Melges 24 Worlds put up the show in San Francisco Bay

If you ever doubted the timeless appeal of the Melges 24 as the ultimate one-design sportboat, today’s action on San Francisco Bay would convince you otherwise. The Melges 24 fleet at the 2024 Diversified Melges 24 World Championship delivered a spectacular performance that left spectators in awe, and it’s no wonder this boat continues to set the standard for thrilling, high-performance racing.

Conditions were ideal for racing, with winds peaking at 20 knots from 220 degrees, offering steadier conditions than the previous day. Despite the strong breeze, the seas remained relatively flat, allowing teams to push their boats to the limit, enjoying exhilarating downwind surfing and planing.

The Race Committee led by PRO Mark Foster expertly managed two races, starting promptly at 11:25 AM. By 3 PM, the teams were back at the dock, ready to enjoy the warm hospitality of The San Francisco Yacht Club.  

Today saw a shake-up in the winners’ circle. The first race of the day was dominated by 2022 Melges 24 World Champion Peter Duncan on Raza Mixta, who established a solid lead from the first upwind mark to the finish line. Michael Goldfarb’s War Canoe delivered an impressive performance to finish second, while Straightarrow, helmed by Chelsea Simms, secured a well-earned third place.

The second race of the day belonged to Bora Gulari and his team on Kingspoke, with Carlos Robles celebrating his birthday onboard. Kingspoke was unbeatable in Race 7, with Raza Mixta maintaining its consistency to finish second and current overall leader Don Wilson’s Convexity rounding out the top three.

With the discard rule coming into effect after Race 6, the leaderboard saw some shifts. Convexity remains in the lead with 10 points, but Kingspoke is close behind, just 2 points adrift. Peter Karrie’s Nefeli holds onto third place with 26 points. Thanks to today’s strong results, Raza Mixta has climbed to fourth place with 32 points, while Brian Porter’s Full Throttle rounds out the top five, just one point behind.

In the Corinthian division, Croatian team Mataran 24, with Ante Botica at the helm, continued their dominant performance with a 7th and 12th place finish, extending their lead with a 23-point margin over Kent Pierce’s Average, which scored 16th and 19th today. Duane Yoslov’s Looper remains in contention, just one point behind Average on the provisional Corinthian podium.

The Melges 24 fleet delivered an unforgettable day of racing, and with the competition heating up, the final days of the 2024 Diversified Melges 24 Worlds promise even more excitement. 

Following the conclusion of the last race, sailors collected their rations from the Bay Area Charters provided 'Beer Boat' with today's refreshments thanks to HenHouse Brewing & Open Water. Post-racing, competitors enjoyed downtime for casual dockside debriefs, well-deserved showers, and perhaps a quick nap. 

Special guests at the daily awards included Duane Yoslov from Team Looper / title sponsor Diversified, and SFYC member Don Jesberg - a longtime competitor in the Melges 24 fleet. Jesberg recounted great stories from years of Melges 24 racing and offered excellent insight on his legends of our fleet.

The day concluded with the 'Californiacation' themed midweek party which was a huge success thanks to the tasty cocktails provided by Mt. Gay Rum. Funky California grooves from live band Deadset 805 were also a big hit with the sailors. 

The penultimate day of the regatta includes three races, with the first warning signal at 11:25 AM.