"The racing conditions
in Charleston are some of the most challenging and rewarding
in the world. Sailing in Charleston Harbor in September is
ideal. The water is warm and the air temperature near perfect.
There is a wonderful afternoon sea breeze, the racing will
truly be great."
"Europeans and other International teams should take
a serious look at the close proximity of Charleston and Annapolis. They
can sail the U.S. National Championship as well as the North
Americans. This a unique opportunity to compete in both events
efficiently and affordably. Logistically, racing these two
events makes a lot of sense."
As one of the most progressive and flourishing areas
for the US Melges 24 class, Charleston is an ideal venue
for the championship. Sailing heritage runs deep in this
historic city, complemented by southern charm. "The
Carolina Lowcountry is known for friendly people and spectacular
scenery," commented Regatta Co-Chair Judy Drew Fairchild. "Competitors
may be greeted by dolphins, diving pelicans, and other birds
including black skimmers and oystercatchers. Our exciting
racing conditions, great off-the-water events, and wide variety
of beaches and activities for all members of the family will
make this a great destination for the Nationals."
2007 was a record-breaking year for the USMCA. Fifty-five
Melges 24s competed at the Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit,
Michigan — the largest ever turnout in the USMCA's
fifteen year history. The Charleston Melges 24 Nationals
is aiming for that, or better. Chris Hamilton, also sharing
duties as a Regatta Co-Chair continued, "We are looking
forward to a great event. This is a high-level regatta with
tremendous expectations and we are pulling out all the stops.
We've recruited Hal Smith as PRO to run the action. Hal has
a long tenure with the Melges 24s. He ran the 2007 Gold Cup
and knows exactly what Melges 24 sailors want. He plans
to deliver."
Reaffirmation comes from USMCA Southeast District Governor
Reid Collins, "Hal is the best PRO in the Southeast
and the best I've ever encountered. He efficiently sets up
and runs excellent races, is a great communicator to the
racers and his race committee. He knows how to handle the
Melges 24."
National and International Melges 24 sailors will want to
take advantage of the impressive line-up of competitive opportunities
that follow the U.S. Nationals. Almost immediately following
is the Lake Geneva Fall Championship in early October — the
birthplace of the Melges 24 where attendance on average is
30+ and, the 2008 North American Championship held in Annapolis,
Maryland October 26th - November 2, hosted by the Eastport
Yacht Club. Annapolis will also host the 2009 Melges
24 World Championship.
With a line-up of regattas such as this, the biggest and
brightest teams are sure to converge upon Charleston. It
will be the perfect juncture to prepare and fine-tune the
crew, boats and gear for the long haul in one of the toughest
and most demanding fleets in the world. The Melges 24 Class
is not for the faint of heart. This is why the best of the
best look to the Melges 24 to gain a competitive edge. That
edge will be found once more in Charleston.
CALLING ALL COMPETITORS
The Notice of Race (NOR) is now available at the official
2008 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship event website
(m24charleston.com).
Download a copy today and process your entries online via
the same web portal. A wealth of information is posted
including a current list of entries, regatta documents
and much, much more. For future announcements, stay tuned
to this as well as the official site of the U.S. Melges
24 Class Association at usmelges24.com and,
the International Melges 24 Class Association (IMCA) at melges24.com.
The 2008 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship hosted by
the Charleston Yacht Club (charlestonyachtclub.com)
on September 18-21 is sponsored by Ocean Sailing Academy
(osasailing.com), Yacht
Scoring (yachtscoring.com),
Charleston City Marina (charlestoncitymarina.com),
Cre843 (cre843.com), ASB
Flower Design (asbflowers.com)
and the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association (usmelges24.com).
###
The Melges 24 is designed by Reichel Pugh (reichel-pugh.com)
and considered the most unique one design sportboat in the
world as well as one of the fastest-growing classes of high
performance yachts. For more information visit the U.S. Melges
24 Class Association (USMCA, usmelges24.com)
and the International Melges 24 Class Association (IMCA, melges24.com)
on the web.
For more information or press photos, please contact:
Joy Dunigan
2008 U.S. National Championship Press Officer
U.S. Melges 24 Class Association Communications Director
communications@usmelges24.com
+1 (912) 398-5776 |
