2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series: Tuscany Welcomes the International Melges 24 Fleet

Regatta will start on Friday and will end on Sunday (March 23-25), after a series of nine races with a discard that will enter in play after the conclusion of the fifth race. 

Despite the end of March, which is rather early time in Europe this year, seventeen teams from six countries will be competing for the overall and Corinthian victory of the regatta in Punta Ala. Also the points both to the European an Italian series are important to collect to be ranked as high as possible by the end of the season. 

 

 

 

Wide geography of the participants will make the regatta truly international and a strong competition can be foreseen. The winners of 2017 European season both in overall and Corinthian divisions are lined up for the first regatta of their season in Punta Ala: 2017 overall winner, Miles Quinton's GILL RACE TEAM GBR694 with Geoff Carveth helming and Corinthian winner, also Corinthian World Champion 2017, Marco Zammarchi's TAKI 4 ITA778 with Niccolo Bertola-Giacomo Fossati tandem as helm and tactician on board. 

Seven teams of past year's Top 10 in overall ranking of the series are eager to start the season sharp to accomplish the goals set for2018, including FGF SAILING TEAM HUN728 helmed by Robert Bakoczy, being runner-up of last season and as strong as sixth at the World Championship in Helsinki. For sure, an interesting season ahead for Andrea Racchelli's ALTEA ITA722, who was very close to the podium at the Helsinki Worlds being fourth and finished the European ranking as sixth - the only team so far who has signed up from Europe with a charter boat for the first ever held Melges 24 World Championship in Canada.

For the full entry list click here 

 

The racing of the 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series will kick off tomorrow, on March 23rd in Punta Ala! Media coverage of the event will be provided by the media partner of the International Melges 24 Class, Zerogradinord and Melges Europe is ready to support and serve the teams being in Punta Ala with their service van.

 

2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series consists of the six events altogether. The season will open in Tuscany, in iconic Punta Ala and will continue in Slovenia in April (27-29), with the fleet heading to Portoroz that welcomes the Melges 24 class for the fifth time after the successful events of the past four years. The 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series will then move on to the internal waters, with a double appointment on the Garda Lake: Torbole (June 29 up to July 1), where the Melges 24 international fleet will return after the 2012 Worlds with the record number of 127 entries, and Riva del Garda (August 3-10) for the Melges 24 European Championship. The season will end with the Melges 24 Italian Championship to be sailed on the Como Lake in Domaso (September 14-16), and with the Lino Favini Cup, also valid as Swiss Open Championship held in Luino (October 12-14)