Marinepool Melges 24 European Championship 2016 - Countdown Is On For The Melges 24 Fleet In Hyères

September 4, 2016 – Hyères, France - Everything is ready in Hyeres where the International Melges 24 fleet will sail for the third time since 2006. 54 Melges 24 boats coming from 16 nations have all reached their moorings on the docks and, after today’s practice race are ready for the first preparatory signal tomorrow. 

The organizing machine, well supported by Marinepool and the City of Hyères, is already working at full speed: today all the measuring procedures have been concluded, under the supervision of the new IM24CA Chief Measurer, Antonio Cardona, who stepped into the big shoes of Egidio Babbi, historical measurer of the Melges 24 fleet.

Interview with Antonio Cardona, Chief Measurer of the International Melges 24 Class Association - video edited by IM24CA/Zerogradinord

Practice Race - Marinepool Melges 24 Europeans 2016 - photo Pierrick Contin

The practice race, held with some Westerly breeze blowing around 8-13 knots, was useful for Benedek Fluck, the new Championship Coordinator for the European events together with Principal Race Officer Jean Diaz, who started getting to know the fleet, here composed by a large number of Corinthian crews: "It was a sixty-minutes race, we had 8.5 knots in the beginning, that went up to 13 in the end. We had a four-legs course and the wind changed a bit to the West" - Fluck declared. "We had to make two starts because in the first almost everyone was OCS; we released the fleet with the black flag and still had a couple of BFD. It was a great practice race both for the sailors and Race Committee and, as usual, part of the fleet didn't cross the finish line because it is said to be sign of misluck. Tomorrow we are supposed to have similar weather conditions, even if we may have a Mistral blowing a bit more strongly than today". 

Interview with Geoff Carveth - helmsman of the Gill Race Team GBR694, many times Laser Sb20 World Champion - video edited by IM24CA/Zerogradinord

Waiting for the first warning signal of tomorrow, all the crews and the organizers met tonight in the clubhouse of the COYCH, were at 8.00 pm Miles Quinton, Vice Chairman Europe of the International Melges 24 Class Association, welcomed the Opening Ceremony of this exciting championship. 

Interview with Miles Quinton, Vice Chairman Europe of the International Melges 24 Class Association - video edited by IM24CA/Zerogradinord

Mr Francis Roux, First Deputy Mayor of Hyères City welcomed the sailors from around the Europe in Hyeres of French Riviera. On behalf of the hosting club COYCH Pero Muriel, the Chairman of the COYCH greeted the Melges 24 fleet.

The racing is scheduled to start on Monday at 10 am.

The Marinepool Melges 24 European Championship 2016 will be hosted by the Cercle d'Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyérois (COYCH), in co-operation with the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA) and the French Melges 24 Class. The event, planned between September 5th and 9th with a registration and measurement on September 2nd to 4th, will count on up to 12 races with a maximum of 3 races for each day. After the end of the sixth race, the discard of the worst result of the series will come in play.

Event website: melges24.com/europeans2016   
Event in Facebook  
Photo Gallery of the preparations in Hyères 
Photo Gallery of the Practice race - photos by Pierrick Contin  

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Marinepool Melges 24 European Championship 2016 is sponsored by :

Title Sponsor & Official Clothing Supplier to the world class events and teams in sailing and power boating Marinepool
The beautiful city of Hyères and its 3 golden isles  
Eurovoiles Yacht dealer and its well known president sailing Melges 24 Denis Infante  
The Var area  
The Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur area  
The Toulon Provence Méditerranée metropolitan area  
The French Sailing Federation 
Leading manufacturer of quality sailboat hardware and accessories Harken 
Liros, unlimited rope solutions  
The restaurant bar Le Tocco  
XVoiles shipchandler  
Delta Voiles shipchandler  
Latitude 43 shipchandler  
VSR Charter rib rental  
La Route du Sud motorboat rental

Event dates: 
Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th September: Measurement and registration  
Sunday 4th September: Practice Race and the Opening Ceremony  
Monday 5th to Friday 9th September: 2016 Melges 24 European Championship