Melges 24 Quantum World Winter Series 2016-17 Update
March 29, 2017 - USMCA - Submitted by Brian Hutchinson USA201 - The MELGES24 Quantum World Winter Series (M24QWWS) returns to historic Charleston on April 7-9 for Act 2 – MELGES24 US NATIONALS, hosted by Charleston Yacht Club. The Melges 24 class is welcoming to Charleston several new teams hailing from as far as the West Coast and Canada. Of course, all teams will have enthusiastic and seasoned Melges 24sailors aboard who will be vying for the podium during this physics lab set in the Charleston Harbor current. Check out the latest update on the Melges 24 Quantum Sails World Winter Series 2016-17!
Look out for 2013 World Champion and four-time National Champion Brian Porter on USA849 Full Throttle out of Lake Geneva, WI. Full Throttle was on the podium in Act 1- Miami Worlds. For Act 2 Brian’s son, RJ Porter, may be at the helm with Dad on the rail calling shots. - Photo Pierrick Contin
2006 Melges 24 North American champion and 2015-16 Bluesmith’s World Winter Series champion, Bruce Ayres of Newport Beach is returning with his team of strong surfers. Monsoon is currently in fourth position on the M24QWWS Leaderboard having finished right on Full Throttle’s heels in Miami.
Joining this strong fleet is Kevin Welch’s Mikey, which was helmed by Soling Olympic medalist Jeff Madrigali to finish 2nd overall in the 2016 Melges 24 NorAm Tour. As with most of the fleet, Welch’s Team Mikey hopes to podium at Act 2- Charleston US Nationals, Act 3- Charleston Race Week and in the overall Quantum World Winter Series before the fleet heads to the sensational Columbia River Gorge for the Melges 24 NorAm Championship in July. - Photo Pierrick Contin
2016 Melges 24 US National Champion, Olympian, and two-time Moth World Champion Bora Gulari on West Marine Rigging, who placed fifth at Miami and 2nd overall in the 2016 Melges 24 NorAm Tour, will again steer West Marine Rigging in Act2 of the series. - Photo Pierrick Contin
Kevin Welch’s Mikey, Photo Pierrick Contin
Keeping the fleet honest and vying for the podium will be top Corinthian teams like Megan Ratliff’s Decorum and KC Shannon’s Shaka as well as top-10 Miami Worlds finishers- Mike Brown’s Blind Squirrel (7th), Peter Duncan’s Jigs in Space (8th), and Travis Weisledder’s Lucky Dog (9th), who placed 2nd overall in last year’s M24WWS.
Megan Ratliff's Decorum - photo Pierrick Contin
Please see the current M24QWWS standings, here.
