Twenty teams prepare for great competition at one of the International Melges 32 Class's most prestigious events.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - If there is one event that the International Melges 32 Class looks forward to year-after-year, it is the Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It presents the perfect opportunity for teams to steer south and enjoy some warmer weather, while offering three solid days of the best and most challenging racing conditions in the world. Gold Cup also marks the start of a very exciting 2012 international racing calendar and is designated as event number one of the three-part Midwinter Championship Series. Key West Race Week (January 15-20) and the Miami Championship (March 2-4) will complete the speed triptych.

Making the Gold Cup a little more than extra special is its signature attribute, the Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation’s Take A Junior Sailing Day happening on Saturday, December 3. Several of the USA’s top junior sailors will experience sailing with and racing against the very best in sailors in the industry for an entire day.

Twenty of the fleet’s finest teams will compete and amongst those expected to attend is World Championship runner-up John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti with tactician Vasco Vascotto, 2011 Copa Del Rey and reigning U.S. National Champion Jason Carroll’s Argo team with Cameron Appleton on tactics, and Audi Sailing Series Champion Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica with tactician Michele Paoletti. The barely-21-year-old 2011 Melges 32 North American Champion Ryan DeVos on Volpe will have Ed Baird calling tactics, Steve Howe on Warpath and tactician Morgan Larson join forces once more, and lastly, but certainly not least, is two-time, back-to-back Gold Cup Champion Rod Jabin on Ramrod with 2011 World Champion tactician Chris Larson.

Weather conditions for this weekend are forecasted to be optimum for the Melges 32. With twenty teams on the line it should be a fantastic event!

THE ULTIMATE GOAL
Almost every team racing in Fort Lauderdale will be joining the fleet for the 2012 Melges 32 World Championship, hosted by the New York Yacht Club in Newport, R.I. on September 25-29. As the 2012 season progresses in the U.S.A., Europe and Australasia, teams will be ramping up their programs with their sights set on the class’ highest honor, trophy and title - that of World Champion.