Fargo Wins Melges 24 West Coast Championship 2021 Series

Santa Cruz once again delivered the conditions and homespun hospitality that it is known for and that keep the West Coast Championship Series coming back year after year. Enduring modestly chilly temperatures was a small sacrifice to make for the idyllic 15-20 knot breezes each day. The regatta was a two-day affair the weekend of September 11-12.

USA856 of Santa Barbara, helmed by Geoff Fargo with Jon Bell (trim), Graham Bell (bow) and Bill Gullfoyle (strategist), narrowly captured the second fixture of the 2021 West Coast Championship Series with a two point margin over second placed Brio, also of Santa Barbara.

Manfred Schmiedl, Brio's owner, helm, and long time Melges 24 enthusiast, showed great speed both upwind and down and made some excellent tactical decisions--particularly downwind--to capture second place. "It was really great to be in the mix at the top of the fleet. Tucker (Atterbury) did a great job preparing the boat, recruiting a talented young crew, and calling tactics!"

Despite good starts and leading at the majority of the first weather mark roundings, 2019 Cal Cup winner Average was off the pace downwind and finished in third, but well behind the leaders. "We broke our backstay downwind in the second race of the regatta and had to eat a couple of races. We were incredibly lucky to have not lost the rig. We counted that as a victory" remarked Eric Stokke, co-owner and trimmer of Average.

The Santa Cruz leg of the West Coast Championship Series has come to be known as the "Cal Cup" and at the trophy presentation, event chair Dave Collignon unveiled a new perpetual trophy for the event. 2021 winner USA856, as well as all prior winners, will be engraved on the large sterling trophy to be awarded annually.