High Octane One Designs

Time is ticking as the 2009 Melges 24 World Championship draws closer and the early entry deadline approaches. The Eastport Yacht Club is ready to put its best cocktail party forward in benefit and recognition to everyone contributing to the event.  Competitors are reminded that the early entry deadline of Friday, July 31 is only a couple days away. Register Online Sooner Rather Than Later (crew lists do not need to be confirmed to register.) Also, be sure to visit and bookmark the Official Event Website. View the List Of Current Entries.

TICK, TICK, TICK…
Time flies. The Melges 24 World Championship at Eastport Yacht Club (EYC) is now less than three months away, with the first day of the week-long event scheduled for October 23. Already, 20 teams out of an expected 80+ from around the world have registered, making them eligible for a special, early-entry prize.

Official EYC photographer Cindy Cady is donating a customized hard-cover, coffee table photo book of the Worlds to one skipper whose entry arrives by July 31. The contest winner also gets Cady’s personalized DVD of all the images of his or her boat taken during racing. So get your entry in quickly — you can Register Online, confirmed crew list not required — but it has to be by July 31 to be eligible for the photo book drawing.

A star-studded cast of teams is expected including 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson, the local grand prix rock star who won the Melges 24 North Americans in Annapolis last year, plus reigning world champions Lorenzo Bressani and Lorenzo Santini on Uka Uka Racing, who have added U.S. Olympic medallist Jonathan McKee to their crew to call tactics.

COCKTAIL HOUR
The prize-winner will be picked at a cocktail party for friends of the Melges 24 Worlds at 6 p.m. Monday, August 10 at EYC. Those that attend will witness the unveiling of the official regatta poster by EYC’s own Sara Proctor and enjoy a premier showing of Tucker Thompson’s Melges 24 DVD, produced specially for the event. Potential donors and sponsors are welcome to attend (a $50 minimum donation is greatly appreciated). Other raffle items include club-level tickets to a Raven-Jets football game with parking, high-tech foul weather gear, plus many other items. Please join the crowd at the club for hors d’ouevres, drinks and a glimpse of what’s coming to EYC.

If you can’t make it but still want to get involved, contact Regatta Chair Liz Filter, who is actively seeking sponsors, donors and volunteers. This is a big deal — a major world championship in an extremely competitive international class featuring some of the top sailors in the world. The more people that get involved, the better it will be.