Davis Island Yacht Club Regatta Named As Replacement Event for King's Day/Atlantic Coast Championship, 22-23 November

The 2008 Melges 24 Davis Island Yacht Club Regatta has officially been named as the replacement event for the King's Day Regatta/Atlantic Coast Championship. Located in warm and sunny Tampa, Fla. the final North American Ranking event of the year will be graciously hosted by the Davis Island Yacht Club (DIYC) on 22-23 November.

Just prior to the OSA Sailing.com U.S. National Championship, the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association (USMCA) was notified that the docks at the Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville had been damaged by one of the few tropical storms that impacted the state during the 2008 hurricane season. The USMCA was anxious to find a suitable replacement venue. Long-time Melges 24 Owner and DIYC Member, George Haynie USA-687 Firewater was quick to step forward and offer their first-class race facilities. "This is a great time of year to sail in Tampa. We are proud to call the area home to a base fleet of ten Melges 24s and we are ready to put on a great event,' said Haynie during the USMCA AGM in which the event was unanimously nominated as the perfect re-location.

The attendance expectations for this event is already upward bound. Historically, as one of the last events on the international schedule, the buzz is that potentially as many as 40+ boats will compete. In addition to a strong Tampa fleet, some of the fastest growing pods of Melges 24s can be found flourishing just a few minutes south in Sarasota and Naples, Fla. Locally, Haynie states that 20 will easily be found on the starting line. Teams have committed from Georgia, South Carolina and beyond. Those traveling southward to make their racing-rounds at the Key Largo Regatta on 6-7 December, Key West on 19-23 January then back to St. Pete's in late February have already sworn their presence will be felt.

USMCA SE District Governor Steve Kopf USA-773 Blur remarked "Although we were sorry to hear that the Florida Yacht Club was unable to host the traditional Kings Day regatta, we are pleased that DIYC stepped forward and offered an excellent alternative. We sailed the Suncoast Championship at DIYC in March and had a blast. It’s a great club that is quickly becoming a hotbed for M24 racing in the SE. This regatta will be well attended and we look forward to seeing some of the locals including former 505 World Champion Ethan Bixby, Doug Fisher, and Jeff Duval. A special thanks to George Haynie (the current SE points leaders) for rallying his club to host the regatta. Put this on your calendar now and you won’t be disappointed!"

In the next coming weeks, more information will be available on this event such as the release of the official NOR, entry form, storage and logistics for out-of-town boats and other competition details. Stay tuned to the USMCA Website as everything will be posted as soon as it is made available.

Visit the Davis Island Yacht Club online today!

REMINDER: The 2008 Melges 24 Fall Championship Regatta takes place on beautiful Lake Geneva this weekend, 4-5 October. Hosted by the Lake Geneva Yacht Club this event traditionally welcomes as many as 30 Melges 24s. 'Lake Geneva is awesome. The racing there is the very best. I love going to Lake Geneva,' says USMCA Midwest District Governor Mike Dow USA-613 Flying Toaster. This is the last event leading up to the 2008 North American Championship 26 October - 02 November in Annapolis, Md. hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club. Forty-two entries are on the board. Already this is the largest North American Championship ever! The final entry deadline for this event is October 17. Visit the Official Website for the NAC and get your entry in now!