Weisleder edges out Ayres for the Charleston win, Ratliff wins Corinthian Title

(Charleston, S.C. USA - April 11, 2019) - Congratulations to 2019 Melges 24 Sperry Charleston Race Week Champion Travis Weisleder at the helm of Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team with tactician Anthony Kotoun, and crew members John Bowden, Jane Buckley and Catherine Main. Weisleder won on count back ahead of second runner-up Bruce Ayres sailing Monsoon, tied with 30 points each. Jeff Madrigali at the helm of Kevin Welch’s MiKEY was third.

Over the three-day, ten-race regatta, it was a constant battle between the top teams which also included Brian Porter on Full Throttle, John Brown’s Blind Squirrel, Wes Whitmyer’s Slingshot, and K.C. Shannon’s Shaka. The intensity of these teams made the Melges 24 Class the most exciting to watch with the winner being determined only with all scheduled races completed.

Twenty-three of the 35 teams in Charleston qualified for the highly-competitive all-amateur division. Megan Ratliff with her brother Hunter at the helm, and Decorum team members Howard Meyers, Doug Nickel and Alex Simon continue to be the top Corinthian team on the U.S. Melges 24 Class circuit. After a tough start to the event, the 2019 Sperry Charleston Race Week Corinthian Champions rallied back strong, finishing up eight overall. Robbie Wilkins aboard 3 and 1/2 Men placed second, followed by Chris and Vicki Field on Leda.

Sperry Charleston Race Week also marked the second stage of the 2019 U.S. Melges 24 National Ranking Series, and with Weisleder’s fantastic final day performance, he also takes the ranking lead. Again, he finds himself tied on count back with Ayres in second place, Porter is third trailing by one point.

Next up is the 2019 U.S. Melges 24 National Championship taking place in Fairhope, Alabama on May 22-26 where 33 teams are registered.

Click here to view Full Charleston Race Week Results
Click here to view 2019 Melges 24 U.S. National Ranking Results (PRELIMINARY - Two Events Complete