More Sensational Melges 24 Racing in St. Petersburg at the NOOD
From Joy Dunigan of the USMCA - Day two of the 2007 Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD constituted for light air sailing in the morning and some great easy-breezy afternoon sailing for the Melges 24 fleet.
The first race was painfully slow to watch. In less than 5 knots of breeze Bora Gulari at the helm for Rob Bunn (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) on 'USA-202 Rumblur' fought to the final leeward gate with Geoffery Pierini (Edison, NJ.) on 'USA-551 Gazoo'. Pierini found some wind right at the gate taking the lead by just half-a-boat length. English entry John Gimson helming for Eamonn O'Nolan (Gorington Thames, Oxon) on 'GBR-676 UnlimitedSailing.com Bateauneuf' rounded third. Back upwind it was all Gulari as he put a little distance between himself and Pierini for the win. To the finish Gulari held on to the lead with Gimson over took Pierini for second. Pierini was third.
After an initial general recall on the second race, the course bearing was set to 015 degrees with 1.25 mile legs. Commencing just before noon, the fleet headed upwind as the breeze began to build. Doug Fisher (Sarasota, Fla.) on 'USA-515 Wireless', overnight leader John Pollard (Torquay, UK) on 'GBR-650 Xcellent' and Frank Davenport (Tierra Verde, Fla.) on 'USA-523 Express Lane' led the charge into the top mark. Just as they were about to round, the race was abandoned. All fleets were asked to return to the starting area while another course was set. Just after 1 o'clock the wind filled back in and around 1:15 p.m. the next start was clean with Scott Gregory blasting off the line! Othmar Mueller Von Blumencron (Annapolis, Md.) on 'USA-679 Gannet' and Argyle Campbell (Newport Beach, Ca.) on 'USA-630 Rock n'Roll' raced it to the mark. Pollard was right behind in third. Pollard jibed off to weather leaving the leaders to duke it out, in fact the majority of the fleeted went right. Back upwind Blumencron was strong but slowly loosing his grip on the lead position. With the wind steady building, Pollard took over the lead barely from the right. Blumencron was right behind, then H. Scott Gregory from Marietta, Ga. on 'USA-559 Team Satisfaction' followed, then Gimson. It was speed all the way downwind for the fleet as several teams were in full planing positions. On the finish beat it was Pollard, Gregory and Gimson with all out speed to the finish. The finish was so close, as it truly was a speed race to the line with Gregory on the right, both Gimson and Pollard coming in from the left. They took it right to the line with Gregory snagging a bullet just ahead of Gimson who edged ahead of Pollard. Gimson settled for second and Pollard was third. Campbell claimed fourth and Blumencron slipped to fifth.
For the third and final race of the day, the conditions maintained a nice 10-12 knots of breeze and was a little less shifty than race two. Overnight leader Pollard found the right groove and dominated once again. Gimson went on to claim second place with Campbell trailing for third.
Overall, John Pollard now leads the fleet by a substantial thirty-four points. The real battle is between second place holder Gregory moving up from fourth to second with twenty-nine points, tied with third Blumencron.
Day two of the St. Pete's NOOD is sure to be another extraordinary day of Melges 24 racing. The conditions are expected to be somewhat colder with the overnight temperatures dipping into the 30's. Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny, but the sailing will be under lighter conditions.
TOP TEN OVERALL RESULTS
1.) John Pollard, Xcellent; 1, 1, 1, 8, 3, 1 = 15
2.) H. Scott Gregory, Team Satisfaction; 8, 4, 5,4, 1, 7 = 29
3.) Othmar Mueller Von Blumencron, Gannet; 3, 2, 2, 10, 4, 8 = 29
4.) Eamonn O'Nolan, ultimatesailing.com Bateauneuf; 2, 16, 6, 2, 2, 2 = 30
5.) Bora Gulari/Rob Bunn, Rumblur; 5, 5, 71, 8, 9 = 35
6.) Paul Hulsey, Hoodlum Racing; 9, 7, 4, 5, 11, 6 = 42
7.) John Jennings/Bob Dockery, Barracuda; 4, 6, 3, 17, 6, 10 = 46
8.) Argyle Campbell, Rock n' Roll; 11, 3, 8, 20, 5, 3 = 50
9.) Kelly Gough/Shawn Grisham, Bulls Eye; 12/RDG, 11, 13, 7, 7, 11 = 61
10.) Geoffery Pierini, Gazoo; 17, 8, 11, 3, 15, 17 = 71
CORINTHIAN HEAT
Despite the shift from heavy air on Friday to light air on Thursday the Corinthian competition left little changes for today's results. Othmar Mueller Von Blumencron still leads the division with Bora Gulari running a close second place. His grand performance in race one of the day left this Corinthian favorite topping the entire list with a first place finish. Way to go Bora! Detroit's own Paul Hulsey and his amazing Hoodlum Melges 24 Racing team did equally well today maintaining their third place position in the Corinthian category. Other notable accomplishments — class newcomer, Charlie Hess (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) on 'USA-114 Temerity' scored a fourth place finish in race three of the day!
TOP FIVE CORINTHIAN RESULTS (DAILY)
1.) Othmar Mueller Von Blumencron, Gannet
2.) Bora Gulari/Rob Bunn, Rumblur
3.) Paul Hulsey, Hoodlum Racing
4.) John Jennings/Bob Dockery, Barracuda
5.) Kelly Gough/Shawn Grisham, Bulls Eye
For more information or press photos, please contact Joy Dunigan, USMCA Class Communications Director and U.S. Melges 24 Class Press Officer via email at communications@usmelges24.com or by phone at (912) 398-5776.