International Melges 32 Class Blog

Star have pulled out a big lead, maybe as much as a minute over the next boat which is Jim Swartz on Q. Steven Pugh’s Taboo are right on their transom in third. Calvi Network are fourth and keeping a close cover on New Wave. First lap leader Samba Pa Ti are down to sixth.

Looks to us like Q are leading the regatta right now but things could change on this downwind leg.

As the fleet aprroached the windward mark three of the top four overall boats were in contention for the lead of this race. John Kilroy’s Samba Pa Ti led by a few feet from Jeff Eckland’s Star who ducked them on port near the mark.

A couple of boat lengths back Marty Kullman & Mike Carroll’s New Wave were locked in a close battle fir third and fourth with Carlo Alberini’s Calvi Netwoork. These two rounded the mark abreast with New Wave edging ahead by the spreader mark.

Fifth round was Taboo just ahead of second placed overall Jim Swartz on Q.

Q and New Wave were overlapped for the entire final leg. Q made the final gybe early and nailed the layline to the finish. New Wave had to come in hot to miss the finish boat’s anchor line but took second.

A few boat lengths back there was another close battle between Samba Pa ti and Calvi with Samba just taiing it.

Next was Dark and Stormy and Bliksem.

Whole fleet finished within three minutes.