Duncan (Open) & Yoslov (Corinthian) Go on to Win PCC/Pre-Worlds Titles
2024 Melges 24 Pacific Coast Corinthian Champions, Looper, USA-855 — Duane Yoslov (right) with this team: Caleb Yoslov (son), Ellise Smolenyak, Noah Barrenos and James Golden.
Congratulations to the Open and Corinthian Champions at the Pacific Coast Championship (PCC), hosted by the Richmond Yacht Club on August 3-4. The PCC served as the official Pre-Worlds event, allowing teams to experience the conditions on San Francisco Bay ahead of the 2024 Diversified Melges 24 World Championship, which begins in less than two weeks.
“The conditions on Saturday were typical summer conditions of 18-22 knots with gusts up to 27, and the current switching directions in the middle of the day,” said PRO Robin Van Vliet. “With the windward mark at 1.6nm, the races were still only 50 minutes.”
Sunday proved to be more complicated. “Due to the heatwave and fires in the mountains, there was wind being ‘sucked’ up to the Sacramento delta (it doesn’t blow in Berkeley, it just sucks in Sacramento), giving us two competing breezes. Southerly winds that were lighter (8-10 knots) and the cold marine layer and fog coming through the gate gave us 20-degree wind shifts and builds of 16-20 knots. The first race of the day lasted over an hour, but we shortened things up, giving the fleet an amazing two final races under 45 minutes.”
Six races were completed in total, with former Melges 24 World Champion (2022) Peter Duncan at the helm of Raza Mixta, USA-829, finishing first overall. Don Wilson, a relative newcomer to the Melges 24 fleet, raced Convexity, USA-868, and secured second overall. Anthony Kotoun, racing Stepping Razor, USA-619, took third. National Championship runner-up Cuyler Morris, racing Dark Horse, came fourth, followed by Chelsea Simms on Straightarrow, rounding out the top five.
The Pro teams weren’t the only ones warming up for Worlds. Duane Yoslov’s Looper claimed first overall in the Corinthian division. Fellow Californian Kent Pierce, at the helm of Average, found his groove on San Francisco Bay to grab second Corinthian, while Lake Tahoe’s Matt Hamilton on Chop Chop finished third.
And now, it’s onward and upwards to the Diversified Melges 24 World Championship. Visit this link for full entry lists, competitor notices, event information and media: https://2024worlds.melges24.com
Kent Pierce, Second Corinthian races Average, USA-549 with crew: David Ryan Eastwood, Eric Stokke, Tristian Richmond and Claire Hunt.
Matthew Hamilton, on Chop Chop, USA-798 races with crew members Rudy Arntson, Ian Collignon, Guthrie Goss and Ryan Conner.