Melges 20

Melges 20

Development
Designer	Reichel/Pugh
Location	United States
Year	2007
Builder(s)	Melges Performance Sailboats
Role	Racer
Name	Melges 20
Boat
Crew	2-4
Displacement	1,146 lb (520 kg)
Draft	4.50 ft (1.37 m) with keel down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	20.00 ft (6.10 m)
Beam	7.00 ft (2.13 m)
Engine type	outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	lifting keel
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
Sails
Sailplan	fractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area	172 sq ft (16.0 m^2)
Jib/genoa area	88 sq ft (8.2 m^2)
Spinnaker area	430 sq ft (40 m^2)
Upwind sail area	260 sq ft (24 m^2)
Downwind sail area	690 sq ft (64 m^2)

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 1,146 lb (520 kg).^[1][2][9]

The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) 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 430 sq ft (40 m²), 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

Main article: List of Melges 20 championships

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Melges 20 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
2. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Melges 20". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
3. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
4. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
5. Melges Performance Sailboats (16 September 2022). "The Melges 20". melges.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
6. World Sailing (2022). "Melges 20". sailing.org. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
7. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Melges Performance Sailboats". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
8. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Melges Performance Sailboats". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
9. Reed, Dave; Streuli, Stuart (19 September 2008). "The Melges 20: A First Look Times Two". Sailing World. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
10. McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Melges 20 Class Assoc". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
11. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Melges 20 Class Assoc". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.

External links

• Official website