FORTHCOMING EVENTS APRIL/MAY/JUNE

April, May and June are the busiest months in this year’s Melges 24 calendar. Key events include the US, French, German Swedish and UK Nationals. Check out our previews to find out what’s going on, where to be when and how to find the details you need to take part.

This weekend we’re spoilt for choice. In Europe there’s the
Musto Ski Yachting in Oslo, where 13 Melges teams will be competing including Olympic Gold Medallist Siren Sundby and her team which includes Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Lasse Kjus, who between them have 4 Olympic and 7 World Championship golds). Over in the US the action is focused on the West Coast with the Resin Regatta in San Francisco and the Puget Sound Sailing Regatta in Washington.

The weekend of 22-24 April brings the latest event in the hugely popular Italian Volvo Cup series. This time we’re in beautiful Bari on the Adriatic Coast and expecting a 30 plus turn out including plenty of international visitors keen to raise their game by sailing against those cunning Italians.

Our first National Championship of the year is the 2005 Carloan.com US Nationals being run in association with the Annapolis NOOD from 29 April to 1 May. This is the fourth event in the Carloan.com North American Ranking and with the US teams already seriously in training for the Ocean Reef Worlds this year’s turn out it set to break records with the entry now heading for 45-50 boats. Annapolis is a beautiful venue with great spring sailing conditions and legendary hospitality.

The following weekend we have a European double header with the French and German Nationals – both European Ranking events. The French Nationals are being held in association with the big SIV Regatta in La Rochelle from 5-8 May. As we head towards the 2006 Worlds in Hyeres the French fleet is gaining in strength once again and with plenty of overseas visitors expected this is going to be a great regatta. The LIROS Ropes German Nationals will run from 5-7 May at Tutzing on Lake Starnberg. With entries from Germany, Switzerland and Italy expected this will be another great event with the added interest of a lakes location.

For those of you looking to get in some early practise for the Europeans the UK Fleet are running two back to back open meetings in Torquay on the weekends of May 7-8 and May 14-15.

From 27-29 May Borstahusens, Malmo will be home to the Swedish Nationals. This is the first of Scandinavia’s big events and Malmo is always a very popular so we can expect a great turn out and plenty of fun and games.

Our first June event is the Detroit NOOD, which is hosted by the Bayview YC, Detroit Michigan from 3-5 June. The mid-west fleet continues to go from strength to strength and all the big players will be in attendance. As this is also the fifth event in the Carloan.com North American Ranking there will also be plenty of visitors to keep the locals on their toes.

Next up its Torbole Melges Week on Lake Garda, This is also an Italian Volvo Cup event as well as being the fifth event in the European ranking and runs from June 9-12. This event has always held a special place in the International Melges 24 calendar with its amazing scenery and to die for conditions. We’re expecting a great turnout this year with plenty of international competitors keen to race against those hot Italians.

This year’s Condor Ferries UK Nationals are being held in St Helier on the beautiful island of Jersey from 15-18 June. With special ferry deals courtesy of Condor Ferries this sixth event in the European Ranking is expected to attract competitors from both sides of the English Channel.

Our final June event is Long Beach Race Week which is also event six in the Carloans.com North American Ranking. The west coast fleet will be out in force for the regatta which runs from June 24-26 and with everyone keen to get in practise for the Worlds we’re also expecting plenty of long distance visitors to swell the numbers.

Finaly the Notice of Race for Whidbey Island Race Week, which has been added to the Carloan.com North American Ranking as event seven, is now available.