Melges 24, Peter Karrie’ Nefeli Shines on Day One in Portoroz

The opening day of the Marina Portoroz Melges 24 Regatta, the second event of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series 2024, proved to be a spectacular start for competitors, with enthusiastic comments from Peter Karrie, owner of Nefeli, who secured a commanding lead with two impressive wins.

“It was a fantastic day for us, due to the two bullets we scored, but I think that it has been the same for all the competitors: we had some really good conditions, used very well by the Race Committee to complete three races. Let me tell you, so far so good,” exclaimed Karrie.

The day saw favorable conditions on the arm of water in front of the historic cathedral of Piran, with a light north-easterly wind, known as Borino, reaching up to 12 knots at its peak. These conditions facilitated the smooth progress of the race program established by the Notice of Race, expertly managed by PRO David Bartol.

Karrie, a stalwart participant in the International Melges 24 Class Association, expertly navigated the wind shifts with the assistance of Niccolò Bianchi, securing an impressive eleven-point lead over Michael Tarabochia’s White Room (4,10,3) with Luis Tarabochia helming, who currently sits second overall and leads the Corinthian division.

The provisional podium is further bolstered by another Corinthian contender, Antonio Masoli’s Vertigo (5-11-2), with Tito Rodda at the helm, trailing White Room by just one point and defending a two-point lead over Miroslav Reljanovic’s Cro-A-Sail (2,9,9).

In the Corinthian division, Miles Quinton’s Zhik Race Team (6,7,10) steered by Geoff Carveth, is fifth overall, a mere six points behind the leader of the non-pro division. It is poised to mount a challenge in the upcoming races.

A great highlight of the day for Strambapapa (ITA), winning the 3rd race (19,8,1). Very special, because then owner Michele Paoletti has once again graciously entrusted the helm to a promising group of young sailors led by Leonardo Centuori. 

Organized by Yacht Club Marina Portoroz in collaboration with the International Melges 24 Class, the Marina Portoroz Melges 24 Regatta will resume tomorrow morning at 12, as the twenty-five boat fleet eagerly awaits the first warning signal of the day.

Overall top 5 teams, including Corinthian Top 3, after 3 races:

GER673 NEFELI – Peter Karrie – 6 pts
GER677 WHITE ROOM (COR) – Michael Tarabochia – 17 pts
ITA730 VERTIGO (COR) – Antonio Masoli – 18 pts
CRO782 CRO-A-SAIL - Ivan Ivanković – 20 pts
GBR694 ZHIK RACE TEAM (COR) – Miles Quinton – 23 pts