When I first started sailing sportboats more than a decade ago, I was sailing a Melges 24, and our coach, Vince Brun, said, “The big difference between this boat and other keelboats is the skinny keel.” I quickly discovered how right he was. Sportboats love speeding through the water to increase flow over the blades, and when turning, the blades can stall much easier.

Having said that, the difference between sailing a skinny-keel sportboat and a more traditional keelboat, such as an Etchells, is not dramatic; it simply requires tweaking your style. For example, if you want to have a great start in either boat, you line up at a good build angle, hold straight until the boat is full speed and then smoothly carve up to a close-hauled angle just before the start. I try to do this in any sailboat, but if not managed perfectly in a sportboat, there will be a higher price to pay.

How much of a price? That’s difficult to quantify, but as we all know, every little thing matters—and it all adds up. If you want to be at the top of the sportboat fleet, you have to be mindful of the skinny keel and the flow of water over that foil.

Leeward mark ­roundings embody many of the considerations needed with a skinny-keel boat. In an Etchells, you can be turning as you pass the mark. In fact, you can even luff up a bit, use your momentum and then turn back down without a ton of speed, and you’ll create a beautiful lane. The boat glides, the keel is fat, and you don’t really stall. Do that on a Melges 24, Melges 20, or a J/70, and you’ll go sideways. Onboard, it might not be obvious how much you’re ­losing, but from a coach boat it is: Boats that do those button-hook turns around the leeward mark get crushed. It’s important to be more calculating and a little farther away from the mark as you approach it—at least as much as the fleet allows.

Brun also recommended sailing past the mark a little bit and have 99 percent of your turn done as you pass the mark. You’ll know you’re doing it right if the tiller is in the middle as you pass the mark. In other words, at the mark, you’re going straight, sailing closehauled. Do that and you’ll have way more grip on your keel and end up in a higher lane than boats still turning as they pass the mark. That’s when the keel stalls and the boat slides sideways.

In a perfect setting—­without much traffic and a square course—start your turn when you’re around 2.5 boatlengths abeam of the mark.

It’s OK if your arc takes you a little downwind of the mark before turning up. Again, the idea is that, as you finish the turn and actually pass the mark, you are going straight.

If you’ve done a beautiful mark rounding and you’re going fast in this nice, arcing turn, you can go to final trim about the time you hit closehauled.

If you’re not fast, it could be because the fleet did not allow a beautiful arcing turn, it’s just like the exit of a tack. Trim to about 90 percent until the boat is up to speed. Do this and you’ll have more grip on your keel and incur less leeway. You’ll also end up in a higher lane than boats still turning and maybe overtrimming their sails as they pass the mark.

The tricky thing with your approach to leeward marks is that the wind angle makes a huge difference. If you’re going around a right-hand mark—looking downwind—and are in a big left shift, you don’t have to head up that much because you’re going to be rounding up into the header, which means you’re heading up, but not much because it’s a big left shift. After sailing for a bit, you might tack to get onto the lifted tack. In that case, you can initiate the turn closer to the mark because there’s less turning involved.

You just head up 60 degrees or so and you’re good, so a boatlength away will probably work in these situations. The key is to set up a nice big smooth turn rather than a button-hook.

Making the turn correctly is even more critical in stronger winds because you can get pushed sideways more easily, especially if your sails are overtrimmed when heading up to a closehauled course.

This same negative effect of overtrimming before getting up to speed became apparent to us coming out of tacks when we were first sailing the Melges 24. We were sailing in 12 knots, and right off, we’d pull the traveler up to the normal spot that it rests. The result? We stalled and went sideways out of tacks; the boat heeled too much.

If we divide the traveler ­position into thirds, the resting spot upwind in 12 knots was a third down from all the way up. So, coming out of a tack, we learned to set it just below the middle. Then we’d hike, chill for a little, let the flow attach to everything, and then pull it up and trim the jib in from its 90 percent position.

RELATED: Inside the Classes: Melges 24

Once up to speed, it’s ­traveler up and jib in to final trim. This technique was way faster than immediately pulling it up to that third-down spot, which resulted in “flaps down,” too much load on the boat, and lots of sideways sliding. This applies to leeward mark roundings too. If it’s windy and you trim the jib or main in too hard, or traveler up too high as you’re rounding, you go sideways. This happens especially when making a hard turn around the mark. The skipper will sense the boat is sliding and will push the helm even more to compensate. Like every boat, leeward mark roundings require a soft jib and tighter main. Death is trimming all the way in before you’re close-hauled. Again, that’s true in any boat, but more so in a sportboat because the keel is so skinny.

Ducking a boat upwind requires the same considerations. Again, the penalty you pay for turning hard at the boat you’re ducking is greater in a sportboat than a fat-keeled boat, for the same reasons.

You’ll gain more by ­bearing away early, building speed, and doing a small head-up as you pass astern of the boat you’re ducking.

Similarly, at starts, it’s more important to hold straight and have flow while you’re accelerating. With a fatter keel you can be a little less precise and get away with it, but with a sportboat, it’s all about having speed, not turning too hard, and not overtrimming your sails. All those errors seem to hurt a ­little more.

If you end up with a boat to leeward of you seemingly too close, still try to go straight while accelerating slightly lower than their angle, to gain grip on your keel. Even though you’re getting closer to the leeward boat, you’ll be generating better speed and grip, which allows you more height and speed once you start the race.

Many skippers consider that leeward boat a little too close for comfort and push the tiller to leeward while trying to accelerate—tiller toward ­trouble, which actually stalls the keel and disrupts the acceleration. Understanding what your sportboat needs to generate speed and grip will give you the confidence to close gauge while sailing straight and accelerating. The result is a faster boat that allows you to roll it to leeward and emerge into a sweet lane after the start. Finally, a skinny keel plays a role in how you steer the boat upwind.

If you’re a pincher, your VMG will be worse with a skinny keel because you’re close to stalling all the time, and the boat needs more flow to create lift. You can’t get caught high, pinching for some period of time. You’ll pay the price. Instead, figure out a way to add a couple of tenths to your boatspeed and you will almost always point as high as everyone else because you have way more flow over your blades.

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of pressing on the telltales a fraction and getting the power and heel angle right, often just down a degree from where the inside telltales are dancing. In 10 knots, we might do so and our speed goes from around 5.7 to 5.9, and you think, “OK, we’re clearly sailing a little lower.”

Then you ask the crew on the rail, “How are we pointing?” and they say, “Great, no difference, just going faster!” So, going fast is the key. Sure, you can overdo it and start reaching around the course, but pinching on a skinny keelboat is far worse.

I remember one time on my Etchells when I was bubbling the front of the jib because we were overpowered, and my main trimmer said, “Wow! We’re crushing everyone!” I was like, “Really? Look at the front of the jib. We’ve got 3 inches of backwind, let’s try dropping traveler and sailing more to the telltales.” We put the bow down a bit, got rid of the backwind, and just sagged into people around us for a loss. So, we went back to the higher and slower mode for a gain. That never happens on a sportboat. The skinny keel wants you to go fast, not only upwind, but every time you maneuver the boat.

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Nope. It’s his Melges 24.

“I’m anal about the boat and take very good care of it,” says the Melges 24 skipper and southeastern class ring leader who went to lengths to ensure the Melges 24 fleet at the HellyHansen NOOD in St. Petersburg was robust. Take a look at his boat, Obsession; it’s immaculate and hardly looks like a raceboat built years ago.

It’s Schwarting’s fourth Melges since he first saw one in 1999, when he was sailing his Capri 25 in a Long Island PHRF Race. “The first time I saw [a Melges 24], I said, ‘Wow!’” Schwarting was 45 at the time and said to himself that if he didn’t buy one then, he’d be too old to sail one later. “So, I said I’m just going jump in and do it.” The first year was like jumping on a thoroughbred horse, he says. The boat was way more powerful than what he was used to, and the first thing he learned was to have the mainsheet in his hand all the time.

“As a driver, if you want to be good, you have to give everything up and just drive,” he says. “A lot of controls, driving, mainsheet, traveler and backstay, and shifting gears all the time. It happens quickly. It’s taken 20 years to figure it out, but you learn something every day you sail in something different.”

Schwarting’s first Melges 24 was Hull No. 86, which he campaigned until 2005. He treated himself to a new boat from the Melges factory in Zenda, Wisconsin. He’s since sold it and bought No. 587 from Melges 24 North American champion Allan Field. He bought Hull No. 174 in 2017, fixed it up, and sold it to the MudRatz sailing team in Connecticut. Now, he’s looking at buying another new one.

You get the point: Schwarting likes his Melges 24s and he doesn’t mind racing with an all- amateur crew in a pro-laden fleet. He’s also been in the class long enough to see the proliferation of pro teams shift to the current Corinthian makeup that driving the class’s resurgence.

“There’s been highs and lows,” says Schwarting. “A few years ago, we had 45 boats in St. Petersburg and then a few years trying to get eight boats, which was tough. It’s coming back because people realize the type of boat that it is. It’s a great boat that’s affordable and way more fun than other boats like it.”

Back in Naples, Schwarting has a special garage to keep the Florida sun off his Melges 24, and after the NOOD, the obsessive post-regatta process repeats itself: “I put a lift in backyard to wax and sand the bottom and get the covers on and off,” he says. “Wash it down, clean the sails and the inside of the boat. Plug in the humidifier and dry it out again.”

That’s a healthy obsession to detail.

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Pierrick Contin

What a great week of racing it has been. The wind has been 10 to 20 all week, and the ocean off Miami provides a spectacular arena for sailboat racing. The fleet was also really strong. In the end, Embarr, Conor Clarke’s Irish-flagged team put in a dominant performance, scoring top 3 in almost every race. American Olympian Stu McNay did a great job driving fast and getting good starts, and his partner in crime Dave Hughes proved he is one of the top tactician in the world. [Eds. Note: the crew also included Maurice O’Connell and Aoife English.]

After Embarr, a group of six other boats were fighting for the podium. Brian Porter, the 2013 world champion had great races and finished strong to finish third. The Italian team on Meredith sailed super consistently to eventually hold their second place. Bruce Ayers’ talent stacked Monsoon team was always right there and earned a well-deserved fourth. Tim Healy and his team also sailed very to end up sixth.

Our team consisted of Bora Gulari, Charlie Smythe, Norman Berge, young Kyle Nevin, and myself. Despite only sailing together two days before the event, we gelled together well and started to sail pretty well at the end. We won the first race today and we fought back from an average start in the last race to cross the line third, enough to easily secure second place overall — or so we thought.

At the finish, we discovered we were over early at the start, so that dropped us to fifth. We were disappointed to be sure, but we sailed pretty well. I guess it is not our time yet. We have been top five in the last four Melges 24 world championships, but put together the kind of week that brings a victory eventually. We’re already looking forward to next year.

Melges 24 Worlds Top-Five Results: 74 boats, 12 races, 1 discard 1. IRL829 Embarr – Conor Clarke/Stuart McNay 2. ITA822 Maidollis 3 – Gian Luca Perego/Carlo Fracassoli 3. USA849 Throttle – Brian Porter 4. USA851 Monsoon – Bruce Ayres 5. USA820 West Marine Rigging – Bora Gulari

Corinthian Overall Results: 37 boats, 12 races, 1 discard 1. ITA778 – Taki 4 – Marco Zammarchi 2. EST790 – Lenny – Tõnu Tõniste 3. USA805 – Megan Ratliff – Decorum – Megan Ratliff 4. AUS812 – ACCRU – G. Nixon / K. Nixon 5. NED827 . Team Kesbeke/SIKA/Gill – Ronald Veraar

Complete results here: 2016 Melges 24 World Championships, FINAL RESULTS

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Pierrick Contin

It turns out the Melges 24 is quite a physical boat.

After sailing for six days in a row (one more to go), I think everyone here is a little dinged up. I can see a lot of bruises similar to mine when I walk down the dock. My crew has been counting down the beats. It started at 24, now down to 4.

The hiking is a little brutal on the Melges 24, requiring you to bend over the lifeline and extend your upper body out. But while I may complain about the physical toll it is taking on my aging body, I also think having an athletic aspect to the game is really good. I think it is healthy that you can work harder, whether hiking upwind or working the boat downwind, and your physicality can make a big difference in the result.

Sailing is thought of as a cerebral sport, and that is true and a good thing, but it is also a real sport, certainly at the Melges 24 Worlds, and I’m happy about that, too, even if I have to go to physical therapy next week. We intend to leave it all on the race course on Saturday, physically and mentally. Maximum effort, here we go.

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Pierrick Contin

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I am getting to be on the older side when it comes to high-level racing. One of the things I love is to sail with younger people (which is pretty much everyone) but especially really younger people. At this regatta we have 14-year-old Kyle Navin sailing with our team. He comes from a sailing family in Wisconsin, but he has become an accomplished sailor himself. But sailing in a world championship with Bora Gulari is something else altogether!

Kyle is pretty chill, though. He does not act intimidated or scared, he’s just himself, and when I ask him about the wind or how we can improve our spinnaker drops, he’s ready with a good answer. Sure, he has a lot to learn. His mentor Buddy Melges, when he learned Kyle was sailing with us, suggested that he start a notebook with the things he learned each day.

But the funny thing is, us old guys learn from Kyle, too, and we feed off his enthusiasm and energy. I really think this is one of the keys to our sport; the cross-generational blending of experience and passion that benefits everyone. How many sports can say that? In what other sport can a top junior compete realistically for the world championship? I can’t think of any.   The first time I won the Melges 24 Worlds, in 2005, I had a similar scenario. We had a good team fronted by James Spithill, but our weights did not quite work out. So we asked the locals in Florida if there was a good junior who weighed about 90 pounds. We got an enthusiastic response that Mac Angese was our boy. And he turned out to be great. He has gone on to be a first class skiff sailor, and I’m sure you will read his name in the future. We also became good friends with his parents. After all, we had to coordinate to get his homework done after racing.   Well, Kyle is getting his homework done, too. He likes math and is very good at it. And I am pretty sure you will eventually be reading about him in this magazine, too. And I think I am a little bit younger by being around him as well.

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Miami 2016 Melges 24 World Championship

It happens to everyone. They say if you are not over early occasionally, you’re not getting close enough! So how do you recover from being behind at the start? Today we had to return to restart about 40 seconds after the start, and in a 74-boat fleet that makes for a tough challenge.

First off, try to maintain some semblance of rationality. If the left has been paying big all day, it is quite unlikely that the right will all of a sudden pay just because you are way behind.

Secondly, unless the wind is very shifty, you need to get to an edge. This is especially true in a big fleet, where the middle of the course can get quite chopped up, with less wind and more waves (and usually more bad air). This is even more true downwind, where the middle rarely pays in a big fleet. This does not mean you have to overstand, and obviously going to the correct corner is better than going to the wrong one.

Thirdly, don’t give up. It does not always happen, but sometimes it’s possible to engineer an amazing comeback and get back into the top group. Maintain hope, even from the depths of despair at the back of the fleet.

Finally, maintain a sense of humor and humility. You will sail around some boats you may not often see, so it’s an opportunity to make new friends! And there is always the next race…

Our comeback today did not go as well it could have. We went too much up the middle on the upwind legs, where the air was bad, the sea state was worse, and the passing lanes were few, but we did make some new friends.

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Pierrick Contin

The first day of a regatta is often the hardest. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, which often does not allow us to sail our best. It’s often said that you cannot win the regatta on the first day, but you can lose it. So I try to sail in a way that allows the team to find its footing and still be in a position to eventually win the regatta.

The start is often the time that Day 1 jitters show themselves. It’s important to stick to your preparation routine, and follow a disciplined approach to getting consistent if not brilliant starts. This often means avoiding the ends and the most crowded parts of the line, where the potential for disaster is highest. Pay close attention to the time and distance relationship and give yourself enough runway for a good acceleration.

Boatspeed is another important area. You do not need to be the fastest boat, and usually it’s unrealistic to expect to be. The most important thing is to learn from each day, and get faster for the rest of the regatta. So start out with your most familiar settings, but recognize that every day is different, especially the sea state. Don’t be afraid to talk to the boats that were faster at the end of the day, and understand how your setup or technique was different from theirs.

Boathandling is also a key to success, but it may not be 100 percent on Day 1. This means it is smart to avoid challenging moves or pushing it too far. Start a little bit conservative, and discuss with the crew after each race how to make small improvements. Then you can gradually ramp it up as your team’s skills and confidence improves.

Most importantly, relax and try to enjoy the day. You have probably worked hard and made sacrifices to get to the starting line. But don’t let your expectations get in the way of enjoying a nice day on the water with your friends.

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Lately, it’s seemed like the Melges 24 class, now over 20 years old, has been overshadowed by the sudden influx of new sport boat designs. While European events for the class continue to roll up big numbers, U.S. events have averaged only 30 to 40 boats, and even the last world championship, held in San Francisco in 2013, attracted a modest 65 boats. But, if preregistration numbers for the upcoming world championship in Miami this November are any indication, the class may be on the verge of a big uptick. As of late April, 120 boats were registered, with more than 75 of those from North America. “We’re hoping to break the record of 129 boats set in Garda four years ago,” says event organizer Petey Crawford. And it appears that may happen.

Why the resurgence of a boat designed over two decades ago, one that has been continually challenged by a large number of new and highly promoted sport-boat designs? There’s no single reason; rather, each one is part of a jigsaw puzzle that, when assembled, is the image of a class on the rise. Within that are lessons for any class striving to maintain or reclaim its place in the rapidly shifting one-design world. One piece was the selection of an optimal location. “Miami is more centrally located for U.S. sailors and easier to get to for the guys from Europe,” says Andy Burdick, President of Melges Performance Sailboats. Plus, as Steve Boho, U.S. Melges 24 Class Association President, points out, “There’s so much to do in Miami.” And the biggest draw? “Sailing these boats on the open ocean,” says Crawford.

Another piece is that the class has made a significant nod to grass-roots teams—Corinthian sailors—with two key rule changes, demonstrating the 24’s ability to adapt to the times. The first was shortening the stanchions, making hiking a little more comfortable. On the surface, that may not seem like a big deal, but according to Burdick, “That’s probably been the best and biggest change this class has seen.” However, don’t mistake that for “dumbing down” a really athletic boat. Boho claims that the lower stanchions have actually made the boat sail better. “The righting moment is even more aggressive with the lower stanchions,” he says. The second change occurred a few years ago when the weight limit was raised from 793 to 827 pounds. “That allowed the boat to be sailed a little more comfortably with five people,” says Roho. You can now sail with a quintet that averages 165 pounds each, making it easier to find crew and stay under the maximum weight limit. Have the changes worked? Crawford estimates that, of the first 110 boats registered for the worlds, around 75% are Corinthian teams.

Finally, the class leadership has put a lot of boots on the ground to promote this event. With Crawford as designated event organizer and a legion of people in leadership positions, they’ve made it clear the Miami worlds is a Haley’s Comet of sorts—an event no self-respecting Melges 24 sailor would want to miss. “There has been a lot of work behind the scenes by lots of people within the class,” says Boho. Finally, he also points to a couple of marquee events that give Melges 24 sailors a preview of what to expect at the worlds—the Miami Invitational and Melges Madness. “Those will give them a little taste of how awesome this boat is in those conditions.”

With the phrase “Catch the Wave in Miami” capturing the spirit of the event, Boho says “the whole idea is to getting the grass-roots folks in this country excited about it and getting them signed up.” With the level of interest generated so far, that wave will likely be a big one.

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In the open class, Bora Gulari’s New England Ropes/West Marine Rigging went into the final day of racing on Sunday tied with Brian Porter’s Full Throttle. In the first race of the day, Porter was able to roll over Gulari after the start, forcing Gulari to the unfavored right side of the course. Porter controlled the race from there and went on to win the championship title with a race to spare. In the Corinthian division (amateur), Kevin Nixon’s Accru+, posted a 17th place finish in the penultimate race. Ryan Glaze’s Gringo had an opportunity to steal the lead away in the final race, but Nixon and his crew were able to hold on to win.

Full Results Here

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