LIGHT AIR CHALLENGES THE FLEET
A light breeze prevented the Race Committee of the Marina Portoroz Melges 24 Regatta 2019, the first event of the 2019 Melges 24 European Sailing Series, from getting more than one race sailed today. Some increase in wind is forecast for tomorrow, while tonight sees the Melges 24 Sailors Dinner take place in the Marina Portoroz.
The Race Committee led by David Bartol left the harbour as scheduled this morning to start Race 4 at 11 a.m. Since the Southerly Sirocco wind was not strong and steady enough, the race could not get started until 11.30 a.m.
The team who took the lead since the beginning of the race was German White Room GER677 of Michael Tarabochia with Luis Tarabochia helming. “We had a really great race today. Our navigator did a really good job and we had a very successful first upwind leg taking the first mark in the leading position and were able to keep it until the finish. We are really happy to win the race today," said the Luis Tarabochia in the harbour.
In today's only race local Little Big Man SLO391 of Ales Zupanc crossed the finishing line as the second followed by the Ukrainian Arctur of Vasyl Gureyev UKR661 as third. Current leader Lenny EST790 of Tõnu Tõniste strengthened its lead adding eight points to the total score today. Sergio Caramèl's Arkanoe by Montura ITA809 got disqualified with UFD from today's race and felt out from the second place to the 7th letting another Italian team Taki 4 ITA778 by Marco Zammarchi with today's 6th result to jump to the second place in overall.
© IM24CA / Andrea Carloni
Hungarian Seven Five Nine HUN759 of Akos Csolto got 15th result today, but remains third in overall followed by Miles Quinton’s Gill Race Team GBR694 with Geoff Carveth in helm only one point behind. The Top 5 is completed by White Room GER677, only one point dividing them from Gill Race Team. The discard of the worse result will come into play after the fifth race.
The weather forecast gave light winds, but all concerned had hoped that the wind would be sufficient to hold more than one race. After a waiting patiently, constantly monitoring the weather conditions, at 2.30 p.m. Principal Race Officer David Bartol had the AP over Alpha signal flags hoisted, indicating to competitors that no more racing would take place today.
