Vince Brun & Brian Porter Join Forces To Dominate San Diego Melges 24 Race Week

San Diego, May 2, 2010 – By Kevin Kuhn, Tactician, USA 77 BONES - With twelve boats on the line, the Melges 24 was the second largest class in this year’s running of the prestigious Yachting Cup. San Diego Melges Race Week + Yachting Cup represented almost the first time in over a decade that the Melges 24 garnered an one design start in San Diego. 

After driving through rain, sleet, snow (not kidding), and hours of traffic, by the time we finally pulled up to San Diego Yacht Club we were ready for some action. Sailing at SDYC is always a treat. Walking around the clubhouse, it is routine to see Americas Cup, Olympic, and World champions. To top it all, this weekend we got to race against them. The San Diego Melges 24 Clinic hosted by North Sails after the racing Friday helped get the rest of the fleet up to speed – Velocitek style – and in tune with some of the finest Melges sailors in the world, including: Vince Brun, Brian Porter, and Charlie McKee.

Friday's racing in San Diego’s South Bay brought flat water and 10-16 knots of puffy, shifty breeze. The first two races were mostly sailed in 10-12 knots of breeze out of the West, which oscillated through about 20 degrees. During the last race the wind picked-up to about 15 knots and changed the downwind strategy as the boats could get on a plane during the puffs. 

Saturday was a completely different style of racing. Sailing on the open-ocean Road's Course, about a mile south of the breakwater, we were greeted on the motor out by six-foot residual swells and a light 8-10 knot sea breeze. Challenging, to say the least. The racing was all about keeping the boat moving through the waves and sailing low and surfing the swells downwind. Pressure favored the left side and the boats that could keep a good lane on the left usually did well. 

Sunday morning began bleak. With low clouds blocking the sea breeze, we motored out to find 5-8 knots of breeze and 3-4 foot swells. We loosened the rig and prepared for a slow day. Luckily the breeze built throughout the morning and we were able to pull off two races in 8 knots of breeze – followed by beer rations all around of Trumer Pils.   

Vince Brun and Brian Porter on USA 553 Bailout dominated the regatta and showed us all a few tricks for sailing the Melges. USA 303 Average White Boat came in second, with USA 556 Lounge Act taking third. The top NorCal boat wasUSA 657 Personal Puff from Lake Tahoe, just back from Charleston Race Week, and the top San Francisco boat wasUSA 77 BONES. With sunny weather, great friends, and beer dockside each evening courtesy of Point Loma Outfitting, SDYC San Diego Melges Race is on track to see 20-plus boats next year. Despite the snow on the drive down, I look forward to the next time I get to race a Melges 24 in San Diego . . .

Final Results (Top Five)
Pos Sail Boat Skipper
1 553 Bailout Brun / Porter
2 303 Average White Boat Kent Pierce
3 556 Lounge Act Loren Colahan
4 52 Scotch Bonnet Tony Beale  
5 686 Team 686 John Downing

You can view replays of the races along with North Sails One Design Regatta Notes.

The Official Website of the San Francisco Melges 24 Fleet

Article reproduced courtesy of the USMCA.