Melges 24 European Sailing Series at Lake Balaton, Hungary - Overall

by International Melges 24 Class Association 10 May 2015 22:24 BST

Taking two more bullets on the final day, Ian Ainslie and his team on Strange Brew secured themselves the victory of the Balaton Melges 24 Spring Regatta, the second event in the Melges 24 European Sailing Series, organised by the Balatonfüredi Yacht Club in cooperation with Hungarian Melges 24 Class Association and International Melges 24 Class Association.

After two days of tricky conditions on Lake Balaton it was friendlier both with the sailors and organizers today. Race Committee left the dock as it has been planned and got the first race of the day, the 8th in total, started at 10 am. While the north-westerly wind was blowing steadily with velocity of 12-14 knots, PRO Benedek Fluck set the first leg to be 1.4 Nm long. As the wind turned around 30 degrees to the left during the race, the Race Committee had to correct the course. Due to the wonderful conditions and even though the wind was a bit dropping during the second part of the race, Ian Ainslie's Strange Brew (HUN-392) was as the first boat over the finishing line with 50 minutes followed by another local Attila Bujaky's Hód (HUN-589) and Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team (GBR-694) as third.

The final race of the event was started five minutes after the last boat has been finished. The teams experienced even some gusts up to 30 knots during this race, but as it was beautifully sunny and warm outside, these were the excellent conditions for the Melges 24 boats. It felt even a bit like waist of the good conditions while the racing was finished around midday as the maximum number of races was executed thanks to the great job of the experienced Race Committee during all three racing days.

With victory in the final race, Ian Ainslie and Strange Brew were scoring eight points in total having six bullets in the series and claiming overall victory of the Balaton Melges 24 Spring Regatta. Strange Brew has been sailed by Ian Ainslie (helmsman), Botond Weöres, Örs Nemet and Matyas Budjoso.

Second place overall was achieved by Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team with 16 points in total and being also as the best in Pro Am division. Gill Race Team has been sailed by Marshall King (helmsman) and Steve Norbury, William Goldsmith, Catherine Alton and Miles Quinton in the crew.

With consistent sailing and being 3rd in the final race, the third place on the podium was claimed with 23 points in total by the another Hungarian team Jedi Business helmed by Peter Czegai and Henrik Hoffmann, Szabolcs Weöres and Andras Milbich in team.

The second best Pro Am on Lake Balaton was Ukrainian team Marusia with Oleg Dyvinets in helm crossing the finishing line in the final race as second and being 4th in overall ranking. In Pro Am ranking the third podium place was achieved by Attila Bujaky's Hód.

The prize giving was followed by racing paying the honour to the best teams of the regatta both in open and Pro-Am division.

The third event of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series will be in two weeks in Riva del Garda, Italy as the joint event with the Audi tron Sailing Series.

See the full results here.