2023 Melges 24 Nationals gets 30 for 30th anniversary
by U.S. Melges 24 Class Association 3 Oct 2023 21:49 BST
October 6-8, 2023
Thirty teams will go head-to-head on Geneva Lake, Wisconsin for the 2023 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship © U.S. Melges 24 Class Association
It's time to get the 30th Anniversary Regatta party started! The 2023 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship, hosted by none other than the Lake Geneva Yacht Club (LGYC), happens this weekend — October 6th-8th.
As we speak, 30 of the best Melges 24 teams from all across America and Canada are converging on the sacred waters of Geneva Lake where it sailed for the very first time back in 1993.
Since that first splash, milestones have been reached and surpassed, many champions have been crowned around the globe. To this very day, the Melges 24 remains the benchmark by which all sportboats are measured, holding the most intensely fought racing championships ever. The 2023 Nationals will answer that call, and deliver once again at the home of the Melges 24.
"This year we have been celebrating the 30th anniversary of the best sportboat—the Melges 24," says U.S. Melges 24 Class President and owner of Decorum, Megan Ratliff. "The Melges 24 has been attracting the best sailors to the racecourse for the past 3 decades, and it's only fitting to host the National Championship on Lake Geneva, where it all began— you can't get much better than that!"
The line-up of competitors is stellar. Defending, nine-time National Champ Brian Porter on Full Throttle, two-time National Champ Bora Gulari on Knocky Knocky, Cyler Morris' Dark Horse, Chelsea Simms' Straightarrow, Eddie Cox on Zenda Express and 2023 North American Champion Richard Reid sailing Zingara indicate that a showdown is imminent.
Of the 30 teams that have registered, half the fleet have successfully qualified to race in the popular all-amateur division.
Among the Corinthians, Mike Dow racing Flying Toaster, Tom Freytag's Wicked Feet, Brent McKenzie's Ex-Kahn, Fred Rozelle's Rustler, John Shockey's Wombmates Racing and LGYC Commodore Chuck Lamphere's Entente are perceived frontrunners. Their strongest competition will come from North of the border — Canada's Dan Berezin at the helm of Surprise. Berezin's Melges 24 team has been racing together for years, but recently have found a groove with an upward swing. Currently, Berezin's team is simultaneously leading the 2023 U.S. National Ranking Series as well as the Quantum Great Lakes Cup Series.
"We are looking forward to racing this weekend," said Berezin."Considering the level of competition, we are hoping for a top 10 finish. As always, we go out and try to do our best. Experience really matters, and we have gained some momentum recently. Hopefully that shows up in the results."
Quantum Sails to host local knowledge and daily weather briefings
2023 U.S. Melges 24 National Championship sponsor Quantum Sails will be hosting daily weather briefings on Zoom. Each day, Shea Gibson from Sailflow Weather will lead interactive forecasts. He will be joined by Andy Burdick from Melges, with Scott Nixon and Dave Gerber from Quantum Sails for local knowledge and expert tips. It's a great opportunity for teams to ask questions and prepare for the day! Register Now.
The '23 Nationals is the final stage of the Quantum Great Lakes Cup, and number 9 of 11 sanctioned events on the National Ranking Series. Two events remain: the highly popular Bushwhacker Cup hosted by the Pensacola Yacht Club, which will also serve as the combined Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast Championships, followed by the Bacardi Winter Series Event No. 1 in December.