Melges 20 Explained

Melges 20
Insignia:File:Melges 20 class logo.png
Insignia Size:250px
Designer:Reichel/Pugh
Location:United States
Year:2007
Builder:Melges Performance Sailboats
Role:Racer
Crew:2-4
Draft:4.5feet with keel down
Displacement:11460NaN0
Hull Type:monohull
Construction:fiberglass
Loa:20feet
Beam:7feet
Engine:outboard motor
Keel Type:lifting keel
Rudder Type:transom-mounted rudder
Rig Type:Bermuda rig
Sailplan:fractional rigged sloop
Sailarea Main:172square feet
Sailarea Headsail:88square feet
Sailarea Spin:430square feet
Sailarea Upwind:260square feet
Sailarea Downwind:690square feet

The Melges 20, originally called the Audi Melges 20, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Reichel/Pugh as a one-design racer and first built in 2007.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

The design was accepted as a World Sailing international class in November 2012.[6]

Production

The design has built by McConaghy Boats in China for Melges Performance Sailboats of the United States, since 2007 and remains in production.[1] [2] [5] [7] [8] [9]

Design

The Melges 20 is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with a roller furling jib. The hull has a plumb stem, a slightly reverse transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable lifting keel, with a lead bulb weight. It displaces 11460NaN0.[1] [2] [9]

The boat has a draft of 4.5feet with the keel extended. With it retracted the boat can be operated in shallow water or transported on a boat trailer.[1] [2]

The boat is factory-equipped with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[9] It is sailed by a crew of two to four sailors with no class weight restrictions.[5]

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a masthead asymmetrical spinnaker of 430square feet, flown from a retractable bowsprit mounted on the starboard side of the bow.[1] [2]

Operational history

The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the International Melges 20 Class Association.[10] [11]

In a 2008 review by two writers for Sailing World magazine, Dave Reed wrote, "the boat has superb balance, and obviously, the faster we went the better it felt. Carving up and down to catch waves was easy and the boat quickly jumped on surfs ... and frankly, had we had one less body, we could have done another tick or two better." Stuart Streuli reported, "the Melges 20 is a hoot to sail. It tracks like a train upwind, rewarding a steady hand on the tiller, and is very nimble off the wind. We hit speeds of 13 to 14 knots downwind in 15 to 20 knots of wind and very rough seas. It’s tippy, and much more like a dinghy than the 24. When the lulls hit, the boat would quickly roll to windward, both upwind and down."[9]

Events

See main article: List of Melges 20 championships.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Melges 20 sailboat . 16 September 2022. McArthur. Bruce. sailboatdata.com. 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220015/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/melges-20. 16 September 2022. live.
  2. Web site: Melges 20. 16 September 2022. Sea Time Tech, LLC. sailboat.guide. 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220027/https://sailboat.guide/melges/20. 16 September 2022. live.
  3. Web site: Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design. 16 September 2022. McArthur. Bruce . sailboatdata.com. 2021. https://archive.today/20220914141026/https://sailboatdata.com/designer/reichelpugh-yacht-design. 14 September 2022. live.
  4. Web site: Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design. 16 September 2022. Sea Time Tech, LLC. sailboat.guide. 2022. https://archive.today/20220914224723/https://sailboat.guide/reichel-pugh-yacht-design. 14 September 2022. live.
  5. Web site: The Melges 20. 16 September 2022. Melges Performance Sailboats. Melges Performance Sailboats. melges.com. 16 September 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220155/https://melges.com/melges-20/. 16 September 2022. live.
  6. Web site: Melges 20. 16 September 2022. World Sailing. World Sailing. sailing.org. 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220245/https://www.sailing.org/classes/melges-20. 16 September 2022. live.
  7. Web site: Melges Performance Sailboats. 16 September 2022. McArthur. Bruce . sailboatdata.com. 2021. https://archive.today/20200908184850/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/melges-performance-sailboats. 8 September 2020. live.
  8. Web site: Melges Performance Sailboats. 16 September 2022. Sea Time Tech, LLC. sailboat.guide. 2022. https://archive.today/20220914224725/https://sailboat.guide/melges. 14 September 2022. live.
  9. Web site: The Melges 20: A First Look Times Two. 16 September 2022. Reed. Dave. Streuli. Stuart. Sailing World. 19 September 2008. https://archive.today/20220916222437/https://www.sailingworld.com/sailboats/melges-20-first-look-times-two/. 16 September 2022. live.
  10. Web site: Melges 20 Class Assoc.. 16 September 2022. McArthur. Bruce . sailboatdata.com. 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220014/https://sailboatdata.com/association/melges-20-class-assoc. 16 September 2022. live.
  11. Web site: Melges 20 Class Assoc.. 16 September 2022. Sea Time Tech, LLC. sailboat.guide. 2022. https://archive.today/20220916220140/https://sailboat.guide/melges-20-class-assoc-class-association. 16 September 2022. live.