Many classes would struggle to get a total entry of 60 boats for a championship, but the Melges 24 Worlds in Hyeres boasted two fleets of that size and racing for the Silver fleet honours was just as hotly contested as that in the Gold fleet.
The photographs of official Worlds 06 photographer Thierry Lavernos are now available to view and order online. Please visit the ACTION! PHOTO web site to see the gallery. You can contact Thierry at Thierry LAVERNOSACTION!
I've uploaded my "un-official" worlds photos to a web gallery for the first time so that you can view the low res images and download high res images direct to your computer with out charge.
When I wrote last night that this regatta wouldn’t be over until the fat lady sang I had no concept of the Wagnerian dramas that would unfolded on this final day of the 2006 Melges 24 World Championship in Hyeres where two races were sailed in an easterly wind of 5-8 knots.
"Brutal" is how Brian Porter described day five of the Melges 24 World Championship in Hyeres where crews completed races seven to nine in the gold and silver fleets in light, shifty easterly winds.
We are pleased to report that, after a night of 100km per hour winds, the gales have blown themselves out in Hyeres and right now the boats are going afloat and we have a shifty 10-12 knots which is beginning to settle.
The overnight gales may have abated but there was no shortage of thrills and spills on day four of the Melges 24 World Championship in Hyeres as the 119 crews completed the final two of six round robin races to decide the gold and silver fleets.
At 4pm the Race Committee was forced to call off racing for today here at the Worlds in Hyeres because of strong winds. It has been blowing a steady 35 knots here all afternoon with occasional big gusts on top of that.
