NO WIND. NO RACING. FOR THE MELGES 24 FLEET IN ST. PETERSBURG

From Joy Dunigan of the USMCA - The 2006 St. Petersburg NOOD is officially underway with thirty-two Melges 24s slated to be on the starting line. The day got off to an extremely slow start and didn't get any faster as the day progressed. The Melges 24 Fleet found themselves waiting for wind as they experienced an initial racing postponement. The wind refused to budge as the potential for racing was terminated at 2 p.m.

The St. Pete's NOOD can certainly be considered a great escape from the frigid conditions up of the Northern tier, several teams managed to get away - including two boats from Canada, Marc Steyn and Jim Pearson; several traveled from the Midwest including Kenneth Gray and Rob Bunn; Geoffery Pierini and Gary Schwarting are representing the flourishing Northeast region; and Class newcomers, an International team from Germany, Shane and Kyle Vowels. The remainder of the Fleet includes a talented variety from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The largest participating portion calls the sunshine state home — a resurrgence — nineteen M24s, the largest attendance of boats from Florida in a long while.

CORINTHIAN HEAT
This is truly a great Corinthian Championship. This Fleet is compiled of heavy-duty Corinthian competitors, some of the strongest, determined and perservering teams in the country. The Corinthians are an ever growing sector of the Class and often much more competitive than the overall standings. For a change, of the 32 competing Melges 24s the professionals are a minority — Doug Fisher from Sarasota, Florida who won this event in 2004; Bill Hardesty is onboard with Eric Nerlinger on Inside Voice and Paul Hulsey on Hoodlum Racing are attending.

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