ITALIAN TEAM RIDES MARRACHECH EXPRESS INTO LEAD OF CORUM MELGES 24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
KEY LARGO, Fla., Dec. 13, 2005 – Consistency paid off for the Italian boat Marrachech Express which jumped into the points lead at the 2005 Corum Melges 24 World Championship at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo today after two races in fresh northerly breezes.
Steered by professional sailor Gabriele Benussi and a group of amateur sailors from Trieste, Marrachech Express confounded race watchers who had questioned whether the recently-formed team could handle the demanding, choppy conditions as comfortably as some of the well-honed, all-professional teams. Benussi and his three crew had never sailed together until they came together in Key Largo for three days of practice before the event. They never faltered.
Benussi’s team had fared badly in the opening race of the series last Sunday when it posted a 35th place in the international talent-packed field of 99 boats. However the Italians got the fleet’s attention with a first place in the second race of the day. They followed that up with a third and a second on Monday, followed by fourth and ninth place finishes today.
With six of the 12 scheduled races completed, all competitors are now able to discard their worst race placing, punching Marrachech Express up from her second overall yesterday to the lead on points today.
The discard also favored sailmaker and pro sailor Dave Ullman from Newport Beach, Calif., who finished today’s racing with a fifth and a third for his Pegasus 505 and dropping a 41st place to jump from seventh place overall yesterday to second today.
The best performance of the day came from young Australian America’s Cup helmsman James Spithill who logged two masterful first places in today’s fresh breezes aboard his Luna Rossa, from Genoa, Italy, winning comfortably in the first and running away from the pack in the second.
Fort Lauderdale’s Morgan Reeser, a comfortable points’ leader going into today’s racing, could do no better than a 20th in the first race today.
That and a 17th place yesterday pulled his Mfatic emphatically back into fourth place, ten points behind Spithill.
Consistent performances are vital in a long series like this, featuring a big fleet and Brian Porter from Winnetka, Ill., illustrated the point by holding onto fourth place overall with his Full Throttle team.
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Keith Taylor
Corum, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, is an independent, family-owned
company producing high-quality hand-finished Swiss timepieces since
1955. For more than two decades Corum has supported sailing events
around the world, including the Admiral’s Cup in Britain as an event
sponsor and as a team sponsor.
In the 12 years since it was introduced, the Melges 24 has become the
world’s leading high performance, one-design sportboat and has held ISAF
International Keelboat Class status since 1997. It offers exciting,
demanding, exceptionally competitive sailing and attracts top
professional and amateur sailors from the around the globe. Over 630
boats are now sailing and an additional 30 new boats are built and
delivered each year.
The website for the 2005 Corum Melges 24 World Championship at Ocean
Reef Club is www.2005corumm24worlds.com. More information about Corum
Swiss timepieces is available at www.corum.ch. The web address for
Ocean Reef Club is www.vacationsatoceanreef.com. Registration and
Sailing Instructions sponsored by Solution Property Group and Protector
Boats. Photographs courtesy of Tim Wilkes at www.timwilkes.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Corum Melges 24 Worlds Press Office at Ocean Reef Club
Tel +1 305 367 2611 – Ext 7675
Corum Melges 24 Worlds Press Chair Class
Joy Dunigan
+1 (912) 398-5776
communications@usmelges24.com
International Melges 24
Fiona Brown
+44 (7711) 718-470
fiona.brown@melges24.com
Corum Melges 24 Worlds Press Officer
Keith Taylor
+1 (410) 753-2489
keith.taylor@melges24.com
Corum USA
Knych Keller
+1 (949) 788-6220
kkeller@corumusa.com
Corum Melges 24 Worlds Official Photographer
Tim Wilkes
+1 (585) 423-1966
tim@timwilkes.com