Melges World League 2022 - three classes and eight appointments for the best of one design sailing
by Melges Europe 14 Feb 2022 11:49 GMT
8-10 April 2022
Melges World League fleet © Melges Europe / Barracuda Communication
One design sailing will return also in 2022 under the iconic sign of "Melges" and with the Melges World League regatta circuit.
Since 2008, the launch season of the competitions dedicated to the Melges 32 fleet, to which the Melges 20 and Melges 14 fleets have been added over time, the regattas organized by Melges Europe have continued in constant growth and with important evolutions; on their own regatta fields, scattered across three continents, the biggest names in world sailing met and continue to compete on equal terms.
Today, this success story is preparing to write a new chapter, with the 2022 edition of the Melges World League which has the Mediterranean and Italy the center of gravity of its format which includes more Melges classes within each single stage. More than 30 teams are expected at the start between Melges 32 and Melges 20 plus more than 20 helmsmen of the Melges 14.
The debut event will be reserved for the Melges 20 and Melges 14 fleet on the Tyrrhenian regatta course of the Yacht Club Isole di Toscana in Marina di Scarlino, already home of the Melges 20 World Championship in 2016.
The following month, from 5 to 8 May, the spotlight will turn on for the first time in the history of the Melges World League on the Adriatic racing field of Porto San Giorgio, one of the great news of this season; the Melges 32 fleet will also line up on the starting line of the Adriatic Grand Prix, organized in collaboration with Marina di Porto San Giorgio and the local section of Legal Navale Italiana, for four days of high intensity sailing.
In June from 9 to 12 it will be the turn of Gaeta, a regatta field that after ten years returns to embrace the Melges world with all the three fleets of the Melges World League. The hospitality will be once again the one of the Base Nautica Flavio Gioia in collaboration with Yacht Club Gaeta.
The Melges 14 will be the only protagonist of the event dedicated exclusively to themself on the waters of Bracciano Lake during the weekend of 16 and 17 July in collaboration with Planet Sail Bracciano.
Starting from the end of August, the Melges World League will reach the spectacular regatta fields of Sardinia that will host the decisive appointments of the long Melges World League season. It will start from Villasimius (1-3 September, guests of Marina di Villasimius and Lega Navale Italiana) for what will in fact be the last competitive test before the highly anticipated appointment with the double World Championship challenge for Melges 20 and Melges 32 in Puntaldia, a spectacular regatta course discovered by Melges in 2019 and established itself in a very short time as one of the most desired locations by every class. The Marina di Puntaldia appointment (in collaboration with Lega Navale Italiana) will also define the name of the Melges World League champion for the Melges 20 class.
The first week of October the Melges World League will move back to the continent for the last challenge reserved for the Melges 14 on the Lazio regatta course of Santa Marinella and of Circolo Nautico Guglielmo Marconi before returning again to Puntaldia (from 13 to 15 October) for the Melges World League Finals dedicated to the Melges 32 fleet.
To ensure the best sporting content at each stage every class will have his own race course. In addition to this commitment from the host Yacht Clubs, there is the introduction for the Melges 32 class of the use of electronic buoys capable of guaranteeing millimeter precision. The great show of the Melges World League will also be enhanced by new communication formats to reach the hearts of Melges fans faster and in an engaging way.
Melges World League 2022 racing schedule:
8-10 April: Tuscany Grand Prix - Melges 20 and 14
5-8 May: Adriatic Grand Prix - Melges 32, 20 and 14
9-12 June: Gaeta Grand Prix - Melges 32, 20 and 14
16-17 July: Bracciano Cup - Melges 14
1-3 September: Sardinia Grand Prix - Melges 32 and 20
21-25 September: Puntaldia Melges 32 and 20 World Championship
1-2 October: Santa Marinella Cup - Melges 14
13-15 October: Puntaldia Melges 32 World League Finals