Melges 24 fleet set for racing in Trieste

The next event of the 2023 Melges 24 European Sailing Series takes place this weekend in Trieste, Italy. La Settimana Velica Internazionale 2023, including Melges 24 Adriaco Cup 2023 and Italian Melges 24 Tour ACT 4, is event number 10 in the renewed ranking-based series, where the events around Europe will be counted in the ranking. There are 19 entries from 6 nations on the entry list, including the current ranking leader – Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team (GBR) with Geoff Carveth at the helm.

The host club Yacht Club Adriaco is located in the beautiful city centre of Trieste ­– being the oldest yacht club on the Adriatic and overlooking the city of Bora for more than a century, it's a point of reference for the city's sailing community. For the Melges 24 international fleet, it is the first time to experience the hospitality of the Yacht Club Adriaco.

Nicolò de Manzini, President of the Yacht Club Adriaco is happy to welcome Melges 24 class: "Yacht Club Adriaco and Trieste are proud to host the Melges 24 European Sailing Series regatta. The Melges 24 Class is simply a legend, and we, as the organizers, are very happy to be also a "little" part of this great and successful story now. Welcome to all the Melges 24 teams and have a great sailing in Trieste!"

Michael Tarabochia, the owner of White Room (GER) and Member Europe of the International Melges 24 Class Executive Committee, can't praise the club enough after being there for a few hours only when arriving on Thursday afternoon. "Since arriving here we feel ourselves so very welcomed – the organizers are very friendly and helpful. The location of the club is just in the heart of Trieste city, well known as the city of the Barcolana. Even though it is close to the end of the season, it's especially great to see a great fleet competing, most of them from Trieste area, but also from Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Great Britain, and Germany. It will be a great weekend of sailing on our beloved Melges 24!"

Three out of the Top 10 teams from the current ranking of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series (ESS) are present in Trieste. Above mentioned Gill Race Team (GBR) of Miles Quinton, who has been winning the ESS overall champion title twice and the Corinthian trophy once, has travelled the most having sailed at five events so far this season. 2022 Melges 24 ESS Corinthian winner and runner-up in the overall ranking, Chinook (HUN) of Akos Csolto, is holding runner-up placing also now with just a 0.5-point gap separating from the leader. These teams are holding the preliminary overall and Corinthian ranking top two positions. A third team from the ESS Top 10 present in Trieste is 2021 Melges 24 ESS Corinthian winner Michael Tarabochia's White Room with Luis Tarabochia at the helm, currently sitting in the sixth position overall. 

However, competition in Trieste will be tough with a few other well-known teams taking part. Reigning Melges 24 European Champion Strambapapà, owned and helmed by former Italian Olympian Michele Paoletti, crewing with his wife Giovanna Micol, also a former Olympian, will be sailing in their home waters. 2022 Melges 24 European Corinthian Bronze, AleAli Eurocart of Barbara Bomben with Gianfranco Noe helming, is ready to fight for the top positions – this team was also the winner of the J/70 Corinthian World Cup's first edition in history, held in July 2023.

Registration and equipment inspection were made on Thursday 21 September, with a series of eight races to be sailed from 22-24 September.