Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2021 - After four races German Nefeli is the leader

August 20, 2021 - Riva del Garda, Italy - Lake Garda does not betray expectations and the third Event of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2021 and Act 5 of the Italian Melges24Tour opens with the dispute of four races that allow Fraglia Vela Riva, organizer of the event, to make already valid the event just at the end of the first day and to celebrate the leadership of Nefeli (today 3-1-1-2).

The hull of German Peter Karrié, who on this occasion sails with Italians Niccolò Bianchi, Alessandro Saettone, Francesco Coari and Saverio Cigliano, built a good margin on all the pursuers, led by an Altea (9-2-2-1) who ran into a first race marked in negative by the choice to sail the first windward leg on the left of the race course.

Seven lengths off the tread, Andrea Racchelli did not struggle too much to keep Melgina (1-5-8-6) of Paolo Brescia able to win the initial race and the reigning Corinthian World Champions of Marco Zammarchi’s Taki 4 (5 -3-6-7) aboard which is the already three-time Opti World Champion, as well as Rolex World Sailor of the Year, Marco Gradoni, on his first experience in one design.

While Taki 4 is confirmed as the leader of the non-professionals crew, the provisional top five is completed by Sergio Caramel's Arkanoé by Montura (6-4-9-3) and of the tactician Karlo Hmeljak, fresh winner of the ORC Class C World Championship in Tallinn, pinched in OCS during the first race, then closed in sixth position despite the time lost.

In Corinthian top three we find on the second placement Hungarian Seven_Five_Nine of Akos Csolto from Hungary followed by German Michael Tarabochia’s White Room, tied on points. 

Full results

Photo gallery by ©IM24CA/ZGN - Mauro Melandri

The third fraction of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series will continue on Saturday: the Race Committee plans to run three more races in order to complete the program early Sunday morning and allow participants to leave the Garda Lake in the early afternoon and thus escape some big traffic announced in all the Italian highways.

Event website
Sailors and supporters are invited to follow the races live on: http://www.metasail.it/incoming/229/

Event press officer and photographer: Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord

After Riva event the most anticipated event of the Melges 24 season awaits the sailors on September 4-11 in Portoroz, Slovenia, where the Melges 24 European Championship 2021 will be the first major championship hosted by the International Melges 24 Class Association since Worlds in Villasimius, Italy in 2019 as a result of the pandemic. Marina Portoroz and YC Marina Portoroz are looking forward to welcome you in September!

2021 Melges 24 European Sailing Series will consist of 6 events:

1. June 25-27 – Malcesine, Garda lake, ITA
2. July 23-25 – Riva del Garda, ITA
3. August 20-22 - Riva del Garda, ITA
4. September 4-11 – Portoroz, SLO – Melges 24 Europeans 2021
5. September 24-26 - Attersee, AUT
6. October 1-3 - Trieste, ITA

More information about the event and series available at melges24.com/europeansailingseries