2025 Melges 24 World Championship - Trieste gears up to be the Melges 24 capital this September
by International Melges 24 Class Association 13 Apr 2025 10:19 BST
September 20-27, 2025
Melges 24 fleet racing in Trieste © YCA / Giovanni Tesei
Trieste, renowned in the sailing world as Italy's City of Sails, is preparing to spend a week as the Capital of the Melges 24 as it gets ready to host the Melges 24 World Championship 2025 on September 20-27.
This marks the first time the Melges 24 Worlds will be held on the Adriatic Sea. With sixty-seven teams already entered by the Early Bird deadline, the event is on track to become the most attended World Championship for the class in the past decade—surpassing even the strong fleet of Miami 2016, where Embarr helmed by Stuart McNay and Taki 4 with Niccolò Bertola claimed the overall and Corinthian titles.
These impressive numbers have generated a wave of satisfaction and anticipation among all those contributing to the event's success. The championship, entrusted to the experienced Yacht Club Adriaco by the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA), is a testament to the enduring appeal of the Reichel/Pugh-designed Melges 24—an icon of performance and style whose thirty-year legacy continues to inspire great sailing stories around the world.
The latest of those stories will be written this September in Friuli Venezia Giulia, on the challenging waters of the northern Adriatic, where sailing is never simple. If the Bora, the strong north-easterly wind, doesn't show up, crews will be left to contend with lighter, technical conditions that demand patience and skill.
Scrolling through the entry list—which is not only large but also rich in quality—makes one thing clear: trying to name the favourites is a risky game, as you're sure to overlook some serious contenders. So far, sixteen nations are represented, stretching from the Americas to Europe. From the western side of the Atlantic come entries from Chile, Canada, and the USA, including Dark Energy, owned by Class President Laura Grondin, and Dark Horse, one of the newest boats in the fleet, owned by Cuyler Morris and carrying bow number 870. We might even see an even higher bow number from Salt, the brand new Chilean entry from Andres Bozzo Bartolucci, launched by Melges Performance Sailboats and prepared by Hein Ruyten One Design, expected to debut in Europe just in time for the Worlds. Bartolucci's teammate Pablo Gallyas is a multiple-time Melges 24 Chilean Champion.
"We decided that racing at the Worlds in Italy would be a fantastic adventure, allowing us to enjoy the boat and the competition before sending it back to Chile afterwards," says Pablo Gallyas. "I've been sailing the Melges 24 since 2008. It's such a fast and fun boat - great in all conditions and easy to tow. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of sailing with my wife and family. A huge inspiration for me is my grandfather, Pal Gallyas - at 96 years old, he still races Melges 24 and wins at our lake in Rapel." Andres also sails with his family in the south of Chile at Lake Llanquihue, where a local Melges 24 fleet races actively throughout the year.
"We're really looking forward to experiencing Trieste and Bella Italia - it's especially meaningful since both Andres and I have Italian roots," adds Pablo Gallyas.
As hosts, the Italian fleet will be strongly represented by a fast and experienced group: Melgina (Paolo Brescia), Taki 4 (Niccolò Bertola- four-time Corinthian World Champion), Altea (former World Champion Andrea Racchelli), Strambapapà (former European Champion Michele Paoletti), and Gilles (Marcello Caldonazzo Arvedi) with Pietro D'Alì on the helm.
From Croatia, expect tough competition from Razjaren (Lukasz Podniesinski) with Ante Cesic on the helm and Mataran 24 (Ivo Matic) with Ante Botica helming, the reigning 2024 European Champions in both overall and Corinthian divisions. Two strong German entries will also aim high: Nefeli (Peter Karrie) and family team White Room (Michael Tarabochia with his son Luis helming), both expected to be in the mix—one overall and the other in the Corinthian rankings.
There are more teams worth keeping an eye on, to name only a few: Chinook (Akos Csolto, HUN), Zhik Race Team (Miles Quinton, GBR), and Surprise (Dan Berezin, CAN)—all top-level Corinthian teams with the potential to shine across the fleet.
Northern Europe will also be well represented, with teams from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark ready to trade their home waters for the warmer late-September seas of Trieste.
Leading up to the Worlds
Before the battle for the 2025 Melges 24 World Championship begins, teams will have the chance to test the waters of Trieste at the official Pre-Worlds regatta, hosted by Yacht Club Adriaco on September 5-7, 2025. This three-day warm-up event will provide sailors with valuable racing experience in local conditions, including the famous Bora wind and the tactical challenges of the Adriatic Sea.
Moreover, the Melges 24 European Sailing Series regatta in neighbouring Marina Monfalcone on July 4-6 will be the lead-up regatta to start the Worlds' campaign on the road to Trieste, especially when affordable storage options are available.
More details of the Melges 24 Worlds are available at the event website.