Brits abroad

Justin Chisholm reports on the performance of the UK Melges 24 fleet at the Key Largo Ocean Reef Report

Five teams from the UK Melges 24 fleet took advantage of an invitation to try out Key Largo’s Ocean Reef Resort ahead of the 2005 World Championships next December. It is a long way to go for a weekend open meeting but the UK squad were rewarded with a welcome as warm as the Florida sunshine, first class hospitality and accommodation along with a slick seven race series.

The Ocean Reef Club is an upscale gated community holiday resort. Everything you could possibly need is on site, including a full marina with yacht club, golf courses, shops, restaurants and bars, a bank, airstrip and even a church. The accommodation ranges from hotel room through apartments to multi million dollar houses with pools. Walking is an alien concept at Ocean reef - to travel around the huge complex hire a golf cart or simply ask the attentive staff to arrange a lift for you.

All of the UK teams had arrived by Thursday evening. After a few beers and a jet lag induced early night all were up at around 7am to get the boats rigged in time for a practice race at two that afternoon. Launching was a slick military style operation utilising a pair of forklift trucks to launch the 43 boat fleet.

The practice race was sailed in a solid 18 knot southerly with turquoise waters under clear blue skies. For Team GBR racing Melges in December in T-shirts and shorts was worth the entry fee alone. The race itself was not without incident - at the start of the second beat Shark Kahn was dismasted when a boat still coming downwind at speed clipped his rig. Sailing home down the narrow channel into Ocean Reef several boats made contact with the coral including Stuart Simpson’s Team Barbarians. Happily a quick lift out by the excellent staff at Allied Marine revealed no serious damage and
Stuart and his crew were able to join the rest of the fleet at the excellent beach party and meal which marked the official opening of the regatta. The UK team raised a special glass in honour of Joe Woods who celebrated his 50th birthday at the regatta.

The first day of official racing got under way on time at 10am on Saturday. The breeze hadn’t really settled in and the after a slow first beat there was some rafting around the windward mark. Many boats misjudged the angle of the spreader leg and were forced to bail out to leeward of the spreader mark and gybe round for a second attempt.

The British Team did not make an auspicious start. Team Barbarians and John Polard’s Xcellent both had to restart. Quentin Strauss’ Gil attached itself to the long anchor line on the pin end committee boat and had to eventually send a crewman overboard to clear themselves. Joe Wood aboard WKD did start cleanly but got blocked in the raft at the top mark and had to have a couple of goes at getting round. Only Martin Wedge aboard Eric managed to sail a decent race and finished 19th.

The breeze kicked in for races two and three and four. Rob Smith at the helm of Team Barbarians got the bit between his teeth and revelling in the windier conditions scored a 2nd a 4th.and an 11th. Gil also improved their score, keeping their noses clean to record a 15th a 10th and a 2nd. Joe Woods rounded of his day with a 10th in the final race.

Saturday night ashore was again a sumptuous meal eaten under the stars, plenty of drink on offer and video from the day’s racing. Conscious of the 09.00 start time for the first of Sunday’s racing many (but not all) of the UK team passed on the opportunity to sample the live music at the resort’s Blues Bar.

On the water Sunday started where Saturday left off - clear blue skies and a fresh to frightening breeze. Three excellent races were sailed in near perfect conditions. Picking the right side upwind and down was crucial as the pressure could vary dramatically. The shifts were significant and dramatic but very hard to predict making the tacticians’ role a real challenge.

In race one Team Barbarians won the start and sailed an excellent first beat to lead the fleet round the first mark. However along with the leading bunch they lost places downwind by gybing too late, allowing boats in more pressure on the left to sail round them. They managed to salvage a 10th just behind Gil in 9th. In race two the highly vocal British contingent on the 60ft spectator boat finally got something to cheer about when Gil and Team Barbarians finished first and second place respectively. John Pollard on Xcellent had his best result of a disappointing regatta by breaking into the
top ten.

The fleet came ashore around 14.00 after an exhilarating third race. Meanwhile ashore there had been plenty of action too. The organiser’s hopes of an orderly crane out procedure performed in strict bow order were scuppered when part of the dockside collapsed depositing a forklift along with its driver into the harbour. Unfortunately for Joe Woods his trailer followed the forklift into the water. Nobody was hurt and WKD was dropped on to a local trailer so that he could get derigged in time to make his flight.

The prize giving took place right on time with yet more free food and booze rounding off a superb event. Overall Brian Porter, John Bertrand and Bruce Ayres took the top tree spots.

All of the UK weekend raiding party agreed that ashore and afloat the event had surpassed their expectations. Thanks go to the organisers Event chairpersons Karen Gottwald (Vice President USMCA) and the irrepressible Dick Jennings; Regatta Coordinator Kelli Brower; and PRO Hank Stuart whose team laid on a near faultless series. Along with the rest of the Melges 24 worldwide fleet the UK Melges 24 sailors look forward with great anticipation to returning to Ocean Reef in 2005 to compete for the World Championship.

UK Results

8. Stuart Simpson - Team Barbarians - 33 2 4 11 10 2 11
13. Quentin Strauss - Gil - 38 15 10 2 9 1 17
19. Martin Wedge - Eric - 19 27 14 23 23 13 15
23. John Pollard - Xcellent - 31 32 15 25 26 10 20
26. Joe Woods - WKD - 35 22 32 10 24 14 34