Intense Final Day Looming at 2018 Melges 20 Worlds

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTERNATIONAL MELGES 20 CLASS ASSOCIATION

12 OCTOBER  2018

Intense Final Day Looming at 2018 Melges 20 Worlds

Cagliari, Italy (October 12, 2018) - Three additional races were completed today at the 2018 Melges 20 World Championship hosted by Yacht Club Cagliari. This brings the number of completed races to six, which also prompts a discard of each teams worst score. With the results shuffled and settled, Italy's Filippo Pacinotti (Manu Weiller, tactician) at the helm of BRONTOLO remains in the lead for a second consecutive day. Lurking in second place is Igor Rytov's RUSSIAN BOGATYRS (Kostantin Besputin, tactician), and defending World Champion Drew Freides' PACIFIC YANKEE  (Morgan Reeser, tactician) sits third.

The third day of scheduled racing brought fireworks to the race course as the air grows more intense, and the Class prepares to crown the next World Champion.

The first race of the day (Race Four) got underway in 10-15 knots of breeze out of the South with Pacinotti picking up where he left off Thursday, collecting another bullet - his second of the event. Achille Onorato's MASCALZONE LATINO JR. (Paul Goodison, tactician) achieved his best score thus far crossing the finish line in second place, followed by Rytov.

Rytov rallied back to win Race Five taking over the event lead. Things 'got real' for Pacinotti as a mid-fleet finish temporarily slipped him back into second place. American Alexis Michas at the helm of MIDNIGHT SUN (Mark Mendelblatt, tactician) found a ray of light to finish second. Stefano Visintin racing KINDAKO (Matteo Ivaldi, tactician) was another new face that found his way to the forefront of the fleet to take third.

Freides reminded the fleet that he is the reigning World Champion with a phenomenal win in Race Six. Right behind him, Rytov crossed the line to take second. Pacinotti's third place finish was enough (with the overall discard) to put him back into the event lead. Dario Levi's FREMITO D'ARJA and Oleg Evdokimenko's KOTYARA finished the race in fourth and fifth respectively.

Although all eyes are on the top three, and the high-anticipation as to who will be the next Melges 20 World Champion almost unbearable, there is the impressive first Corinthian player seated in fourth overall. Russia's Alexander Mikhaylik and his all-amatuer crew aboard ALEX TEAM delivered an all-top-ten-finish performance today, sending him up the charts and into the top five. Vladimir Prosikhin's NIKA is in fifth.

Looking ahead to the final day of racing in Cagliari, one thing is clear. Every team in the top three is in contention for the title. At this point, nothing is impossible. But to quote the 1986 British-American fantasy, action-adventure film Highlander - there can be only one.

The final day of World Championship racing resumes on Saturday at 13.00.

The Melges 20 World Championship is supported by Moby, Tirrenia, Helly Hansen, Garmin Marine, North Sails, Toremar, Harken, Norda, Lavazza, Rigoni di Asiago and Melges Europe.

Melges World League has signed and adopts the code of ethics of the Charta Smerarlda strongly promoting the values of One Ocean Foundation.

MEDIA AND RACING COVERAGE
As with other Melges 20 events around the world, racing updates will be posted online at the Official Melges 20 Facebook Page. Be sure to also follow the fleet on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Tune in for the latest racing information, results, video interviews and photos at melges20.com.

TOP FIVE RESULTS (PRELIMINARY - After Six Races, One Discard)
1.) (ITA) Filippo Pacinotti, BRONTOLO; 4-8-1-1-[21]-3 = 17
2.) (RUS) Igor Rytov, RUSSIAN BOGATYRS; 7-[12]-6-4/SCP-1-2 = 20
3.) (USA) Drew Freides, PACIFIC YANKEE; 1-4-[13]-11-4-1 = 21
4.) (RUS) Alexander Mikhaylik, ALEX TEAM; [28]-7-4-4-8 = 30
5.) (RUS) Vladimir Prosikhin, NIKA; 2-5-10-8-[14]-6 = 31
View Full Results
Official Yachtscoring Event Website
Entry List

View Photo Gallery - Barracuda Communications

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ABOUT THE MELGES 20
The Melges 20 fulfills the need for a more compact, yet spacious, fast, well-built sportboat. With its introduction, Melges Performance Sailboats delivered the next generation of sailboat racing and competition. An exclusive Reichel/Pugh keelboat design, it is advanced in every respect. Seriously fun, simple to sail, made with high-quality materials and easy to rig, the Melges 20 enjoys a well-established and ever-growing worldwide fleet and fan base. For more information, visit the International Melges 20 Class Association (IM20CA) at melges20.com.

ABOUT THE MELGES WORLD LEAGUE
The Melges World League is the ultimate one-design competition, uniting the Melges owners across the globe into one streamlined championship system. It is a season-long series that includes regattas hosted at the world's most desirable venues, featuring sailing's best owner/drivers and Corinthian sailors throughout North America, Europe and Asia. News, results and other info will be published online as it becomes available at melgesworldleague.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For media photos (web and/or high resolution) or other info regarding the 2018 Melges 20 World League, please contact:eurofleet@melges20.com

MELGES EUROPE SRL