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WHAT GOES OFFSHORE STAYS ONLINE : US NATIONALS PREVIEW BY JUSTIN CHISHOLM

17 SEPTEMBER 2007 • Article courtesy of Justin Chisholm • The great and the good of the US Melges 24 class will be gathering in Detroit towards the middle of this week for their National Championships. Offshore Rules takes a look at the runners and riders and tries to predict who might be standing on the podium when the racing is done....

Picking a winner from any Melges 24 Nationals fleet before racing starts is never easy. This year’s Audi sponsored US Nationals hosted at Detroit’s Bayview Yacht Club (21-23 September) is certainly no exception. The fifty-five boat fleet is peppered with potential race winners along with several teams capable of lifting the overall trophy at the end of the regatta.

An obvious favourite based on Melges experience and successful track record is Brian Porter’s team aboard ‘Full Throttle’. They were cruelly denied a World Championship win on the final leg of the last race in Santa Cruz earlier this year. The US Nationals trophy would look very nice in the cabinet alongside the 2007 US Pacific Coast Championship trophy they won in San Francisco.

However Brian will be well aware that he is unlikely to have it all his own way in Detroit. He will have his eye firmly on UK entry John Pollard aboard ‘Xcellent Latis Yachting’ who finished third in last year’s US Nationals in Jacksonville as well as blitzing the 2007 St Pete NOOD. It is believed that Team Xcellent will be joined by Irish Olympic Finn aspirant Aaron O’Grady as tactician for this regatta.

Reigning US National Champion Scott Holmgren on Rosebud along with Chris Larsen are back to defend their title will be looking for a repeat of last year when they snatched the title on the dying yards of the final race.

The list of potential winners goes on and on - Chicago’s finest John Podmajersky aboard USA 511 who recently cleaned up at a light weather Detroit NOOD must be looking forward to returning to the scene of his victory. Othmar Blumencron who despite losing his rig on the final ‘big’ day in Santa Cruz still managed a top ten placing overall will be a serious contender particularly if the breeze is up. Simon Strauss on Gill won in Charleston this year and is well capable of stringing together a series good enough to win in Detroit.

Despite the overabundance of talent we have never been prone to sit on the fence at Offshore Rules so we are going to have a go at predicting who will occupy the podium places come Sunday. Our bet is that Full Throttle, Xcellent and Rosebud will fill the top three places – we are just not saying what the order will be! Our outsider gamble for a top three is Othmar Blumencron’s Gannet.

Only time will tell if we are right or wrong but Offshore Rules wishes the very best of luck to the organisers and all of the competitors at this year’s event. GO OFFSHORE ONLINE NOW!