Diversified Melges 24 World Championship: top teams tied after thrilling day 1

After three days of registration, boat inspections, and sail and equipment checks, the 2024 Diversified Melges 24 World Championship on San Francisco Bay is officially underway. Returning to this windy venue after ten years, anticipation was high, and the San Francisco Yacht Club is ready to deliver a regatta to remember.

Race Day 1 welcomed teams from Croatia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the USA with sunny skies. As forecasted by Will Paxton during Quantum’s Weather Briefing, it was the warmest day of the week, setting the stage for a heated day of competition. The Race Committee, led by PRO Mark Foster, executed two races, and the action didn’t disappoint.

In Race 1, class stalwart Bora Gulari and his crew—Norman Berge, Nick Ford, Carlos Robles, and Charlie Smythe—got off to a strong start, leading from the first upwind mark to the finish line and securing the first bullet of the championship for KINGSPOKE team. In Race 2, they finished 3rd, while Peter Karrie’s NEFELI, with a mixed German-Italian crew, demonstrated impressive consistency by finishing 2nd in both races.

Don Wilson and his CONVEXITY crew—Jeremy Wilmot, Ted Hackney, Tomas Dietrich, and Ian Liberty—had a stellar first day, scoring a 3rd place finish in Race 1 and clinching the bullet in Race 2. Wilson praised the great breeze and expressed satisfaction with their performance, noting, “Anything can happen; there are a lot of great teams here, and we’re taking it one day at a time.”

CONVEXITY now holds the early lead, but with the top 3 teams tied at 4 points, the competition is only heating up!

The Corinthian division is equally intense, with two teams tied at 24 points. Kent Pierce’s AVERAGE posted a 9-15, while Duane Yoslov’s LOOPER scored 12-12. Meanwhile, reigning Corinthian World Champion from Croatia, Ante Botica's MATARAN 24 is just 2 points behind with scores of 20-6 (26 pts).

Despite being less familiar with San Francisco’s challenging winds, Pierce and his crew—David Ryan Eastwood, Eric Stokke, Claire Hunt, and Tristan Richmond—are embracing the challenge and looking forward to the stronger winds forecasted later this week. Pierce also noted the unique weather patterns in San Francisco Bay, which could lead to unpredictable conditions, stating, “We like weird. When things get weird, we get going.”

With such tight competition in both divisions, tomorrow’s races are sure to bring even more excitement.

Sailing on the outer course, the Melges 24 teams were welcomed back to the harbor by a beer boat, kicking off the post-race festivities on the water.

The 2024 Diversified Melges 24 Worlds was honored to have Team USA’s Daniela Moroz join us this evening for the Day 1 prize giving. Moroz, a 6-time Women’s Kite Foiling World Champion and 4-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, recently finished 4th in her division at the Paris Olympics. During her remarks, Moroz shared valuable insights from her Paris 2024 experience and reaffirmed her commitment to pursuing gold at LA2028, declaring she has "unfinished business." The Melges 24 fleet responded with thunderous applause, and we’re all excited to cheer her on in LA!