Image Credit: Contributed
November 16, 2015 - 10:19 AM
KELOWNA - Kelowna Yacht Club will host the 2016 Melges 24 Canadian National Championship from June 24 to June 26 in Kelowna.
The special class of boat, a 24-foot light high-performance racer, will be sailed by all competitors in the championships that promises the fastest race speeds seen on Okanagan Lake.
“This is an exciting regatta and we’re pleased to invite the top sailors in Canada and U.S. to show off their racing skills on Okanagan Lake,” Commodore Murray Ramsden says. “Thanks to a strong volunteer core and experienced race committees, Kelowna Yacht Club is quickly gaining a reputation for hosting outstanding racing events.”
“It’s a great honour to host this high level event in the spectacular Okanagan Valley and we’re looking forward to some intense competition in this unique sailing region,” vice-president of the Canadian Melges 24 Class Association Marc Noel says.
As the world’s leading one-design sportsboat, the Melges 24 is raced with a crew of four. The high-tech design includes a carbon fibre spar, rudder, bowsprit and vertical keel fin. Nearly 30 teams are expected to compete in the event, with teams from both Canada and the U.S.
Last year, Canada was well represented by a total of seven entries out of a fleet of 36 boats at the 2015 CSR Marine Melges 24 US National Championship hosted by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association in Oregon.
The 2016 Melges 24 Canadian National Championship is open to all boats that meet the obligations of the Melges 24 Class rules and IMCA rules, including class membership.
Registration is available online starting January 2016.
Race information can be found at melges24.ca.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015