On the left is the schooner America out of Key West, full of race spectators. On the right, in the foreground, is Daring, a Swan 42 from Newport, RI. Sail number 45, in the background, is Bella Mente, a Mini Maxi out of Minneapolis, MN. Daring took second in the Swan 42 class. Bella Mente took second in the Mini Maxi class.
He and his crew aboard Bombarda won the competitive Melges 32 class. Pozzi proved that you don’t need decades of experience when you have drive and determination. Oh, yeah, it also helps if world champion Lorenzo Bressana is aboard calling tactics. Even if you’re not a pro, Key West is certainly the place to trade tacks with one. Trey Sheehan and Terry McSweeney have been coming to Key West to sail against the finest racers for the past 21 years. Perhaps McSweeney, an amateur sailor from Cleveland, OH, said it best. “Traditionally, Key West has the highest level of international grand prix competition in the U.S. and allows us amateurs the opportunity to mix it up with the best in the world on and off the water,” said McSweeney. “Trey and I always look forward to the warm tropical weather with great sailing conditions. Key West never fails to provide great racing and incredible nightlife throughout the week.” Melges 24 The Melges 24 class was reborn in Key West this year with the second largest fleet of the regatta with 23 boats. “I think there are seven or eight boats that can win races and win the regatta,” predicted Detroit pro Bora Gulari early on in the Regatta. “This is definitely a turnaround year for the class in Key West, which is good to see. This is one of the best places to race a Melges 24. I’ve had some great experiences down here.” After a week of intense racing, it was Brian Porter and his crew aboard Full Throttle who took first place in the Melges 24 fleet. “Those guys are like a bad piece of corn. We can’t get them out of our teeth,” said Hedgehog skipper Alec Cutler about competitor Full Throttle. “Sometimes they’re quicker and sometimes we’re quicker,” added Cutler. “It’s really close, competitive racing.” In the end, the corn never came out of Cutler’s teeth, and Hedgehog had to chew on second place. A Bit Bigger Melges The Melges 32 class proved that you don’t have to have a large class to be competitive. The 11 boats racing represented six different countries. Andrea Pozzi made sailing the Melges look easy and led the 11-boat fleet Gathering their spinnaker from the sea is the crew of Ran, a TP 52—sailing under a Swedish Flag—from Southampton, Hampshire, UK.
from start to finish. In half the races, Pozzi sailed Bombarda into first or second place. “This is a dream,” said Pozzi. “It is the first regatta we have won so that makes it particularly special. We will always remember Key West 2013. It was a tactically difficult regatta with a lot of wind changes. It was very exciting sailing; lots of adrenalin every day.” It wasn’t just the Melges men who were making headlines at Key West. When female skipper Deneen Demourkas took top honors in Race 7, her husband John eagerly awaited her return at the dock with a mudslide. There was ample reason to celebrate. Although Quantum Key West was only her second regatta helming a Melges 32, she scored her first bullet. Respect, cheers and frothy drinks were flowing. You go, girl! Spookie versus Decision, a High Peformance Class Duel The duel between Spookie and Decision, Carkeek 40 sister ships, was one of the fiercest on the water at Quantum Key West. Things started off getting Spookie in the regatta, but in the end, the Decision was clear. Was it superior sailing and tactics that allowed Decision to finally take top honors? Or did Spookie’s mishap with her kite on Wednesday turn the tables and give Decision a foot in the door? Spookie, skippered by Steve Benjamin, won the first four