Storm Capital Sail Racing - Melges 24 Norwegian champion 2016
8th June, 2016 - Stavanger, Norway - 2016 Open Melges 24 Norwegian Championship was hosted by Gandsfjord Yacht Club supported by Yacht Club 1928 (Stavanger) with base in Hinna Park, Stavanger this weekend, in fantastic summer condition from Thursday to Sunday. 22 boats made the trip from Trondheim, Bergen, Stord, Farsund, Kristiansand, Larvik, Tønsberg, Oslo, Sweden and Germany. Total of three nations and 14 Norwegian Yacht Clubs represented shows that the Melges 24 class is strong all over the Norway and going strong in Scandinavia.
Friday Gandsfjord Yacht Club got four races underway. The two last races were short inshore races, with 3 up / down winds creating close and very competitive racing.
Wind conditions on Saturday varied from light to strong thermal breeze supplying surfing conditions with boat speeds of +15 knots with jibes close to shore.
The final results for the 2016 Open Melges 24 Norwegian Championship were still open after eight races on Friday and Saturday, with NOR751, Storm Capital Sail Racing leading.
Storm Capital Sail Racing NOR751 - photo Øyvind Hagen
Sunday morning was showing sun, but light and unstable wind, and AP ashore. But eventually Gandsfjord Yacht Club was able to start the final two races of the championship, in somewhat unstable conditions, with varying pressure from NW.
After leading the first windward mark in Race 9, Team RRH NOR732 - Herman Horn Johannessen, Jan Boros, Jan Frederik Dyvi, Stian Næss Rørvik and Marius Tandrevold from KNS Yacht Club and Stavanger Yacht Club dropped to 14th place on the finishing line, and out of the top 3 for the Championship as Team RRH had a OCS from Race 6 on Saturday.
Open Melges 24 Norwegian Nationals 2016 - Top 3 teams - photo Øyvind Hagen
Storm Capital Sail Racing NOR751 helmed by Peder Jahre and crew Sivert Denneche, Marius Falch Orvin, Ane Gundersen and Eirik Sola Fischer were crowned Norwegian Champions after total of ten races; Silver to Baghdad NOR600 helmed by Kristoffer Spone and crew Børre Hekk Paulsen Trond Solli- Sæther and Bjørn Mørland Pedersen from KNS and Arendal Yacht Club. Bronze went to Peder Nergaard’s SLAM BLOW NOR787 with Eivind Rubinstein, Morten Helgesen and Petrus Eide from Fredrikstad and Røyken Yacht Club.
A total of 22 boats participated this year at the Open Melges 24 Norwegian Championship, and it is nice to the see that the Melges 24 fleet grows in the South West region of Norway.
Open Melges 24 Norwegian Nationals 2016 - photo Øyvind Hagen
Melges Rocks after sail, Friday and Saturday, and Championship dinner Saturday was hosted by Fjordpiren, Hinna Park 100 from the venue harbour. Good service, good food, supplemented with beer from the local brewery Lervig, and med. like weather greeted the sailors!
Annual General Meeting and the new board of the Melges Norway
Melges Norway’s Annual Meeting was held on Friday evening. 2017 Open Melges 24 Norwegian Championship will be hosted by Fredrikstad Yacht Club at Hankø, in early September 2017. Elections of the new board was completed. Jan Inge Hellesmark resigned as chairman of Melges Norway after two years as a board member (2012-14) and chairman since 2014 (due to the fact he is living in South Korea now). Members of the board Jan Fredrik Dyvi and Kristian Notto also resigned as board members after serving the class for two and three years. Christoffer Solgaard Jakobsen, Fredrik Eriksen and Gisle Bjørsrud Bø were elected as the new board members.