The Melges 24 stole the show by planing throughout Sperry Charleston Race Week, the third and final Act of the 2016-17 Melges 24 Quantum World Winter Series (M24QWWS).

Tampa’s George Haynie’s Firewater drew the winning ticket for a 2017 Quantum Sails AP Jib, the big prize of the series.

Although the racing was very close, Wes Whitmyer’s SlingSHOT won seven of nine races with solid starts and great upwind speed to claim Act 3 and 2nd Overall for the M24QWWS. Upon receiving the Bluesmiths KULA Windpro Hoodie, Whitmyer exclaimed to the crew, “Hey, this is skiable!” Noting that it was a size medium, the sly Jonny Goldberry stepped in to snag the KULA for his own ski/sail wardrobe.

Melges 24 stalwarts, Steve Suddath’s 3 1/2 Men, the top Corinthian team, applied great speed and smarts to win the other two races to finish 3rd overall and 1st in the Corinthian division for Act 3. Suddath received Bluesmiths Hydrophobic Kanaha shirts for winning the Corinthian division (6th overall) and for the 2016-17 Melges 24 Quantum World Winter Series.

M24QWWS series overall podium had Brian Porter’s Full Throttle in first, followed by Whitmyer’s SlingSHOT and Travis Weisleder’s Lucky Dog/Gill Race Team. Top Corinthian Steve Suddath’s 3 ½ Men was followed by KC Shannon’s Shaka and Stuart Simpson’s Team Barbarians.

The 2016-17 Melges 24 Quantum World Winter Series (M24QWWS) opened with December’s Miami Worlds and continued with Charleston for US Nationals in early April before the third and final Act at Sperry Charleston Race Week. Eighty-five teams from 19 nations competed.