsail trimmer Rasmus Køstner.

„We have worked a lot on our starts and we came off the line really well today, and that makes a big difference,“ added Køstner, whose Danish-flagged squad is tied on points with leader Oman Air on the season scoreboard.

Defending Series champion Alinghi lost its day one lead but remains in strong contention, just four points behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team and with two full days of racing still to come. Co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis remains positive.

„Today was great for us,“ said Psarofaghis, who helmed his team to two wins but also suffered one last place blot on his scorecard. „We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of points, but overall the day was really good for us and we’re really happy with the way we sailed.

„Nothing has changed since the last Act in Hamburg, it just wasn’t our regatta,“ added Psarofaghis, whose team has had two bad results in the past two Acts, leaving it under pressure to perform in Cardiff.

Oman Air had a mixed bag, with only three podium finishes from the six races, including one win and one sixth place.

„Today was a bit of a horrid day for us, we didn’t really gel and we didn’t get the boat going in the right places,“ said skipper Phil Robertson, whose team enters the second half of Act 6 in third, but with a troubling nine-point deficit on the leader.

„We snuck a few good results in but when we weren’t on the podium we were doing a lot of damage and that’s not what you want to do, you want to keep it consistent,“ he added.

Kiwi squad NZ Extreme Sailing Team follows the Omani crew in fourth, with Red Bull Sailing Team climbing two spots to fifth.

Land Rover BAR Academy, who sits in sixth, celebrated its first win of the Act in race six, as it crossed the line to the sound of cheers from the crowds and with a mammoth lead on the rest of the pack.

„It came together nicely for us. To look back as you come across the finish line with that much of a lead is pretty epic,“ said a delighted skipper, Rob Bunce, whose team welcomed Welsh rugby star and Land Rover UK Ambassador Leigh Halfpenny on board as a Guest Sailor in the opening race.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, whose crew includes British Olympians Stevie Morrison and Alain Sign, dropped two spots to seventh but managed to bag one third place finish.

After 10 races in the Flying Phantom Series ZEPHYR by Idreva, crewed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, still tops the standings but Red Bull Sailing Team is fighting back. Olympians Thomas Zajac and Will Ryan sailed the Austrian-flagged boat to three consecutive wins, moving from sixth to second out of the fleet of 13. Culture Foil drops from second to third.

The Flying Phantoms will race from 10:00 – 15:00 UTC+1 tomorrow, with the GC32s scheduled to start at 15:00 UTC+1. Fans can watch the live stream of the racing on the official Facebook and YouTube pages from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+1.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00 UTC+1, with plenty of on shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 2, 8 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 84 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 80 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 75 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 73 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 68 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 66 points.
7th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 58 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 2, 10 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 182 points.
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 178 points.
3rd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 169 points.
4th Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 165 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 157 points.
6th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 147 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 137 points.
8th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 135 points.
9th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 132 points.
10th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 129 points.
11th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 95 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 94 points.
13th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 83 points.

 

 

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Clipperrace 26.08.2017

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RACE 1 DAY 6: FIRST TOUGH TEST FOR FLEET
26 AUGUST 2017

There have been leader board changes overnight with shifting winds and variable conditions resulting in teams experiencing some of the most demanding on board conditions of the race so far.

Unicef, which had enjoyed four consecutive days in the lead, has now slipped behind Sanya Serenity Coast and Visit Seattle which now take first and second place respectively.

Nikki Henderson, Skipper of Visit Seattle: “It’s been our toughest 24 hours yet.

“The crew worked their socks off yesterday in very shifty winds. We’ve been tacking a lot, (change direction by 90 degrees or so which requires heaving all the sails that are up from one side of the boat to the other side), to keep making ground south and west.

“We have done three headsail changes, having begun yesterday with the Yankee 1 up, then we saw 30 knots and pouring rain so went down to the Yankee 3. Wind gradually decreased over the course of the day – so the Yankee 2 made an appearance and now we are back up to the Yankee 1.”

For the teams that decided to stick to the easterly route, the front is still moving through which will be associated with deep cumulonimbus cloud formation, which bring strong but short-lived gusts of wind, which Liverpool 2018 Skipper Lance Shepherd described as “squalls, dunkings and fruity conditions overnight.”

Whilst the conditions are keeping Skippers and crew busy, they are also proving to be pretty enjoyable.

Garmin Skipper Gaetan Thomas says: “Every day the level is rising and we had another busy 24 hours. In the day, the wind was picking up speed and waves were falling on deck. The water is warm so each bucket of water on our face created a lot of smiles on deck and was often followed by a big apology from the helm.”

For teams that took the westerly route, tactics are starting to pay off with Liverpool 2018 now sitting in seventh position and HotelPlanner.com in eighth.

Commenting on the past 24 hours, HotelPlanner.com Skipper Conall Morrison reports: “We have sailed from the centre of a high to the centre of a low in about 36 hours, going through each gear change, taking each of the three Yankee sails up and down, and each of the reefs in and out as the wind increased and decreased on our chase west – it’s great fun!

“After the passage of the low, when boats get into the NW airflow, we will see how positions have changed and who comes out best.”

Andy Burns, Skipper of GREAT Britain, currently in ninth place, said: “We are continuing to work our way west towards those westerly’s which we hope will take us rapidly south.

“Given the unpredictability of the winds, though, we will not know for certain if this will work for a few days. The game of Ocean Racing is certainly a complex one.”

The tactical game also took a new turn yesterday when PSP Logistics became the first team to activate ‘Stealth Mode’, a 24-hour period during which a team can choose to become ‘invisible’ to its competitors and Race Viewers.

Mark Light, Clipper Race Director, commented on the decision: “Stealth Mode can be used to hide an important tactical decision from the rest of the fleet and with changeable weather conditions, it will be interesting to see what Roy Taylor and the crew of PSP Logistics decide to do in this 24-hour stretch.”

Whilst the Clipper Race Office will remain in full contact with PSP Logistics, the rest of the Clipper Race fleet and viewers at home will not receive any location updates until 00.00 UTC on the morning of Sunday 27th August.

NB: All positions were correct at time of publishing. For the latest positions visit the Race Viewer.

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Extreme40 Hamburg Fotogalerie

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Extreme40 Cardiff 25.08.2017

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25/08/17

Alinghi sneaks ahead on light winds opener in Cardiff

Consistency paid off for Alinghi on the opening day of Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, as light winds prevented a full day of scoring racing. SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Oman Air took a bullet each but paired it with a finish off the podium, allowing the Swiss crew to edge ahead.

Despite the forecast earlier this week showing plenty of breeze, the wind did not materialise and only two races were completed. Alinghi demonstrated its prowess in these conditions as it bagged a brace of seconds, ending the day in the lead by one point.

„It was a really good day for us,“ said co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis. „We had a really tricky first race, we struggled to start well but then we had a nice first downwind and came back to take second.

„There is still a lot of work to do before the end of the Act. We will just take it easy every race and see how it goes. The boat sailed really well and the guys did a fantastic job, it was really calm and a nice day to sail,“ added Psarofaghis.

SAP Extreme Sailing Team follows the Swiss in second, with current season leader Oman Air making up the podium in third.

„We expected these conditions today and we were quite pleasantly surprised that we managed to get two races in,“ said Oman Air skipper Phil Robertson. „We’re happy, we won the last race, it’s always nice to finish on a high.“

NZ Extreme Sailing Team missed out on the podium by two points, with Kiwi America’s Cup sailor Josh Junior having made his debut as helm.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, who sits a further two points back, took third in the second race of the day to the delight of the home crowds.

„It’s always quite nice to beat the Kiwis, and there’s not a lot of sports that you can beat them in at the moment, so we’ll take that,“ joked skipper Stevie Morrison, a two-time British Olympian.

„It was very light winds and tricky, but the guys are really quick learners. Everyone is having a good time and is open-minded to learn,“ he added.

Land Rover BAR Academy lies tied on points with its fellow British squad, while Red Bull Sailing Team sits bottom of the table.

The season finale of the Flying Phantom Series kicked off the morning’s racing on Cardiff Bay. ZEPHYR by Idreva, sailed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, took the early lead of the Act.

„I feel pretty good,“ said helm Hainneville. „Winning two of the three races was a very good way for us to start the final Act of the 2017 Flying Phantom Series but there are still three days of racing to go so we will see what happens.“

Culture Foil, sailed by Eric Peron and Théo Constance, finish the day in second with Solidaires en Peloton, sailed by Thibaut Vauchel-Camus and David Fanouillere, in third. Current season leader Red Bull Sailing Team had a slower start to the regatta, managing only one podium finish, and sit sixth overall.

Racing resumes for the Flying Phantoms tomorrow at 10:00 UTC+1 with the GC32s scheduled to start at 14:00 UTC+1. Fans can follow the action via the live blog.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00, with plenty of on-shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 1, 2 races (25.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 22 points.
2nd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 21 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 20 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 18 points.
5th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 16 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 16 points.
7th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 13 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 1, 3 races (25.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 58 points.
2nd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 54 points.
3rd Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 53 points.
4th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 48 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 48 points.
6th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 46 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 40 points.
8th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 37 points.
9th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 37 points.
10th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 37 points.
11th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 34 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 26 points.
13th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 26 points.

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Finnclass 25.08.2017

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Oskari Muhonen storms to top of U23 Finn Worlds after two late races on Day 4

Another long day of waiting for wind was rewarded with two late races on Day 4 of the U23 Finn World Championship in Balatonfüred, Hungary. Oskari Muhonen, from Finland, won the day to now lead the fleet by five points. He very nearly won both races.

Facundo Olezza, from Argentina, had a day to forget and dropped to second, while Fionn Lyden, of Ireland, had a stellar day to climb to third.

The long postponement was lifted just after 15.30 when a light southerly established itself on the lake following a day of zero breeze and sweltering temperatures. By race time it was 6-8 knots and the best breeze the sailors had seen for three days.

Lyden led round the top after favouring the left from Henry Wetherell, from Britain, and Joan Cardona Méndez, of Spain. Lyden still led at the gate but a crazy second beat let Wetherell through to the lead. He looked to have it sealed but Muhonen caught him downwind, and was ahead at the gate, but on the outside. Wetherall just crossed the finish ahead, but overlapped with Muhonen, with Lyden a comfortable third.

Three of the top 10 picked up a UFD starting penalty, including regatta leader Olezza.

Race 6 was started without delay to make best use of the breeze and this time Lars Johan Brodtkorb led at the top but he infringed Muhonen, who took the lead and sailed away for a huge win. The next boat was not even round the leeward mark as he crossed the finish.

Lyden controlled second place all the way with Jack Arnell, from Britain, moving up to third on the second beat, but was then passed by Brodtkorb on the final downwind.

As the fleet finished, the wind was still in place, albeit lighter, and the race team tried to get a third race in but after two false starts they called it a day with the setting sun spreading its golden light across the usually green Lake Balaton.

Lyden said of the day, “I thought we were done with sailing today, but then they sent out which was good. Both starts were very pin end biased and I managed to get away quite nicely. I was good both top marks and from there I just tried to cover the fleet as best I could to protect the left hand side, which seems to be good here.”

He said he is enjoying his first Finn regatta. “It’s good so far. It’s a really friendly and nice class, and I am looking forward to the Gold Cup as well next week.”

“I love sailing the Finn. I love the more technical side to it and the downwind with free pumping.”

Muhonen moved from sixth to first overall after his day’s work and is now where he wants to be.

“After the bronze in the youth Europeans this year I was thinking about the gold here, as well as getting some good training before the gold cup, but I would just be happy with a medal.”

Muhonen has only been in the class for just over a year. “I came into the Finn because I got to big for the Laser.” Before that he sailed Optimist, Europe and Laser. He won a few National titles in the Europe, and was 10th at the Laser youth worlds.

On Friday’s racing he said, “It was a pretty good day. Not as shifty as the first days.”

On the race win, “I got a pretty good start in the middle and let the Irish guy cross me and went for the left and the pressure. And then I was first at the top mark and pretty much stayed there.”

He trains a lot with his fellow Finn sailors Mikael Hyrylainen and triple Olympian Tapio Nirkko, as well as Max Salmimen from Sweden. “We also get a lot of help from the Federation, so that’s good as well.”

At the Europeans this year he finished as top Finnish sailor. He has his sights firmly set on the long term goals. “My long term goal is definitely Tokyo; and Olympics after that as well.”

He says the most attractive part of Finn sailing to him is the downwind. “Downwind sailing is pretty great, with free pumping and the physical aspect. It’s definitely a good boat to sail.”

“Also the social side of the class is great. Especially this regatta, which has been very well organised.”

He feels he is having a good regatta so far. “It feels good to be leading now, definitely. Two more days to go.”

If today shows anything it is that Balaton still has a lot of surprises in store, and no one can rely on anything. Day 4 produced lots of high scores throughout the leader board and lots of lessons learned. There are still a maximum of six races left to sail, so the championship could be considered only half way through, with just two days to go.

Results after 6 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 20
2 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 25
3 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 27
4 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 30
5 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 41
6 USA 91 Luke Muller 46
7 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 48
8 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 50
9 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 52
10 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 52

 

If today shows anything it is that Balaton still has a lot of surprises in store, and no one can rely on anything. Day 4 produced lots of high scores throughout the leader board and lots of lessons learned. There are still a maximum of six races left to sail, so the championship could be considered only half way through, with just two days to go.

Results after 6 races
1 FIN 8 Oskari Muhonen 20
2 ARG 48 Facundo Olezza 25
3 IRL 22 Fionn Lyden 27
4 GBR 71 Henry Wetherell 30
5 NOR 9 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 41
6 USA 91 Luke Muller 46
7 CZE 5 Ondrej Teply 48
8 SWE 11 Johannes Pettersson 50
9 GBR 96 Hector Simpson 52
10 FRA 9 Guillaume Boisard 52

 

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Melges24 Worlds 25.08.2017

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25.08.2017

2017 International Melges 24 World Council AGM – November 4th

International Melges 24 Class Association’s Annual General Meeting 2017 will be held in Royal Ocean Racing Club, London, UK on November 4. The AGM will be preceded by the Technical Committee Meeting on November 3.

More specific details about the venue with the timeline and deadlines for the submission of the motions and proposals you’ll find at melges24.com/agm2017

The first deadline for you is September 8 – motions and nominations to be proposed at the AGM shall be submitted to the International Treasurer (Tomi Hakola at tomi.hakola@starsquad.fi and copy to Class Administrator Piret Salmistu at piret@melges24.com) not less than 8 weeks (56 days) before the date of the said AGM.
The form for the submissions and more information you’ll find at melges24.com/agm2017

Melges 24 New World Champions: Italian Maidollis and Taki 4 – Congratulations!

The 20th edition of the Melges 24 World Championship in Helsinki concluded with a series of eleven races that challenged the crews with weather conditions that ranged from light wind to heavy breeze and seas.

After the success obtained in the Worlds of Torbole in 2012, exactly five years ago on August 4th, the couple helmsman-tactician Carlo Fracassoli-Enrico Fonda contributed to the success of Italian entry Maidollis by Gian Luca Perego with also Giovanni Ferrari as a part of the 2012 winner team, and Stefano Lagi onboard.

Taki 4 managed to confirm itself for the second year in a row as Melges 24 Corinthian World Champion, after the success obtained in Miami and will keep the perpetual Henri Samuel’s Trophy another year. The crew was made, as past year, by Niccolò Bertola in helm, Giacomo Fossati, Marco Zammarchi, Matteo De Chiara, Giovanni Bannetta and Niccolò Bianchi as the coach.

Overall:
1 – Carlo Fracassoli’s MAIDOLLIS – ITA
2 – Bruce Ayres’s MONSOON – USA
3 – Kevin Welch’s MIKEY – USA
Corinthian:
1 – Niccolò Bertola’s TAKI 4 – ITA
2 – Geoff Carveth’s GILL RACE TEAM – GBR
3 – Tõnu Tõniste’s LENNY – EST

Story, results, photos, videos
melges24.com/Worlds2017
THANK YOU NOTE

2017 melges 24 North American winners
Melges 24 New North American Champions: Mikey and Sunnyvale – Congratulations!

It was all smiles (and adrenaline) at the 2017 Diversified Melges 24 North American – NorAm Championship. Mother nature generously delivered a banner week of warm and sunny planing conditions to an international fleet of Melges 24 sailors. .

Kevin Welch’s Mikey USA835 with Jason Rhodes, Ian Sloan, Ross McDonald and Serena Vilage took the North American title with 24 points followed by Michael Goldfarb’s Warcanoe USA825 with 40 points (both teams were competing a week later at the Worlds in Helsinki). Fraser McMillan’s Sunnyvale CAN151 with Harry Miller, Adam Koster, Keegan Moynihan, Kieran Horsburgh were crowned as the Corinthian North American champions, being third in overall with 48 points.

Overall:
1 – Kevin Welch’s MIKEY – USA
2 – Micahel Goldfarb’s WARCANOE – USA
3 – Fraser McMilan’s SUNNYVALE – CAN
Corinthian:
1 – Fraser McMilan’s SUNNYVALE – CAN
2 – Kent Pierce’s AVERAGE WHITE BOAT -USA
3 – Gord Galbraith’s LEKKER – CAN

Story, results
Melges 24 NorAm Championship

USM24CA logo
USM24CA: 2018-20 Election and Rule Change Proposal Results

Officially, the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association has concluded its election for the 2018-2020 Executive Committee with the following elected Class Officers:
Travis Weisleder, President (USA-848, Lucky Dog)
Roger Counihan, Vice President (USA-775, Jaws)
K.c. Shannon, Secretary (USA-801, Shaka)
George Haynie, Treasurer (USA-687, Firewater)
A great round of thanks to all the nominees that came forward to volunteer their time, enthusiasm and passion for the Melges 24.
Read more about the elections and Rule proposals to IM24CA AGM from the USM24CA website.

Racing News
Worlds 2017: Interviews with the 2017 Melges 24 world champions Gian Luca Perego and Carlo Fracassoli

Click on the picture below for an interview with Gian Luca Perego after winning the Melges 24 Worlds 2017 title in Helsinki with team of Maidollis ITA854.
Interview edited by Classe Italiana Melges 24 and footage from Helsinki by Zerogradinord.

Quantum’s Carlo Fracassoli added World Champion to his resume again after winning the 2017 Melges 24 world title for the second time in August in Helsinki. Quantum’s Director of Offshore One Design Scott Nixon interviewed the Italian champion to learn about the event and his team’s success.

Read the interview here

Interview with Gian Luca perego – the owner of Maidollis ITA854

Worlds 2017: How to Get On a Melges 24 Worlds Podium

Article on Sailish.com about team MIKEY USA838 recent experience at the Melges 24 Worlds 2017 in Helsinki. The Anacortes-based Melges 24 MiKEY, skippered by Kevin Welch, finished an amazing third in the open fleet Melges 24 Worlds in Helsinki, Finland July 28-August 4. Ian Sloan gives us insights into the event and what it takes to race at that level.website.
Read the interview here

Denmark: Kim Christensen Is Danish Melges 24 Champion 2017 – Congratulations!

A great fleet of 24 Melges 24 teams from Norway, Sweden, Germany and Denmark were competing for the title of the Danish Melges 24 Champion in Hellerup over the weekend of August 18-20.

With a good margin of 15 points ahead of the runner-up, the tile of the Melges 24 Danish Champion 2017 achieved Kim Christensen’s team. On the second place ranked Norwegian Peder Nergaard ahead of Danish Marc Wain Pedersen as third.
See the results here

Upcoming Events

For the full 2017 Events Schedule click on the calendar above

Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2017:
Medemblik and Luino Are Calling

After a brief summer rest, the Eruopean Melges 24 fleet will lead to Medemblik, the Netherlands for the penultimate event of Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2017, that is going to conclude in October in Luino, Italy.
Medemblik, NED – September 15-17: Notice of Race ; Online Entry , Entry List
Luino, ITA – October 13-15: Notice of Race ; Online Entry
More about the Melges 24 European Sailing Series at melges24.com/europeansailingseries

Canada: 2017 Melges 24 Canadian Nationals on September 21-24

26 teams entered for the 2017 Melges 24 Canadian National Championship, the third event of the 2017 NorAm Tour, to be held on September 21-24 in Toronto, Ontario.

Register HERE
Entry List is HERE
Event website : melges24nationals.ca
2017 Melges 24 NorAm Tour website

Italy: 2018 Melges 24 Tour Dates and Venues Published

 

Melges 24 Italian Class Association has published the 2018 Melges 24 regatta schedule – seven events of true sailing in great locations.

„The new calendar has been designed with our mind focused to competitor’s needs and desires. Nice locations, optimized „course“ and logistic support are just some of the factors will bring European and American teams to choose the best Melges 24 regatta circuit. In a few weeks a dedicated website will be available and populated by information,“ said Luca Babini, the Secretary of the Melges 24 Italian Class Association.

Take note of the dates and plan your breathtaking 2018 Melges24Tour in Italy.
www.melges24.it
Photo Flashback

20 Years Later!
These guys were all participating at the first ever Melges 24 Worlds in Torquay, England in 1998 and were also at the 20th Melges 24 World Championship 2017 in Helsinki making the Melges 24 as a historical and epic one!
It’s huge to have you in class – Peter Flinkman, Richard Thompson, Bruce Ayres, Nigel Young, Jimbo Schwerdt, Stian Ness Rorvik, Tõnu Tõniste, Tammo Otsasoo and Peder Nergaard!
Cheers to the next 20 years!!!
Photo: (c) Pierrick Contin – pierrickcontin.com