Tallinn, Estonia - 12 August 2010
Lorenzo Bressani And Uka Uka Racing Team Win
2010 Marinepool Melges 24 World Championship
Oyvind Peder Jahre And Storm Capital Sail Racing Win Corinthian World title
- Despite the willingness of both the competitors and the Race
Committee to do everything possible to complete the final two races of the 2010
Marinepool Melges 24 World Championship in Tallin, Estonia, the wind refused to
make an appearance on the final day. After a patient wait of several hours, the
one painfully light airs race which did get under way had to be abandoned part
way down the first downwind leg. The lack of any racing today, meant that the
placings from the previous day reindexed unaffected, with Italian helm Lorenzo
Bressani on Uka Uka Racing confirmed as the 2010 Melges 24 World Champion.
Norway's Kristian Nergaard on Baghdad took second place overall, ahead of
Italy's Alberto Bolzan on Hurricane Murphy & Nye in third. In the closely
fought Corinthian Division, Norway's Oyvind Peder Jahre on Storm Capital Sail
Racing Team were crowned 2010 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champions, ahead of
Estonian Tonu Toniste on Lenny in second and Italian Marco Schirato on La Besa
in third.
Realistically the eventual abandonment of racing on the
final day had little impact on the already foregone conclusion that Italy's
Lorenzo Bressani on the helm of Uka Uka Racing would be crowned champion.
Bressani had turned in a stellar performance in the Championship series,
winning three of the ten races sailed and never placing outside of the top ten
all regatta, meaning that he had established a virtually unassailable
thirty-two-point lead going into the final day. Although the Race Committee
gave themselves the best chance to complete the full twelve race series by
bringing the fleet afloat in time for a ten o'clock start this morning, the
wind simply refused to cooperate. After waiting several hours, and enduring
some heavy rain showers, the Race Committee confirmed to the fleet by radio
that a maximum of one race would be possible before the official two o'clock
cut-off for racing. This announcement meant that Bressani could now not be
caught and triggered an immediate victory celebration aboard Uka Uka Racing
who, to the cheers and applause of their fellow competitors, then downed sails
and headed for the dock.
At around twelve-thirty and with the deadline now looming,
the Race Committee opted to at least try to get racing under way. Their chances
originally looked good, but after the fleet, had made it painstakingly slowly
to the windward mark and even three quarters of the way down the run, what
little wind there had been simply vanished, forcing the Race committee's hand
and the abandonment of the race.
With no racing possible today the overall standing were
unchanged from the previous day, with Bressani confirmed as overall World
Champion, Norway's Kristian Nergaard on Baghdad finishing in second place and
Italian Alberto Bolzan on Hurricane Murphy & Nye taking the final podium
position. The cancellation of racing also put paid to what could have been a
fascinating battle for the 2010 Melges 24 Corinthian World title, between the
reigning Melges 24 Corinthian European Champion, Oyvind Peder Jahre on Storm
Capital Racing Team and second placed Tonu Toniste from Estonia on Lenny.
Jahre came into this event as a past Melges 24 Corinthian
World Champion (2008) and as reigning Melges 24 Corinthian European Champion.
By finishing in ninth overall and winning the Corinthian Division, Jahre says
he and his young crew have achieved their pre-regatta goals. 'We wanted to
retain the title and finish in the top ten overall. We have done both so we are
happy.' Asked about the rising standard in the Corinthian Division, he commented
'That is what we like about the Melges 24 Class. Amateurs like us can compete
against the best professionals in the fleet. Ultimately this makes your sailing
better and there are now some really good Corinthian teams who are capable of
getting race results at the top of the fleet. We have seen that here in Tallinn
all week.' Jahre says his team's commitment to the class is undiminished. 'We
will be back next year for sure. We all have jobs and we don't get too much
chance to practice, so we will most likely do what we did this year and use the
Italian Volvo Cup Series as our training schedule.'
Equal measures of relief and delight were evident on the
faces of the Uka Uka Racing crew as the realisation dawned that they had
achieved what they set out to do at this Championship. For helm Bressani and
team owner Lorenzo Santini this is their second Melges 24 World Championship
victory together, having first claimed the title in 2008 at Porto Cervo.
Tactician Jonathan McKee is also now a double Melges 24 World Champion, having
won his first title with James Spithill at Key Largo in 2005. However, going
one better than his fellow crew members, is trimmer and team manager Federico
Michetti. Remarkably, with this
victory Michetti has now won three Melges 24 World Championships - the first
person ever to do so. Along with his two Uka Uka Racing victories, Michetti
claimed his first Melges 24 World title in 2005 at La Rochelle, crewing for his
close friend and mentor, the late Georgio Zuccoli. Although this is Uka Uka Racing
bowman Fabio Gridelli's first ever Melges 24 World Championship victory, the
smile on his face tonight shows that the win tastes no less sweet than for his
overachieving team mates.
Talking before this evening's prizegiving at the Kalev Yacht
Club Bressani said that he was pleased to have won but claimed that it had been
more difficult than it looked. 'This was a tough event. The fleet was big and full
of good sailors and
the venue is very challenging on the water.' Bressani was also quick to praise
his crew. 'In Lorenzo Santini we have a remarkable owner and without him none
of us would be here. This week our tactician Jonathan McKee has been
outstanding. He and I are opposite temperaments and I think that is why we sail
well together. Our bowman Fabio Gridelli has fitted in perfectly with the team
and has not put a foot wrong all week. What can I say about a three time Melges
24 World Champion like Federico Michetti? He is a great sailor, motivator and
nobody pays as much attention to boat preparation as him.'
Tactician McKee echoed Bressani's comments. 'This is a
pretty remarkable team and I'm honoured to be a part of it. All the members of
the crew play their own complementary roles and it all just works. Lorenzo
[Bressani] is a remarkably talented helm and one of the best speed merchants I
have ever sailed with.' Asked about the future for the Uka Uka Racing programme
McKee confirmed that they have their sights firmly set on defending their title
in 2011 in Corpus Christie, Texas. 'The standard in this class just keeps on
rising and we know we will have to work hard to improve if we are going to be
able to compete effectively next year. Right now however we are just going to
sit back, relax and savour this win for a while.'
Justin Chisholm
Provisional Overall Top Ten After Five Races
1. ITA787 - UKA UKA RAcing - Lorenzo Bressani - 30 pts
2. NOR400 - Baghdad - Kristian Nergaard - 62 pts
3. ITA727 - Hurricane - Murphy & Nye - Alberto Bolzan - 67 pts
4. SUI782 - Blu Moon - Flavio Favini - 81 pts
5. ITA783 - Audi - Riccardo Simoneschi - 94 pts
6. ITA807 - Gullisara - Carlo Fracassoli - 97 pts
7. ITA716 - Saetta - Niccolo Bianchi - 102 pts
8. ITA735 - Altea - Andrea Racchelli - 132 pts
9. NOR751 - Storm Capital Sail Racing Team - 136 pts
10. FRA599 - Poizon Rouge - Jean-Marc Monnard - 144 pts
Provisional Corinthian Top Five After Two Races
1. NOR751 - Storm Capital Sail Racing Team - 42 pts
2. EST790 - Lenny - Tonu Toniste - 47 pts
3. ITA780 - La Besa - Marco Schirato - 70 pts.
4. SWE666 - Number of the Beast - Jonas Berntsson - 83 pts
5. FIN529 - Midnight Sun Sailing One - Sami Ekblad - 85 pts
The 2011 Melges 24 World Championship will be hosted by Corpus Christi Yacht Club,
Texas, USA, from 11-21 May 2011. Visit www.melgesworlds.com for full details.
The 2011 Melges 24 European Championship will be hosted by Haugasund Yacht Club,
International Melges 24 Class Association | 3 Palmers Road | Emsworth | Hampshire | PO10 7DL | United Kingdom
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