2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta

[MLovett]

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01 DECEMBER 2010

Melges 32 Fleet Readies For Gold Cup Competition

Twenty-one teams have registered to compete at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club, December 3-5.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - On December 3-5, the International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) will proudly usher in yet another classic Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC). The red carpet has been rolled out for this first-class event welcoming every owner and competitor, promising the best in Melges 32 competition, racing conditions and camaraderie.

Twenty-one teams have traveled from all across North America, Great Britain and Italy to compete. Among those poised for victory are defending Gold Cup champion Rod Jabin (Annapolis, Md.) on Ramrod with 2009 Melges 24 World Champion Chris Larson serving as tactician. One of Jabin's top adversaries, 2010 Winter Series and European Champion Joe Woods (Torquay, UK) with tactician, Olympic Gold Medallist Paul Goodison on Red is also in attendance. "The pressure is on." said a very relaxed and smiling Jabin prior to Wednesday afternoon practice. "Our team is a little different this year, but we're looking forward to some great racing, so it should be fun." Jabin debuted in the Melges 32 class at the '09 event beating Woods by a single point.

Other teams expected to excel and do well include Kip Meadows (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and tactician, multiple match racing champion Andy Horton on roXanne; the young and energetic 2010 U.S. National Champion Ryan DeVos (Macatawa Bay, Mich.) on Volpe pairs up with the extraordinary Ed Baird on tactics; East Coast Champion Alex Jackson (Riverside, Conn.) on Leenabarca will be assisted by Volvo Ocean Racer Rob Greenhalgh's tactical expertise, and Lanfranco Cirillo (Torri del Benaco, Verona, Italy) on Fantastica employs the incredible talents of the legendary Michelle Paoletti.

The IM32CA would like to welcome fleet newcomers Alexis Michas (New York, N.Y.) with tactician Mark Mendelblatt on VIVA; A Scow-boy Joel Ronning (Excelsior, Minn.) on Catapult with tactician Bill Hardesty and Oscar Strugstad (Bournemouth, Dorsett, UK) will be joined by tactician Andy Beadsworth on Dawn Raid.

"The class is thrilled to be back in Ft. Lauderdale for Gold Cup." commented International Chairman and Class President Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), who will take the helm of STAR. "This is the best fleet of grand prix performance yachts to be a part of right now. Our World Championship in San Francisco produced a record-breaking 32 Melges 32s further proving the health of the class. It’s really awesome to see a fleet as robust as this, and it seems that with almost every event we see new faces."

"We are also quite excited about our Take A Junior Sailing Day program at Gold Cup." continued Ecklund. "Twenty-one lucky youth sailors will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Saturday, December 4 to sail with and against the very best in the sailing world." Ecklund has been a strong supporter and advocate of the Lauderdale Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program, as well as a driving force behind its integration with the Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta. A complete list of junior sailors and the boats they will sail on will be published shortly.

Full Entry List
1.) Phil Lotz | Dalton Bergan, Arethusa
2.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, Argo
3.) Michael Dominguez | Anthony Kotoun, Bronco
4.) Joel Ronning | Bill Hardesty, Catapult
5.) Malcolm Gefter | Jon Mollicone, Celeritas
6.) Oscar Strugstad | Andy Beadsworth, Dawn Raid
7.) Dalton DeVos | Chris Rast, Delta
8.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica
9.) Bob Hesse | Brad Boston, Lake Effect
10.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca
11.) Steve Rhyne | Charlie Smythe, Mojo
12.) John Taylor | Andrew Campbell, Ninkasi
13.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod
14.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red
15.) Kip Meadows | Andy Horton, roXanne
16.) Geoff Pierini | Max Skelley, Shakedown
17.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR
18.) Stuart Simpson | Nigel Young, Team Barbarians
19.) Alexis Michas | Mark Mendelblatt, VIVA
20.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe
21.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath

View Full Crew List
2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Official Event Website

MEGA MEDIA
Friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 will be able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates and Sail Groove. They have teamed up to bring as-it-happens coverage from the water as well as after racing sailor interviews. Don't miss it!

Daily race reports, press release and photos will be available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup, stay in touch by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

MORE MELGES 32 RACING IN 2011
The 2010 Gold Cup Regatta is the first of three, major 2011 Winter Series events for the Melges 32 in North America. On January 17-21, the fleet will assemble in Key West, Fla. for Premiere Racing’s Key West Race Week and Miami Grand Prix on March 10-13.

In Europe, things will heat up in the spring with yet another spectacular line-up of Audi Sailing Series events beginning in March, leading up to Copa Del Rey on August 1-6, culminating at the 2011 Melges 32 World Championship in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

[MLovett]

03 DECEMBER 2010

Classic Conditions Amp Up Opening Day At Melges 32 Gold Cup

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - Day one of the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) delivered three incredible races. The result - defending Gold Cup Champion, Annapolis' Rod Jabin on Ramrod is seated in first overall, followed by Ryan DeVos on Volpe and Alex Jackson on Leenabarca. "We love Fort Lauderdale." said Jabin. "I think things are starting to come together - a little. Richard Clarke and Chris Larson bring a lot to the team. They make this easy for me."

Race one of the day produced a pleasant 6-8 knots of breeze, setting the stage for what was probably the most challenging heat of the day. An over-aggressive start for Kip Meadows on roXanne and Italian-based Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica resulted in OCS. Jackson's Leenabarca took advantage of the opening light and fickle conditions, launching ahead and leading the fleet to the first weathermark. As he approached, Jackson encountered stiff competition from reigning U.S. National Champion DeVos, Steve Howe on Warpath and Phil Lotz on Arethusa. Jackson rounded in first to hold a solid lead. Downwind, he was out front and fast. Lotz challenged from the right, but as the breeze shifted he slipped to fourth allowing Joe Woods on Red to take over second place. Jason Carroll on Argo rounded third. A change of course was implemented at the gate bringing balance to the upwind beat for teams like Arethusa, Volpe, Warpath and Ramrod, all rounding respectively behind Jackson for the approach to the finish. Jackson was steadfast to win, Lotz was second and DeVos finished third.
The breeze began to build and the waves got a little larger for race two. Jeff Ecklund's STAR punched the starting line with speed putting him around the top mark in first, Howe and DeVos rounded closely in second and third. On the first downwind run, Jabin overtook Ecklund with DeVos holding firm. Back upwind, Meadows played the shifts just right, stealing the lead from Jabin now in second. The expertise of Jabin's tactician Chris Larson, combined with some red-hot boat speed served him well as he blasted across the finish line to win. DeVos managed to find some pressure on the right placing him ahead of Meadows to take second.

Howe's Warpath crushed the competition in race three. He rounded the top mark in first and never looked back. "We'll take it." commented Howe regarding the final race of the day. "I've sailed in Miami quite a bit, but this is the first time I've sailed here. I think we got lucky. This was so much fun and the Melges 32 is awesome. There was a little bit of everything today - shifty, puffy, choppy, you name the condition I think we saw it at some point." Howe won easily leaving Jabin, DeVos, Cirillo and Woods to battle for the remaining top five positions. Jabin edged DeVos for second. Cirillo was fourth and Woods finished fifth.

Saturday is Take A Junior Sailing Day. Each competing Melges 32 will be paired with an aspiring junior sailor. It's an exclusive, one-of-a-kind attribute of the Gold Cup Regatta, and the advantage and product of its inclusion is obvious. Two, previous participants of the Take A Junior Sailing program are bona fide Melges 32 crew members in 2010 — Kai Friesecke sails with Oscar Strugstad's Dawn Raider and Erika Reineke is aboard Ecklund's STAR.
View the Take A Junior Sailing Day Crew Assignments

MEGA MEDIA
Friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 are able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates and Sail Groove. They have teamed up to bring as-it-happens coverage from the water as well as after racing sailor interviews.

Daily race reports, press release and photos will be available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup, stay in touch by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After three races)
1.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod; 4-2-1 = 7
2.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe; 3-2-3 = 8
3.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 1-7-7 = 15
4.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath; 8-8-1 = 17
5.) Phil Lotz | Dalton Bergan; Arethusa; 2-4-11 = 17
6.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red; 6-11-5 = 22
7.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, ARGO; 10-10-6 = 26
8.) Kip Meadows | Andy Horton, roXanne; 16-3-9 = 28
9.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR; 15-6-8 = 29
10.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 7-19-4 = 30

[MLovett]

04 DECEMBER 2010

Light Winds Elevate Ryan DeVos' Volpe To Lead Gold Cup Regatta

DeVos moves into the lead at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - The second day of racing at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) was limited to two races due to ultra-light breezes.
"Mentally, I was so frustrated today, but what I found to be key was staying focused. The light air was shifty and the little changes make such a big difference. I thought the breeze in race one was actually quite nice." said new overnight leader Ryan DeVos on Volpe. "The second race was far more difficult than the first. Just staying focused and realizing that if you make a mistake, you'll have the chance to potentially make up for it is important."

Moving up the leader board from fourth to second overall is Steve Howe on Warpath. "The forecast is supposed to be good tomorrow. Second race was the big challenge for us today. We had a little altercation with Dawn Raid at the start, but in the end we got really lucky." commented Morgan Larson, tactician aboard Warpath. "We caught a nice shift right at the finish which helped balance in our favor." Rod Jabin's Ramrod slipped slightly from the top spot to third overall.

Race one got underway on time with the very young DeVos leading from the get-go, holding on until the finish. Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica came closest to catching DeVos finishing second. Bob Hughes, serving as a replacement helm for the absent Dalton DeVos, drove Delta to a satisfying third place finish.
Two immediate attempts were made to get race two started, but the wind failed to cooperate. Almost an hour-and-a-half later, the race committee put the fleet into sequence. It was another great showcase of speed and careful attention to the shifts by Alex Jackson's Leenabarca and strong opposition from Geoff Pierini on Shakedown. The two traded places, Jackson taking the first mark, Pierini overtaking the lead by a hair through the gate, then Jackson reclaiming the top position and extending for the win. Jeff Ecklund on STAR, Joe Woods on Red, Kip Meadows on roXanne, Warpath and Devos' Volpe all shuffled top positions throughout the race with Pierini claiming second, Meadows in third, Howe finishing fourth and DeVos closing out in fifth.

Saturday was a special day for youth sailors participating in the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Junior Sailing Program. Take A Junior Sailing Day has become a high-profile, signature feature of the Melges 32 Gold Cup. "These kids are on top of the world right now and so excited to be able to be a part of something so professional." said Brad Funk, one of several LYC Sailing Program coaches. "I think you will find that many of them are anything but relaxed. They truly realize that being on one of these boats is a great opportunity. They see how attentive the rest of team is and what they could be when sailing their own boat whether it be an Opti, 420 or a Laser." View the Take A Junior Sailing Day Crew Assignments

"This type of youth involvement is exactly what makes the sport of sailing so exciting. These kids come along and think they are doing a great job in what boat they're sailing, or class they are learning to race, winning whatever they are winning. Then, they come here and see the levels that they can get to. It's a real eye opener." said former America's Cup helmsman Ed Baird, tactician aboard DeVos' Volpe. "They suddenly realize there is so much more they need to learn and experience. At the same time, it is really fun for all the Melges 32 teams."
"I remember when I was a kid, we raced big boats at our clubs that needed crew and learned a tremendous amount from that." continued Baird. "It's harder to make that happen these days, at least in my part of the world. So, this is a very valuable experience for these kids. To learn about preparation, planning ahead, working with a team, it's really a different thing from sailing your boat by yourself, or even a 420 with another person."

To further prove what a big deal youth sailing is and has become in South Florida, the Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation has recently been established. The foundation is dedicated to favorably impacting the lives of young people, primarily between the ages of eight and eighteen. They educate young sailors about sailing and boating, weather, marine safety, sea conditions, maritime ‘rules of the road’, racing, tactics, first aid and improve spatial and mathematical skills. Most importantly, they aim to provide them with tools to build character and support in the areas of education while advocating leadership.

The Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation's 'coming out' benefit takes place this Monday, December 6th and some of yachting's biggest names will be there to support the event including of Russell Coutts, James Spithill, Buddy Melges, Bill Koch and Anna Tunnicliffe, just to name a few.

MEGA MEDIA
Friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 are able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. They will bring as-it-happens coverage from the water as well as after racing sailor interviews.

Photo galleries are now online:
View JOY | International Melges 32 Class Association Gallery
View John Payne Gallery

Daily race reports, press releases and photos will be available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup, stay in touch by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After five races)
1.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe; 3-2-3-1-5 = 14
2.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath; 8-8-1-5-4 = 26
3.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod; 4-2-1-12-8 = 27
4.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 1-7-7-15-1 = 31
5.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red; 6-11-5-9-6 = 37
6.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, ARGO; 10-10-6-7-9 = 42
7.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR; 15-6-8-8-7 = 44
8.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 7-19-4-2-14 = 46
9.) Phil Lotz | Dalton Bergan; Arethusa; 2-4-11-14-16 = 47
10.) Dalton DeVos| Chris Rast, Delta; 11-9-12-3-12 = 47

[MLovett]

05 DECEMBER 2010

Rod Jabin Wins Second Consecutive Melges 32 Gold Cup Title

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - Three final races at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) enabled Annapolis' Rod Jabin on Ramrod to win his second consecutive Melges 32 Gold Cup title. This is also the first time ever that anyone has won the event two years in a row. Jabin's team consisted of tactician Chris Larson and crew of Richard Clarke, Curtis Florence, Ray Wulff, Scott Holmgren and Vann Walke.

"This is pretty special. Unbelievable really, but I have to give credit where credit is due. The crew work this weekend has been awesome." said an ecstatic Jabin after racing. "Thank goodness for a third race. The Ramrod program is really coming together and we now feel like we're making some progress. Our only expectation for this event was to be competitive. My crew, they worked so hard and never gave up. That's what this win is about."

In second overall, one slim point behind was Steve Howe on Warpath and tactician Morgan Larson. Overnight leader Ryan DeVos and tactician Ed Baird on Volpe struggled in Sunday's three races leaving them to settle for third.

"The Gold Cup certainly delivered some great racing. I think the Melges 32 fleet has really come into its own." said newly elected North American Fleet President, John Taylor on Ninkasi. "Getting 21 boats in Fort Lauderdale for a little wind and sun, a great time and plenty of Heineken makes it a spectacular event."

Sunday's original schedule called for only two races, but after Saturday's light air conditions, the impeccable LYC race committee delivered the goods and fulfilled every owner's hopes for three more heats. Gorgeous sunshine and a pleasant 10-15 knots of breeze was pumping for the start with Jeff Ecklund putting his signature gold STAR on the first two races of the day. His lead was not instant, but well-earned beating out Jabin, Taylor, Bob Hughes helming Dalton DeVos' Delta and Howe with brilliant upwind performance and fantastic downwind speed.

Race three of the day sealed the deal on victory for some, while others, such as Ecklund, ended with tragic results. Three attempts were made to start race three, but the fleet couldn't come up with anything better than general recalls. The race committee put the black flag into effect. Ecklund simply couldn't hold the reigns back, being called OCS and forced out of the race. As if the first two races of the day weren't disastrous and disappointing enough for the young DeVos, he too was called OCS in race three. Instead, Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica pulled ahead of the fleet and looked fast as he extended his lead with each passing beat of the five-leg race. Cirillo won easily, miles ahead of second place finisher Hughes and third place finisher Jabin.

The International Melges 32 Class Association would like to extend a very special thanks to the Lauderdale Yacht Club, race committee and the dozens of volunteers that helped ensure the success of such an amazing event, in particular Mark Smith, Lisa Friesecke, Bob Meagher and Mike Toppa who organized the league of youth sailors for Take A Junior Sailing Day. The list goes on. Thanks to Melges USA and Melges Service whose unwavering support is incredible. Additional thanks to Team Ninkasi and Heineken Beer for all the beer each day after sailing.

MEGA MEDIA
All during the event, friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 were able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. Thanks Sail22 for making this happen!

Photo galleries are now online:
View JOY | International Melges 32 Class Association Gallery
View John Payne Gallery
View Sail 22 Gallery

Each daily race report, press release and tons of photo galleries are available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. Stay in touch with the Melges 32 by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

TOP TEN RESULTS (FINAL, After eight races)
1.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod; 4-2-1-12-8-2-[18]-3 = 32
2.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath; [8]-8-1-5-4-8-3-4 = 33
3.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe; 3-2-3-1-5=14=11=[22/BFD] = 39
4.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red; 6-[11]-5-9-6-5-6-7 = 44
5.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR; 15-6-8-8-7-1-1-[22/BFD] = 46
6.) Dalton DeVos| Chris Rast, Delta; 11-9-12-3-[12]-7-2-2 = 46
7.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 7-19-4-2-14-[22/OCS]-4-1 = 51
8.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 1-7-7-15-1-12-[17]-11 = 54
9.) Joel Ronning | Bill Hardesty, Catapult; 5-15-13-6-10-4-9-[17] = 62
10.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, ARGO; 10-10-6-7-9-[18]-12-8 = 62