DETROIT, September 14, 2007 – In just over a week, some sixty Melges 24 skippers and crews will hit the waters of Lake St. Clair to decide who will be crowned the Audi 2007 Melges 24 U.S. National Champion. With 56 entries received to date, and up to 8 more expected, this will be the largest U.S. Nationals in the 14 year history of the class – confirming the health of this ultra-competitive, high-octane One Design class.

U.S. Melges 24 Class President Scott Gregory and his Georgia-based Team Satisfaction were initially unable to make it to Bayview Yacht Club for the championship, but when the entry list hit 40 boats, they cleared their schedules. “We just couldn’t miss an event like this up in Detroit,” Scott said. “Those guys really get it – there are so many good sailors in the Detroit fleet, and they are the most enthusiastic group in the country.

They sail hard, they party hard, and they’re always helping others improve. We can’t wait to get out there and mix it up.” Gregory and his team will have plenty of company. Melges 24 events consistently draw some of the world’s best sailors, and this one is no exception. World Champion Dave Ullman, helming for Scott Holmgren on Rosebud, is clearly the favorite – but his challengers include some of the best in the business. Ullman’s biggest obstacle is likely to be current North American Champion Brian Porter and his Full Throttle team. Porter enlisted the help of two close friends from Lake Geneva to see if he can dethrone the legendary Ullman; Melges Performance Sailboats President Harry Melges III and VP Andy Burdick – both World Champs in the Melges 24.

Full Throttle was only seconds away from becoming the World Champion in Santa Cruz this past May when, on the final leg of the final race, a brutal gust of wind knocked her on her side, mast in the water. Ullman’s crew immediately dropped their spinnaker, giving them the control they needed to pass the disabled Porter and win the championship.

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