Valencia Readies for Start of Second Melges 40 Grand Prix Event

(10 October 2017 / Valencia, Spain) - The Melges 40 Grand Prix officially launched in Porto Cervo, Italy last June with its first private event dedicated to the largest and most powerful design produced by Melges Performance Sailboats. Real Club Nautico de Palma in collaboration with La Marine de Valencia will host the second of three inaugural 2017 Melges 40 racing appointments beginning on Wednesday, October 11, and concluding on Saturday, October 14.

An ultra-high-performance, canting-keel monohull, the Melges 40 is quite comfortable in its America's Cup style-home port, a venue that will demand great performances from high-quality, talented teams at the Melges 40 Grand Prix Event No. 2.

Four incredible teams will be on the starting line in Valencia, and at the forefront of competition and certainly center of the spotlight is Alessandro Rombelli's STIG with Francesco Bruni as tactician. He won the first 2017 Grand Prix event hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and proudly entered his name into the history books as the first Melges 40 Champion.

Porto Cervo runner-up Richard Goransson's INGA representing Sweden will be ready for action as he looks to tactical guru Cameron Appleton for direction.

The DYNAMIQ - SYNERGY SAILING TEAM of Russia's Valentin Zavadnikov may be the one to take top honors as the very talented Ed Baird will call tactics. After all, who could possibly know better the secrets of Valencia, a place in which Baird successfully defended sailing's most prestigious trophy and title held by Alinghi at the 2007 America's Cup.

Japan's Yukihiro Ishida at the helm of SIKON - SPIRIT OF SAMURAI will debut his Melges 40. Ishida is no stranger to the Melges brand as he is a past successful star in the Melges 20 and Melges 32 fleet under the guise of Yasha Samurai. Former Melges 24 World Champion Chris Rast (2016) will be at his side serving as tactician.

Racing commences on Wednesday at 2 p.m. (Valencia time) kicking off a maximum 10-race series program.

The Melges 40 Grand Prix is proudly supported by Helly Hansen, Garmin Marine and Barracuda Communication.

ENTRY LIST
1.) Valentin Zavadnikov/Ed Baird; MON-13, DYNAMIQ - SYNERGY SAILING TEAM
2.) Richard Goransson/Cameron Appleton; SWE-42, INGA
3.) Yukihiro Ishida/Chris Rast; JPN-40, SIKON
4.) Alessandro Rombelli/Francesco Bruni; ITA-4, STIG

...........