The County Wicklow design of the Melges IC37 by Mark Mills has been named Big Boat Champion on the Hamble after a closely fought series.
It follows a stellar launch of the new Irish marque for the New York Invitational in September where there was Royal Cork success.
Ian Atkin’s Melges IC37 Icy was named the HYS Hamble Winter Series Big Boat Champion, as well as winning the IRC 1 class, at the 38th Hamble Winter Series.
The 2019 edition of the annual Solent series was held over 4 weeks in October by the Hamble River Sailing Club, comprising 8 races in a tightly fought fleet of the UK’s top race boats. The prestigious Hamble Star Trophy was presented to Dr Mark Tomson on behalf of Icy, a trophy originally gifted to the Hamble River Sailing Club in 1934 by the Household Brigade Yacht Club, and now dedicated to the memory of HRSC Secretary Jane Windsor who passed away in the summer.
2019 has been a great first year for the newly arrived Melges IC37 in the UK, winning its Class in a breezy Cowes Week, and then winning the IRC 1 division at a light airs Royal Southern September Regatta counting firsts and seconds.
As a result, dealers Ancasta already have 4 more orders forming the basis of a Solent fleet next summer. The next UK boat (hull #33) will go to Jerry Hill and Carlo Vroon, who commented “We have carefully watched the launch and development of this class, and now having sailed the boat a few times, everything about the boat and the class, just seems right for the UK scene. The boats are very manageable, but rapid downwind and very rewarding when you get it right.”
