111 teams and counting for the 2016 Melges 24 Worlds in Miami
by International Melges 24 Class Association 14 Feb 2016 10:06 GMT
26 November - 3 December 2016
Melges 24 World Championship 2016 in Miami © IM24CA
Amazing interest being shown already for the 2016 Melges 24 World Championship in Miami boasting a beautiful three-digit number - 111 - on the entry list with more than nine months left before the event. The Melges 24 World Championship 2016 will be organised by the Miami Yacht Club in co-operation with US Melges 24 Class and the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA) and will be held from November 26th to December 3rd.
Since announcing the venue of the 2016 Melges 24 Worlds in March 2015 the news has created huge amount of positive feedback. Miami is a very attractive spot for sailing - every sailor dreams to sail there. It has a unique geographic location having easy access to Biscayne Bay as well the Atlantic Ocean. This location draws domestic & international sailors for winter training in both the smoother waters of the bay and the more challenging ocean conditions.
True worldwide reach with more than 500 sailors representing 18 nations from all five continents where the Melges 24 class is active - Europe, Asia, Australia, North- and South-America. The numbers speak from themselves - 20 boats were registered during the 2015 Melges 24 Worlds in Denmark even before Chris Rast hoisted the Championship Trophy above his head. The top six teams of the 2015 Melges 24 World Championship will be there including reigning overall and Corinthian world champions - Swiss Chris Rast and Estonian Tõnu Tõniste respectively. Of those 111 teams entered four are youth teams (under 19) and one all female team. These are two groups expected to grow in participation numbers and the organizers will respond accordingly with specialized trophies and promotional campaigns to help boost attendance.
See the Entry List here.
"Racing in Miami is a dream," says Jens Wathne, Chairman of IM24CA. "Racing there for the world championship in 2016 will be great. Already 111 boats registered for what is going to be a great event. This is kick-starting the biggest fleet of the Melges 24 class, namely the homeland of U.S.A. I hope to see more Corinthian and pro teams registering for this event. Please let either the US class association or IM24CA know if there is something we can do to make sure that you are on the start line. See you on the water in Miami!"
To encourage the older boat owners to participate the event organizers launched a truly unique promotional campaign "Pimp My Ride" which is sponsored by many of the industry big shots and will completely transform an older boat into an updated and competitive racer. The lucky winner of the campaign - Owen Carolan USA441 - was announced during the awards program at Quantum Key West Race Week, when IM24CA Chairman Jens Wathne drew the winning number. Pimp My Ride campaign is sponsored by Quantum Racing, Melges USA, Harken, Velocitek, Raptor, Line Honors, Musto, GT3 Creative, Evolution Sailing, Torreson Marine, George Peet Sailing, Hutchinson Sports, New England Ropes, Sailing Anarchy and Penalty Box Productions.
"Right now we have 111 teams, the record will be 130," said Petey Crawford, the Regatta Chairman of the 2016 Melges 24 Miami Worlds. "That's our goal, an I am not taking my foot off the pedal. We're going to keep pushing real hard to ensure that this is the biggest and best Melges24 World Championship ever held. I'm setting the bar pretty high for the next guy, that's for sure, and that's the point. And I hope that they do beat this record and prove to the rest of the sailing world that the Melges 24 class is simply the best sportboat out there. I'm stoked to be part of it."
The online entry, the Notice of Race and other information about the venue are available at event website www.melges24worlds.com
Event dates:
- Saturday 26th to Monday 28th November: Measurement and registration
- Monday 28th November: Practice race and the Opening Ceremony
- Tuesday 29th to Saturday 3rd December: 2016 Melges 24 World Championship - racing
2016 Melges 24 Worlds will be supported and sponsored by Outdoor Business Network, Musto, Elevation Sailing, Harken, Marriott, Line Honors, Velocitek, Protector, Papa's Pilar and Penalty Box Productions.