Please select your home edition
Edition
CoastWaterSports 2014

OneSails Melges 24 UK National and Open Championship - Day 1

by Ian Videlo 6 Sep 2015 00:11 BST 5-7 September 2015
OneSails Melges 24 UK Nationals day 1 © Ian Videlo

The One Sails Melges 24 National Championships are being hosted by Suffolk Yacht Harbour and Haven Ports Yacht Club where there is an emerging local fleet gaining a strong foothold. The home fleet were joined by two visiting teams, one coming from the Netherlands.

This event is being generously sponsored by local sailmakers, One Sails and the racing is being held just off the port of Felixstowe in Dovercourt Bay.

Competitors left Levington with a slowly building breeze and grey skies. Race 1 started on schedule in a Force 3 Northerly wind which held steady throughout the race. At the first mark The two visiting boats of Gill Race Team (Rob Larke/ Miles Quinton) lead from Gelikt (Carlos Vroon) lead narrowly from "Why Knot" (Ben Stone). The leading two boats retailed their positions, whilst Why Knot was overhauled by S&M (Stephen Videlo) to take 3rd place.

The second race started cleanly, though the wind started to swing around towards the west shortly after the start. Again Gill Race Team lead at the first mark from Gelikt and S&M. By the end of the first run the majority of the fleet had bunched up together as the wind filled from behind with the whole fleet rounding in close succession to one another.

The course was re-aligned to the wind for the final lap. S&M managed to overhaul Gelikt to take second place with Why Know retaining their fourth position.

It took a little longer to get race 3 under way as the race committee had to reposition the course once more with the wind continuing to track towards the west.

A third clean start saw Gill Race Team power off the line and give a master class of Melges sailing in a slightly stronger force 4 breeze. Gill Race Team extended their lead on each leg to underline their mastery of the conditions, with local boat Slot machine (Peter Smith) rounding in second place.

Further back several of the chasing pack mis-judged the tide on the downwind leg over-standing the leeward mark and losing ground to those who judged their approach more conservatively. The Dutch team's experience showed and they pulled through from a mid-fleet position to finish second with "Why Knot" finishing in third place.

On the way home, competitors were greeted with beer kindly provided by Adnams as they sailed home up the river Orwell towards Levington Marina, where they then enjoyed an excellent evening barbeque as the sun started to show itself once again.

Tomorrow four races are scheduled, with three more on Monday when the event concludes.

Results after day 1:

PosBoatSail NoHelmR1R2R3Net
1Gill Race TeamGBR694Miles Quinton1113
2GeliktNED789Carlo Vroon2327
3S & MGBR333Stephen Videlo3249
4Why KnotGBR432Ben Stone44311
5ConspiracyGBR473Josh Major55818
6Slot MachineGBR648Josh Major68519
7Speak UpGBR272Bill Rees76720
8New TricksGBR546Chris Dawson87621

Related Articles

CRO Melges 24 Cup in Hvar Preview
Top European sailors will battle it out for the Championship title The sun-kissed island of Hvar will host the thrilling finale of the CRO Melges 24 Cup from October 31st to November 2nd. Posted on 30 Oct
Register Now for Charleston Race Week 2025
Early entry discounts for competitors Don't miss your chance to race on beautiful Charleston Harbor, sip Mount Gay Rum daily aboard the iconic USS Yorktown, and enjoy the famous southern hospitality and exquisite dining of Mount Pleasant and Charleston when you're off the water. Posted on 21 Oct
Melges 24 European Championship overall
'Razjaren' and 'Mataran 24' crowned in Croatia Ante Cesic's Razjaren has taken the overall title, while Abte Botica's Mataran 24 claimed the Corinthian crown at the 2024 Melges 24 European Championship. This event featured over 40 boats racing in eight varied-weather races. Posted on 5 Oct
Melges 24 European Championship day 4
'razjeren' soars on the wings of Yugo The Yugo wind continued to blow across the Split racecourse, allowing three more races at the Melges 24 European Championship to be completed for the second consecutive day. With eight completed races and two remaining, Razjaren is in firm control. Posted on 3 Oct
Melges 24 European Championship day 3
Jugo wind boosts Croatian 'Razjaren' to the top of the rankings The 2024 Melges 24 European Championship saw a shift in leadership as the Jugo (South-East) wind provided challenging conditions. Ante Cesic's Razjaren (CRO, 1-5-2) now leads the provisional rankings. Posted on 2 Oct
Register Now for Charleston Race Week 2025
Launch and haul with free storage Event organizers of Charleston Race Week 2025 at Patriots Point cordially invite you to a bigger and better-than-ever regatta. Registration is now open — take advantage of early entry discounts! Posted on 1 Oct
Melges 24 European Championship day 2
No wind in Split, racing to resume tomorrow The second day of racing at the 2024 Melges 24 European Championship in Split, hosted by the JK Split in collaboration with the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA), was postponed today due to lack of wind. Posted on 1 Oct
Melges 24 European Championship day 1
41 boats from 10 nations in Split, Croatia The 2024 Melges 24 European Championship opened with light and unstable winds, challenging both sailors and the Race Committee. Hosted by the JK Split and the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA), the event welcomed 41 boats from 10 nations. Posted on 1 Oct
Croatia & Split ready to host Melges 24 Europeans
Another great story of the IM24CA is ready to be told Another great story of the IM24CA is ready to be told: the Melges 24 Croatian Class, which in just a few years has become an essential asset for the European movement, is about to host the first main event in its history. Posted on 26 Sep
M24 North American Series final event coming up
The entry list is building - let's go racing! Online registration is open for the final event of the 2024 North American Sailing Series, the famous Bushwhacker Cup hosted by the Pensacola Yacht Club on November 8-10 in Pensacola, Florida. Posted on 26 Sep