ANDY BURDICK'S TOP TIPS ON PREPARING FOR KEY WEST

Andy Burdick shares some of his last minute preparation tips as we look forward to Yachting Key West Race Week.

Following are some tips to help you prepare your Melges 24 for a Winter Series or local regatta. This list has been compiled over the years in preparation for big Melges 24 events. We hope that some of the things here help you enjoy more speed and simplicity.

*Melges 24 hull and spar, keel, rudder - starbrite teflon works best on these areas once at the regatta site.

*Tie off your jib halyard turnbuckle below so this will not twist. Easy to adjust.

*McLube the jib in the tell tale area so that they do not stick to the sail.

*Ziploc baggie for sailing instructions

*Tape furling well and keel retraction hole so that water cannot enter - keeps dry.

*Use plastic (Hefty) bag to cover second spinnaker so it stays perfectly dry inside boat while racing. Tie clew,tack and halyard together for easy switch.

*Have your purchase system with tie off for dropping jib at night if needed.

*ISAF and Current Membership sticker on transom - important.

*tape measure, chamois, softscrub and brush, marker.

*McLube or soap vertical keel delrins before dropping keel - be sure keel area is perfectly clean for no scratching.

*Super Lube Teflon for kelp cutter rod

*Model B loos gauge for shroud measuring.

*mark tack line for sprit extension, mark pole out at full extension, mark spin halyard for full up position.

These are some quick tips for putting together your M24. Many people have additional information. Going to regattas really opens your eyes to new ideas and new concepts that can help your campaign so I strongly encourage people to attend big events. Plus, they are a blast to sail in!

Sail Fast, Andy Burdick Full Throttle USA-449 Melges Boats