Set Up of Melges 24

• Fun and easy to sail as well as rig; only requires two sets of hands for a super quick setup

• Can be launched via hoist or ramp; it’s a pleasure to tow

• Typically sailed with a crew of four

Setting Up the Melges 24

The Melges 24 is quick and simple to set up for just two people. The carbon fibre spar is just 28 kilos fully rigged and is deck stepped in minutes. The custom Melges mast step allows the sailor to just put the base into the step, lock in and walk up. After connecting the roller furling jib, the boom and the boom vang, you are virtually ready to go sailing. With a bit of practice you'll be rigging the boat in under half an hour.

Sailing the Melges 24

Stunning performance yet incredible simplicity is the key to the success of the Melges 24. The boat is very stable with its minimum weight aloft and maximum weight down below. The carbon keel fin weighs just 16 kilo while it supports a lead bulb of 286 kilos five feet below. This makes for a comfortable sail in all conditions.

No winches! No winches are needed upwind or downwind making it incredibly fast and responsive to trim – more like a high performance dinghy than a keelboat.

You can sail with between 2 and 6 crew. For one-design sailing you will race with 4 or 5 people in total weighing no more than 375 kilos (826.73 lbs.) - the racing weight limit. However, you can enjoy day sailing the boat with just 2 or as many as 6 people with its 4 metre cockpit.

Downwind sailing in your Melges 24 is the most fun! With the carbon bow sprit you can easily set and hoist your Melges asymmetric spinnaker with limited crew work and zero foredeck work. Once you have your spinnaker set you are able to sail high angles for speed or low angles for comfort. Gybing is as easy as 1-2-3. Just ease your current sheet, gybe the boa and trim the new sheet to fill the asymmetrical. Viola, you are on your new gybe.

Trailering

The Melges 24 is specifically designed for easy road trailing, hoist and ramp launching. The boat has a retractable keel for trailing purposes, thus when the boat is on the trailer the deck is just chest high. It fits right behind any vehicle with any size trailer hitch. The Melges 24 weighs just 795 kilos (1,783 lbs.) making it a pleasure to hall from your local club to a World Championship.