Riccardo Simoneschi’s Audi tron ITA 840 Took The Lead At The Dutch Open Championships
September 20, Medemblik, Holland – By the end of a long day spent between waiting for a breeze to sail and the darkness in the evening, three races were completed at the Dutch Open Championships, which is considered as the final stage of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2014.
The first race of the day was started 3.10 pm with the general recall to the Melges 24 fleet and the second attempt was given with the black flag already. The fog which was covering the sea since the morning was almost vanished, but the sun could not make it to the race course yet and the day seemed grey. The fleet was sailing this first race in the wind with velocity of 8-9 knots and as yesterday, David Rowen’s Imagine GBR 557 took the victory followed by Riccardo Simoneschi’s Audi tron ITA 840 and the local Maarten Jamin’s NED 117.
The second race of the day was similar to the first one - the general recall first and then the second attempt with the black flag hoisted. The race was going well underway, but was abandoned in the second downwind gate due to the major wind shift.
The wind was picking up for the second's race second attempt and was getting stronger and stronger building higher waves to the sea. In these conditions Riccardo Simoneschi's Audi tron ITA 840 started to control this race and remained the leader until finishing as the winner followed by Ukrainian Marusia UKR 819 with Oleg Dyvinets in helm and German Nils Hollembeck’s GER 355.
The third race was executed pretty late - while in the beginning of the race the wind was still strong, it started to drop during the course. The boats were getting over the finishing line around 7.30 pm, while it was quite dark outside. Audi tron ITA 840 took the lead in the early stage of the race and was finishing as the first with a great gap ahead of the local John Den Engelsman’s NED 855 followed by Hungarian Róbert Bakóczy HUN209.
Riccardo Simoneschi’s Audi tron ITA 840, the overall leader of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series, which ended the first day on the sixth position, is now seven points ahead of Miles Quinton’s Gill Race Team GBR 694 with Marshall King on the helm and nine points is losing to Audi tron the leader of the first day, David Rowen’s Imagine GBR 557.
Three best Corinthians which are called Pro Am’s now, are respectively on the fifth, sixth and seventh positions in overall starting with Hungarian Róbert Bakóczy HUN209, followed by the local Ronald Veraar’s Kesbeke/Sika NED 827 and German Nils Hollenbeck’s GER 355.
Racing in Medemblik will resume on Sunday at 9 am in the morning and the Race Committee will attempt to complete four races to complete the scheduled program. After the fifth race will be completed, one discard will come into effect.
Results of the top 10 boats:
1 ITA 840 Riccardo SIMONESCHI 10,0 pts 6-2-1-1
2 GBR 694 Marshall KING 17,0 pts 2-7-4-4
3 GBR 557 David ROWEN 19,0 pts 1-1-12-5
4 NED 645 John DEN ENGELSMAN 24,0 pts 8-6-8-2
5 HUN 209 Róbert BAKÓCZY 24,0 pts 7-5-9-3-
6 NED 827 Ronald VERAAR 30,0 pts 4-8-11-7
7 GER 355 Nils HOLLENBECK 34,0 pts 3-12-3-16
8 NED 205 Marco SCHOLTEN 34,0 pts 10-11-7-6
9 UKR 819 Oleg DYVINETS 37,0 pts 17-9-2-9
10 NED 117 Maarten JAMIN 37,0 pts 14-3-6-14
Daily expanding picture gallery by Piret Salmistu