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| JEFF DUVAL WINS THE 2007 MELGES 24 GOLD CUP | |||
It was classic light air sailing with the breeze ranging nil to 8 knots. To make matters even more challenging, it was puffy, with significant velocity and wind direction changes. At times boats would sail within two boat lengths of each other in totally different breeze. The tide was not as big a factor as it was slack during the middle of racing and because of the course location and wind direction. To complete the event, the race committee delivered another three great races — with no throw outs. Consistency and speed paid off for some! In race 1, the breeze was particularly tricky. Reggie Fairchild, in 3rd place after Day 1, had a bad start and tacked off to the right into almost no breeze. A line of breeze filled from the left and several boats on the pin end took off. It looked like Fairchild was dead. Then the breeze filled and shifted to the right. Fairchild was instantly back up with the leaders. Conditions kept changing and it seemed like every boat was in second place at one point or another. Fairchild tried to go right again on the second upwind beat and was looking decent until another breeze line filled from the left. Boat after boat zipped by and Fairchild finished 13th. Lots of boats, including Reid Collins and Gary Umberger's 'Desperate Measures' from Flowery Branch, Georgia reported bouncing up and down in the standings. The conditions where tough, but the racing was close and exciting. Fleet newcomer Andy Robinson from Detroit, Michigan on "DIVDAT Racing' managed the win, followed by Duval in second and Blumencron in third. Simon Strauss on 'Team Gill' continued their stardom as Saturday's starting line excitement earned them notority. Race after race they were greeted with raucous cheers from their fan club anchored at the finish. The race committee reset the course for race two of the day. The breeze was somewhat stronger and steadier. Lucas with tactician Shawn Burke ripped around the course to finish first, again followed by Duval. Alex Shafer helming for Rebecca Krantz on 'Lamorak' with tactician Mike Krantz calling the shots finished third. In the third and final race of the event, PRO Hal Smith kept the course the same. Having a clean start with speed proved important. This time around the track Duval and his Florida teammates kicked things up a notch and finished in front of Lucas. The win would prove vital as Duval edged out Lucas in a tie breaker to take the 2007 Gold Cup Championship. The results for the weekend were incredibly close as both Duval and Lucas had 3 firsts. Duval beat Lucas by having two seconds to Lucas' one. Blumencron finished third and Shaffer pulled out a fourth. Strauss was fifth. Shortly after racing, trophies where awarded for both the Corinthian and Overall Divisions. Lucas took first Corinthian followed by Fairchild and Shaffer. A very special thanks to the Charleston Yacht Club and Hal Smith with his incredible race committee! And especially to the competitors — as many of you traveled great distances to participate at the Gold Cup. We hope to see everyone back again next year as the race organizers announced that the Charleston Harbor Challenge would be held the last week of September in 2008 to beat the heat. Professional photographer Rick Greyson was onhand this past weekend to capture all the excitment. VIEW PHOTOS FULL RESULTS TOP TEN RESULTS 1.) Jeff Duval, Doc Holiday 2.) John Lucas, Spray (C) 3.) Othemar von Blumencron, Gannett 4.) Reggie Fairchild, Wireless (C) 5.) Steve Kopf, Blur 6.) Alex Shaffer, Lamorak (C) 7.) Simon Strauss, Team Gill 8.) George Haynie, Firewater (C) 9.) Andy Robinson, Divdat Racing 10.) Reid Collins/Gary Umberger, Desperate Measures (C) CORINTHIAN HEAT Twelve of the eighteen boats competing a the Gold Cup were qualified Corinthian teams. Five of them scattered within the top ten! Congratulations are in order for all teams that competed in this hotly contested division — specifically to John Lucas from Charleston South Carolina in first, Reggie Fairchild in second also from Charleston. And, in third was Alex Shaffer from Tampa, Florida on Sweaty Betty! CORINTHIAN RESULTS 1.) John Lucas, Spray 2.) Reggie Fairchild, Wireless 3.) Alex Shaffer, Lamorak 4.) George Haynie, Firewater 5.) Reid Collins, Desperate Measures 6.) Peter Marenakos, Riot Act 7.) Cary Seigler, Cre843 8.) Jerry Creasman, Aiemef 9.) Bob McElwain, Silver 10.) Joe Baggett, Rum at Six 11.) Don Kerckhoff, Big Sky 12.) Marc Bailey, Screaming Mimi |
International Melges 24 Class Association
©2008. U.S. Melges 24 Class Association. All Rights Reserved.
