PAT HUGHES’S MELVIN WINS THE A SCOW NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

North-powered boats finish 1-2-3-4-5!

Minnetonka, Minn. (June 23-25, 2017) — Pat Hughes and the Melvin team were crowned A Scow National Champions. Hughes put up an impressive 13 points over six races at the championship hosted by the Minnetonka Yacht Club. Sailing on the Melvin (M-21) alongside Hughes was Harry Melges, Coye Harrett, Tony Jewett, Chris Jewett, Matt Ripkey and Mark ‘Doctor’ Christensen.

Vincent Porter and the Eagle (I-1) finished the regatta on a high note, winning both races on the final day. His two race wins squeezed him a notch higher on the leaderboard, landing the Eagle team in second place overall with 21 points. With 22 points, Tom Whowell’s G Force (I-12) helmed by the young R.J. Porter took third place. Rounding out the top five were Mike Keefe’s Ajax and Tom Freytag’s MadCap.

“We had a great three days with unbelievable conditions and a great group of people. This win is really good for our youth program here. It’s a big deal to win the championship on your own lake at your own yacht club; it’s very encouraging to these young local sailors.”, said Hughes.

Minnetonka Yacht Club pulled out all the stops for the national championship. Lighthouse Island and the surrounding waters of Lake Minnetonka proved to be the perfect battleground.

Spectators came from all around to watch the mighty A Scows duke it out. Twenty of these 38-foot yachts raced in the event. Melges A Scows are built by Melges Performance Sailboats in Zenda, Wisconsin USA. With six or seven crew, the A Scow is the fastest and largest of the Melges Scow family. Nothing compares to its century of heritage, delivering a combination of raw power, speed and performance unmatched in one-design sailing. A true classic, the A Scow is monumental to watch, not to mention powerful to race.