Melges 24 World Championships Overall

by Event Press 2 Sep 2000 20:16 BST

Zuccoli Wins Worlds!

After winning the final two races at the third Melges 24 World Championship in truly impressive style Giorgio Zuccoli (ITA139 "Ale Ali") finally claim the World title he has been coveting for so long.

The day saw racing in NW 18-20 knots with a difficult chop on top of the underlying swell. In race nine Zuccoli took the lead from the start and was never challenged.

Overnight joint leader Morgan Reeser (USA450 "White Loaf") was in third place down the final run when he suddenly found himself without a rig leaving it all between Zuccoli and Brian Porter (USA409 "Full Throttle"), whose sixth place left him well in contention.

Race 10 saw Porter and Zuccoli virtually match racing out of the start and up the first beat. As a result Mike Budd (GBR454 "Gul") took the lead with the two favourites down in the front of pack. At the first weather mark Zuccoli just slotted into fifth whilst Porter found himself on the wrong side of a bunch and ended up rounding in the teens. An incident at the top of the run then saw Porter forced into a penalty turn whilst Zuccoli took off downwind with impressive speed.

At the bottom mark Paul Brotherton (GBR407 "Racketeer") finally showed his face at the front of the fleet, closely followed by Bud and Zuccoli. Zuccoli was a man possessed up the last beat and by the final top mark had taken the lead. Downwind his outstanding speed and conservative tactics ensured he was out on his own at the finish.

The emotion of finally winning the event, at which he has been second twice, clearly showed on his face as he crossed the line. Zuccoli, a long time supporter of the class, is an enormously popular winner and arrived on the dock to a huge welcome from the other Melges crews.

The other big battle of the day was between Sebastien Col (FRA382 "Eurosail") and Cedric Pouligny (FRA383 "Plan Gestion Big Ship") for third and fourth place. In race nine Pouligny managed a sixth while Col found himself down in the cheap seats at 25th. All Pouligny had to do was sail safe in the final race for the third slot to be his and this he achieved easily finishing up 7th.

This has been an excellent regatta and has confirmed the Melges 24’s status as a truly international one-design class. The 2001 Melges 24 World Championship will take place in Ft Lauderdale from November 8 – 17.

Overall Results after 10 Races: (Top 10 Gold, Top 3 Silver & other British Placings)

Gold Fleet
Pos	Sail No./ Boat Name	Team	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
1	ITA 139 - ALE ALI	ZUCCOLI GIORGIO/	24	1	1	15	6	1	2	2	1	1	30
2	USA 409 - FULL THROTTLE	PORTER BRIAN/	7	6	3	12	2	2	1	3	6	9	39
3	FRA 383 -PLAN GESTION BIG SHIP	CHABANNE/SUPIOT/ JARICOT/VENIARD/POULIGNY CEDRIC	20	1	3	16	4	8	11	5	7	7	62
4	FRA 382 - EUROSAIL	ROMAN CHRISTIAN/COL SEBASTIEN	2	2	4	26	9	10	10	9	25	6	77
5	GBR 454 - GUL	BUDD MICHAEL/	22	4	ZPG	1	29	6	17	13	3	2	82
6	FRA 422-NANTES ST NAZAIRE/BOUYGUES	APCC/BERTHET PIERRE LOIC	17	10	13	3	10	17	18	14	8	8	100
7	USA 418 - ROCK N'ROLL	CAMPBELL ARGYLE/	6	5	10	13	1	1	39	48	22	4	101
8	FRA 375 - MINNIE THE MONCHER	VOILE PERFORMANCE MANCHE/LEBOURDAIS FRANCOIS	15	13	31	6	5	3	19	7	2	BFD	101
9	USA 450 - WHITE LOAF	ELLIOT SCOTT/REESER MORGAN	5	8	2	2	2	17	4	1	DNF	DNF	107
10	FRA 428 - HUMAN CANNON BALL	DICK JEAN PIERRE/CHARBONNIER NICOLAS	3	11	18	33	4	3	27	30	12	12	120
Other British Placings:
12	GBR 377 - HENRI LLOYD	STRZELECKI PAUL/SMITH ROB	21	4	5	5	19	6	32	28	4	BFD	124
13	GBR 407 - RACKETEER	LEASK EDWARD/	12	15	9	24	22	8	20	10	27	5	125
32	GBR 437 - BLACK SEAL	THOMPSON RICHARD/	1	37	18	14	12	32	34	DNC	34	29	211
34	GBR 359 - MUSTGO	KEITH MUSTO/	29	16	14	2	3	2	40	53	56	DNC	215
40	GBR 253 - CLAPPED OUT TOY BOY	CLEAVER IAN/	20	40	33	11	7	18	24	49	43	42	238
50	GBR 431 - GILL	STRAUSS QUENTIN/RIX STU	27	17	ZPG	31	33	35	26	31	46	40	280
57	GBR 394 - THE BLACK PIG	HAINES FRANCK BILBO MIKES/CAMMERON DAVIS	9	14	BFD	10	15	54	49	62	54	43	310
63	GBR 405 - THE MUTS NUTS	/LOVEJOY PAUL	28	18	22	19	56	41	51	46	DNC	DNC	347
Silver Fleet
Pos	Sail No./ Boat Name	Team	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
66	NOR 341 - DOLLY	MOLLER CAROLINE/ARTHUR ERIK	41	38	6	37	38	53	5	1	2	10	178
67	FRA 471 - MÛ	NEBOUT/	55	24	41	52	22	24	1	3	16	3	186
68	ITA 138 - HAGAR	STIMPFEL GREGOR/	45	32	15	31	51	44	2	5	7	15	196
British Placings:
73	GBR 334-WE'RE WITH THE WOOLWICH	TIM COLLINS/	32	45	BFD	53	40	41	9	13	3	7	243
76	GBR 368 - THE DOGS	BROWN ALLEN/	28	35	44	46	43	37	7	26	8	28	256
77	GBR 209 - OGIER AND LAMASURIER	CARTER DAVID/	46	38	48	34	35	33	17	23	25	16	267
80	GBR 340 - WHITE RABBIT	HENNING SIMON/	55	27	SCP	26	38	46	16	42	10	12	272
83	GBR 229 - XCITEMENT	POLLARD JOHN/	52	28	50	54	35	30	ZPG	16	20	22	283
84	GBR 296 - WHITE SEAL	PATTISSON DOUGLAS/	32	46	34	49	49	29	4	30	42	19	285
91	GBR 298	GROGAN NIGEL/	48	BFD	46	35	54	40	ZPG	20	23	11	322
93	GBR 214 - JACKATTACK	JONES DAVID H/	47	46	36	40	31	45	ZPG	35	17	30	326
96	GBR 453 - BLUE TUBE	/	49	41	56	60	36	34	26	47	24	24	337
99	GBR 403 - ENVY	SPERO GARETH/	35	47	49	43	37	57	ZPG	48	32	21	345
102	GBR 406 - THE NEW BABARIANS	/	59	21	24	52	57	55	32	43	21	DNC	364
107	GBR 452 - O V L	WEDGE MARTIN/	38	36	62	53	58	52	ZPG	34	31	35	388
113	GBR 259 - BETWEEN THE SHEETS	SOWRY DAVE/	DNF	58	43	57	46	59	43	51	35	34	426
116	GBR 337 - NIPPY SWEETIE	SIMPSON JAMIE/	47	37	48	46	55	50	ZPG	40	DNC	DNC	444
120	GBR 482 - MAIN-SAIL	HALL JOE/	57	45	57	55	52	63	54	55	46	38	459
121	GBR 478-THE CAT'S PYJAMAS STRIKES AGAIN	MELLOR ANTHONY/	60	60	42	40	55	56	40	54	DNC	DNC	468
122	GBR 435 - WILDTHING	FRANKS DAVID/	54	55	58	BFD	59	56	24	41	DNC	DNC	469