In our previous column in these pages, outlining the extensive refit project of my father and his boat partner’s 1990s-vintage Melges 30, we went in depth about the deck hardware and running rigging choices we made with the help of Harken and Marlow. The next and final phase involved slightly more sophisticated steps: the electronics and then the deck detailing, which brought the boat to its current status as one fine handicap race yacht.

We decided not to invest in the older instruments that came with the boat. It was an opportunity for new technology.  Not an inexpensive proposition but a necessary one. Our goal as a 30-foot sportboat is mainly local PHRF racing with some traveling in the future. As such, we wanted good instruments, but we didn’t need a TP52 set up. Matt Fries, the go-to at B&G and Navico instruments worked with us closely to help develop a system that provided the information we wanted without breaking the bank.

First, the hidden items. We chose the Triton Edge Sailing processor. This unit is small and light, but more importantly it quickly and accurately processes input from multiple components. And there are plenty of other components feeding into it and the ‘backbone’. One thing I like about these new systems is the NMEA 2000 connections. It makes it very easy to add components or change out parts.

First into the backbone is the knot meter. We chose the DST-810. This is a wired paddlewheel with depth built in. As we sail in shallow water often, we thought depth would be very helpful. It is a “triducer,” meaning it is a paddle wheel, depth sensor and temperature sensor all in one. It saves us another hole in the bottom of the boat.

Second is the wind. We opted for the WS710 Wind Sensor package. We chose a wired set up as I thought it would be less prone to issues on a rig that was rarely taken down. It’s on a vertical carbon wand to get the instrument above the upwash of the rig. Along with this package you need the WS700 Wired interface. This small box converts wind data coming down from the wand into NMEA2000 so it can be plugged into the backbone.

Third is the GPS. Just as I use on the J/70, the ZG100 GPS feeds all of our GPS info to the system. It also has a compass and can provide heel and trim. However, there is an upgraded compass that I also use on the J/70 and that brings us to the fourth item into the backbone. The Precision 9 Compass is more accurate and faster than the compass that is in the ZG100. We’ve mounted both of these low in the boat under the cockpit. We’ve also tried to keep them away from any metals or magnetic items.

Also plugged into the backbone are three displays. Down below we have a chart plotter. We needed something small and chose the Zeus 7 Chartplotter. With a 7-inch color display it does everything we need. I had some issues getting the charts to populate but Paul Wilson at B&G got me sorted and up and running.

Outside on the mast we chose two different displays. The first is an amazing bright display that will show just about anything in any color that we want. It is the Nemesis 9 Sailing Display. We’ve set it up with bigger numbers that are visible from the back of the boat. Boatspeed, heading, and true wind direction, along with true wind angle and heel is our current pick. But we can set up pages with various information that is easily toggled through. This display is so customizable, I can even set the displayed numbers to change colors if they get to a certain number. For example, I can set the heel number as green and have it turn red if the boat heels more than 24 degrees.

Underneath the Nemesis 9 display is the H5000 Graphic display. This has many functions as well. We can display navigational information, set the start timer, ping the start line ends, see distance to the line. We can display all wind information, cross track info, and a graphic display of true wind angles, apparent wind angles and see set and drift which is helpful on areas of current. I find this unit intuitive and easy to learn.

As is the case with all instruments, good input equals good output. In order to calibrate them we took the time to find a place with flat water and little to no wind or current. First is the compass swing, which consists of around a 400-degree turn, not exceeding 3.5 degrees per second. Second is the boatspeed calibration. We do multiple runs and fine tune the boatspeed to match the speed over ground from the GPS. We do this in two opposite directions to ensure that there is no current impacting the calibration. Once we are happy with the boatspeed we make sure that the compass offset is matching the Course over Ground. Often, the heading needs to be offset a few degrees to make up for small installation errors. Later, we had to go in and adjust the angle of the wind instrument for similar reasons. All in all, however, it’s a robust package with seemingly endless options and possibilities.

The next item I love is the soft deck. We use these on the cockpit floors of nearly every boat I sail. Maybe I am lucky to sail in warmer climates, but I sail the small boats like the J/70 barefoot when I can. For the Melges 30, Dan Kaseler and our friends at Raptor Deck up in the Pacific Northwest helped us out. As there was no template for a Melges 30 cockpit, we had to improvise. They sent us a mylar template from a Melges 32 and I was able to cut it and tape it back together in the pattern we desired. Raptor Deck then took the template and scanned it. Voila, they were able to cut us a beautiful soft deck that matched the nonskid color of the deck above it. And if that wasn’t helpful enough, I was able to make a template of our damaged keel plate under the hull and they were able to scan it and create a proper Delrin keel plate.

For our metal work, we are blessed to have Steve Harrison in San Diego. When in need of high-end custom metal work on a racing sailboat, Harrison is a friend indeed. We wanted to beef up the stern pulpits with more support connecting to the cockpit floor like the Melges 32s. Steve was able modify them so they feel very strong when you grab them our hike against them. We also added knees to the stanchions to keep them from bending and flexing.

My father and his boat partner, Robert Plant, have had a long relationship with the folks at Ullman Sails Newport Beach. Kenny Cooper who runs the plotter at the loft also sails with them regularly as the primary upwind trimmer so it made sense to get a couple of sails from Ullman. The boat came with a new running kite but the reaching kites needed to be replaced. We got a 1.5A for light air VMG sailing and a 3A for the windier reaching. In addition, we got a couple of staysails to help that random leg reach speed.

Another area with a lot of clever thinking was the outboard storage. Like many small raceboats, we have an outboard that needs to be stored below when not on the transom. We didn’t like the idea of cutting a hole on the cockpit floor and adding a hatch. The solution was to splice a Dyneema bridle around the engine so we could hook a halyard to it and pick the engine up off the stern. This system also makes it incredibly easy to lower the outboard into the interior. My father and his partner also built a trolley of sorts under the companionway that the outboard lays on. Recycling boat parts is a favorite pastime of my father, so the trolley consists of a pair of old Harken sheaves from an old IOR 50-footer. When stowing the outboard, the halyard is eased until the head of the engine rests in a mesh basket. The system works well and saves the crew from that back breaking agony of moving a 40-pound engine around down below.

After sailing the boat a half-dozen times, it was a relief to not experience any major issues. My father and Robert have really enjoyed getting back out on the water with their friends as well as being competitive. They have enjoyed the process of the rebuild, the creativity required to mess around and develop systems, and the friendship they’ve shared over the years. It certainly helps to have great friends in the industry. We were able to ask a lot of questions and gather ideas from all over. As it was a labor of love, there was no real timeline and time could be taken to “measure twice and cut once.” This is a pace I highly recommend to anyone embarking on an extensive refit. It can be tempting to rush a project in order to be ready for the next season, but it’s better to have it done right come race day than troubleshooting mistakes mid-season.

The icing on the cake was qualifying for and then winning our local 2025 Dana Point Harbor Championships. The boat performed great and all systems worked as designed. Proof again that the hard work is worth the rewards, and more importantly, that old raceboats can definitely enjoy a second life and we have a great industry with all the tools and solutions to make it happen one way or the other.

The post <i>Still Crazy</i>’s Sportboat Rehab: The Final Touches appeared first on Sailing World.

We all know how critical sail shape is to performance and that the sheet controlling said airfoil is matched to the job, whether it’s a zero-stretch, minimum-diameter PBO sheet on a mini-maxi blade, or a fuzzy polyester jib sheet that grips the drum on a big cruiser’s primary. What, then, of the handshake between the two?

Tying directly to the clew is the most basic — though not always lightest — method of attaching jib and spinnaker sheets, and these days, the humble knot still has the biggest cohort of followers overall—everything from Club 420s to beach cats to large cruising and race boats. But there are tradeoffs that come with simplicity. For instance, the simplest of sheet-to-clew connections is the luggage tag (or cow hitch) on a 1-to-1 jib sheet system. Simply take a length of line twice the length of your boat, double it up to find the middle, pass that loop through the clew cringle and then pass the standing ends through the loop.

The luggage tag is a low-profile connection; it doesn’t slip and is as short as any other option, which is more of a consideration in some classes than in others, allowing trim right up to jib cars, fairleads and redirect blocks, such as foot blocks, barber haulers, etc. When you need clearance and simplicity and never change a jib between dock out and haul out, the luggage tag might be perfect for your application. This knot, however, can be the 3M 5200 of knots when it truly sets, especially if it’s a soft polyester line in a high-load application (think J/24 genoa) or if the sheets live on the sail and go through a few wet/dry cycles. 

On the plus side, in cases where the luggage tag is ubiquitous, you’re only likely to need to remove the sheets when they are damaged and need replacing; in which case, what the heck, bust out the knife. In most cases, however, the sail and sheets age gracefully together in the bag and never need to be separated.

As one moves up to larger boats, the simplicity of a knot may still be desirable. It’s not uncommon to see bowlines or buntline hitches get the nod on everything up to masthead genoas on 70-footers — but those bring more considerations. First, tying a knot reduces the strength of a control line by as much as 50 percent, though headsail sheets are often overspecified to ensure maximum grip on winch drums, self-tailers and, of course, the trimmer’s hands.

Of greater concern is the size and bulk of the knot. On a typical 36-plus-foot crossover, a properly tied bowline with a tail, while simple to attach and easy to untie, will create quite a relatively sizeable wad of rope at the clew, likely to catch on everything between the fairleads — shrouds, lifelines, deck cleats, you name it. And, if you’re racing and have a crew crossing in front of the mast, a heavy bowline in 14mm sheets can also add the excitement of possible blunt force trauma to a bowman’s day. For all of these reasons, the simplicity of knots at the clew is generally not enough to earn them usage on larger race boats.

Race boats (and well-sorted cruisers) generally rely on three broad categories of sail connections: hardware, textile and hybrid systems. Hardware solutions come in many forms, from small ball-bearing blocks on the clew rings of 2-to-1 jibs, like those on Stars and Flying Scots, to large titanium T-rings, which are webbed into the clew of a sail and feature a central T-shaped post that an eye splice in the end of a jib sheet slips over.

On large racer/cruisers and grand-prix boats, trigger snap shackles are ubiquitous, especially on tacklines, sheets, guys and halyards on forward sails. Tylaska, Ronstan and Wichard make stainless and titanium versions of these versatile workhorses, popular because they are reliable, very strong, won’t flog open, and can be spiked open under load.

Also available are small, cone-shaped fids (sometimes referred to as ‘Martin Breakers’) that allow the option of remotely releasing the trigger on these shackles, often the tack shackle coming into an asymmetric spinnaker drop.

Two caveats with snap shackles of any type are weight and the potential damage they can cause when the sail flogs—anything they can reach can potentially be dented or otherwise damaged, leading to a cottage industry among marine canvas fabricators of padded mast base protectors, neoprene shackle boots and similar.

Another popular option to consider for jib sheet, main halyard and outhaul connections are Tylaska’s J-Lock shackles. Their low-profile design fits through most genoa lead cars, simplifying leading changing sheets, and also makes them a little less likely to ding up your pride and joy. They are super strong, easy to operate and have a plunger system that makes the possibility of them flogging open remote.

With the increasing prevalence of low-diameter, high-strength single-braid lines, (HMPEs like Dyneema specifically), soft textile connections are having a day. Distinct from tying knots directly to the sail, textile connections are spliced systems designed to capitalize on the strength of these high-modulus fibers as well as their lightweight, non-water absorbing characteristics, while addressing the shortcomings of tying a knot—difficult reversibility, bulk, strength loss, etc. Soft, light connections that take advantage of Dyneema’s natural slippery texture are a no-brainer for connecting sheets to asymmetric spinnakers, adding lubricity as they drag along the shrouds during a jibe.

Much of the prevalence of textile rigging solutions can be traced to the viral popularity of the soft shackle. Made from as little as 18 inches of single-braid HMPE, a soft shackle is, in essence, a sliding loop buried back inside itself with a stopper knot at the other end. Using the “finger trap” characteristics of single-braid rope, the loop is opened, slid around the stopper knot, and milked smooth, creating an incredibly strong loop that can be used for everything from hanging water bottles below to armored vehicle recovery (the overland and 4×4 market for soft shackles dwarfs their marine use).

Years ago, several videos showing step-by-step how to make soft shackles appeared online and had the effect of demystifying working with high-tech rope, and really got the average Wednesday night warrior thinking about ways to use the light, strong fiber all over their boats. Soft shackles have become so ubiquitous that every rigger has their own spin on them — some are covered with 48-plait Dyneema chafe sleeve, some use ‘ripcords’ to make the loop easier to open, some use unidirectional (unbraided) fiber…the customizations and variations are seemingly endless.

As boats get larger, ‘softies’ have their place. Oftentimes, they’ll be spliced into a reeving eye of a single jib sheet, and the two sheets are then soft shackled to the clew of the sail, allowing the lazy sheet to be moved independently.

They are also handy and light for connecting snatch blocks and other deck hardware, as evidenced by the number of block manufacturers – Nautos, Antal, Harken, Ronstan, etc. – that make a lash-on version of their gear.

Another simple method of connecting spin sheets to asymmetric kites is to put 1-inch eyes in the stripped end of each sheet. Then, pass the tail of a ‘pigtail’ (a 20-inch or so length of single-braid Dyneema with a 1-inch eye in one end), through the eyes in the spin sheet ends and then back through the eye in its own other end, leaving you with the two sheet ends lashed together and a single 20-inch, small diameter tail that then gets tied with a bowline to the clew of the sail. The pigtail is small and slick, allowing it to drag around the rig easily, and the sheets can be swapped to a new kite with only one knot to untie. The downsides of using Dyneema single-braids to attach sails are few. 

To be sure, a soft shackle takes more time to open and to attach than a trigger shackle (and gets progressively more difficult as they age), and the hundreds of small denier fibers that make up each plait of the rope are susceptible to chafe. That said, the many advantages of Dyneema connections – UV stability, zero water absorption, extremely light weight and low stretch. With the myriad variations available, there are solutions that address the threats (chafe sleeve, PU coatings, etc.) and should make soft connections a serious consideration.

A final category is what I would describe as ‘hybrid’ connectors – pieces of hardware that rely on a combination of textile rope and a bit of hardware. Companies such as Antal, Ropeye, Equiplite, Nodus, Wichard, Tylaska and Harken, to name a few, all make trick little anodized bits that take the best of both worlds and use them in creative ways. Oftentimes these solutions can be as simple as an anodized ‘dog bone’ – a short, often conical bar tapered towards the center that can be used as a ‘button’ in place of a stopper knot on a soft loop attachment.

Spool shackles are a similar idea – a spliced eye in the end of the sheet passes through the spool, then through the clew of the sail, and then back around the ends of the spool. A soft rubber O-ring slides down to add an element of security when not under load.

At the far end of the simplicity spectrum are high-load shackles that utilize milled spools in conjunction with covered, braided or unidirectional-HMPE fibers, pre-stretched and heat set, often with a Velcro belt to hold everything in place when not under load. Also popular with commercial rigging operations, units like those manufactured by Equiplite are advertised with strengths up to 3,000 tons. For your 36-footer, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for one and to then be amazed at how simple, light and strong they are.

At the end of the day, there are an almost infinite number of ways to connect sheets to sails, and every situation has nuances and considerations. What type of boat? Sail? Are you racing or cruising? Is there a chance that you will change sails? If you’re racing, find the good guys in your class and see what they are using and ask them why. If you’re a DIYer, consider getting a set of fids and watching a few YouTube videos about making softies. That will get your mind spinning on the possibilities that exist, and on finding a solution that matches your budget, ambition and needs. Now go get connected.

The post Knots Work, But These Connections are Better appeared first on Sailing World.

For years now, Zhik’s pull-over, side-zip PFD has been one of the gold standards in high-performance dinghy flotation devices. Close-fitting, lightweight and virtually nothing that might snag a mainsheet passing overhead in a tack or jibe, it’s been tough to beat. The 2025 version of their time-tested model, called the Performance Racer Cut, while not vastly different, does have some cool updates that might push those thinking of updating their somewhat ragged original (like my 2011 model) to a 2025 model.        

As in the past, Zhik offers two versions, 70 Newtons and 50 Newtons, which are indicators of the buoyancy level.  The higher the number, the more buoyancy. The 70 is labelled USCG approved, while the 50 is a buoyancy aid. It’s worth noting that as of June 5, 2025, the USCG updated their recommendations to reflect the conditions in which a PFD should be worn rather than just the weight of the user. Considerations now included are the boater’s skill level, environment, and expected rescue time. Sounds like they’re coming around to recognizing the 50 as a viable PFD.  We’ll see. 

High-Performance PFD

We got a chance to check out both, and the only perceivable difference between them is that the foam in the 70 is a bit thicker than the 50, which you’d expect. No issue, you might say?  Well, not quite. We found the 70 had a noticeably tighter fit. So, depending on how loosely your old 50 fit, you might want to try a 70 before buying to be sure you end up with a size that’s comfortable. The foam on the 70, most noticeably in the front, is shaped to fit the contours of your body, which makes the PFD feel even more form-fitting. 

Like the original, the PFD is a pull-over with a side zip and Velcro tab to keep the zipper from accidentally coming undone. Over that, a buckle connected to a strap runs around the lower perimeter of the PFD, allowing you to snug up the bottom of the jacket to your preference. One of the biggest issues with PFDs, once in the water, is that they can tend to ride up, and you end up with them around your ears. Not so here. In addition to the strap, Zhik has a wide, non-slip rubber-like grip band inside and adjacent to the strap that does a great job of preventing ride-up. The shoulder straps are soft and comfortable, and there’s even a loop on the left-hand strap for attaching a radio–especially useful for coaches or sailing instructors. In front is an envelope pocket with drainage holes and a stretch, neoprene like front, allowing you to carry slightly bulkier items, if necessary.  Our only ding is that it would be nice if there was a loop of some sort inside to which you might connect a whistle lanyard.  

No doubt, racers will love the fit and compact style of the High-Performance PFD. It’s got all the best features of early versions and more. Available in grey or black.  $139.99

Active PFD 

Like the High-Performance PFD, Zhik’s Active model comes in 50 and 70 Newton versions. And like its more expensive sibling, it includes a waist belt, interior grip band, soft shoulder straps and overall low-profile construction.  But there the similarities end. Perhaps for a lot of sailors, in a good way. For starters, this jacket is really easy to put on and take off. If you’ve struggled with pulling a life jacket over your head on the water and then trying to connect a side zipper that you can’t quite see, this is a great alternative. The essential parts of the Active model, the belt and grip band, are identical to the High-Performance Model, so it’s going to stay in place if you end up in the water. The belt buckles front center, right over the zipper. Talk about easy. 

Fit does not seem quite as critical here. While we felt the 70 High Performance seemed overly snug compared to the 50, the Active 70 fit quite well right out of the box. There’s a vertical side pocket on the front right, held closed with two strips of Velcro.  There’s no stretch material in the pocket, so what you can carry there is pretty limited. Inside is an elastic loop that you might use for attaching a lanyard and whistle. 

While it doesn’t have quite the cache of the High-Performance PFD, don’t count out the Active PFD.  All the key features, a slightly lower price. Available in black, lime and red.  $109.99

Kollition Helmet

We first looked at helmets in 2016, and at the time their use was starting to build momentum among sailors. After all, in what other sport do we have an aluminum or carbon tube swinging rapidly over our heads, often with minimal clearance, with our only protection usually a baseball hat? Today, you’ll find helmets being worn across the board. On foilers and other high-speed boats, they’re standard kit. All the cool kids are wearing them.

Zhik was among the forerunners to start making helmets for sailors. Their latest model, the Kollition, is CE EN1385 certified, which means it’s specifically designed for water sports. CE means it’s been certified by European safety standards, while the EN 1385 indicates a standard for whitewater helmets. 

When you first pick it up, you’re likely to notice just how little this helmet weighs. It’s lighter than my Specialized biking helmet, although in fairness, the latter also has an extra layer of protection through Mips technology. The profile is nice and low, which is great because when we first checked out helmets almost a decade ago, we discovered we had to duck just a touch more during jibes and tacks when wearing a helmet, since the helmet was thicker than a ball cap. The Kollition’s lower profile makes that less of an issue. We also really liked the quick-adjust cradle. The knob is in the usual place at the back of the helmet.  A quick turn or two and the helmet fit perfectly.  The padded chin strap is also adjustable. 

There are lots of vents–in this case six on top and another eight along the sides. No risk of getting overheated here. The plethora of vents also makes it easier if you want to tape over the vents on the top of the helmet, an important consideration for those of us who are prone to sunburn on the tops of our heads. It’s also cut up over the ears so as not to restrict hearing, but rather than going straight back, as biking helmets usually do, coverage extends a bit down on the back of the head for more protection. Finally, the helmet has a large section of high-visibility yellow, a great safety feature if you end up in the water and someone’s trying to find you. 

There’s really nothing to dislike about this helmet. At first, we figured a small built-in visor would be nice, but we get that it could possibly snag lines. If you really want that type of shade, a visor will usually work, and it’s usually flexible enough to prevent snagging.  Available in small, medium and large.  $114.99

The post Hot Gear Alert: New Zhik PFDs and Helmet appeared first on Sailing World.

If you’re looking for professional rigger Carl Merrill, poke your head into one of his several 40-foot metal shipping containers bearing the distinctive cross-stich logo of his company, Kingspoke. If Merrill or any of his fellow riggers aren’t at their workbenches fiddling with a high-tech splice or mocking up a complicated purchase system, check the local shipyards of Rhode Island’s Aquidneck Island. Chances are, wherever there’s a grand-prix machine on the dock or on the hard, you’ll likely find it getting the Kingspoke royal treatment.

In the context of US grand-prix yacht racing, the island—and Newport, in particular—is the Tigris-Euphrates valley. The city hosted the America’s Cup for 53 years and, on any given weeknight on Narragansett Bay, you might see classic 12-Metres engaged in a tacking duel under the iconic Pell Bridge, a group of TP52s training with coach boats nipping at their transoms, or two dozen Shields chasing each other around the cans, with Moths or wing-foilers darting about throughout the action. The island is also home to high-tech composite boatbuilders, speed shops, sail lofts and, of course, some of the best technical rigging shops in the US. It should therefore come as no surprise that when Merrill discretely hung Kingspoke’s shingle out in 2017 there was little to zero fanfare. That’s how Merrill rolls. 

A native of Lubec, Maine, the state’s easternmost town (and home to Quoddy Head, the easternmost point in the contiguous United States), Merrill started doing “a bit” of sailing at around age 10. When his family moved to Wakefield, Rhode Island, a few years later, he began racing, and continued at the University of Rhode Island, where he studied ocean engineering. His chosen field of study seemed to scratch an itch.

“I liked doing the engineering problem-solving, you know, putting stuff together,” he says. “That’s what drew me to ocean engineering—we got to make an autonomous submarine sophomore year, although there wasn’t a whole lot of hands-on work after that.”

He quickly realized that post-collegiate careers in his field were of the office type, and he “wasn’t super keen on that.”

With Rhode Island being the land of opportunity for aspiring pro sailors, Merrill promptly found his gigs, running various big-boat programs, including Glenn Darden’s Swan 42 and J/70, both called Hoss. His daily exposure to the fiddly problem-solving nature of high-tech race-boat rigging proved an excellent match for his engineer’s brain, which then led to him joining the grand-prix specialists at the established Gorilla Rigging, where he spent six years as shop manager.

Gorilla’s techie approach to many of the tip-of-the-spear yacht-rigging challenges was right up Merrill’s alley. After a successful stint here, Merrill sought a change of pace and committed to more program-focused freelance rigging, both textile and through bespoke hardware and systems—the work they produced at Gorilla during his tenure has its fingerprints all over Kingspoke today. His customer-facing approach ensured a steady stream of repeat and word-of-mouth new business, and the travel lifestyle suited his wanderlust. Before too long, however, he and his wife, Kristen, welcomed their first child, and his thoughts turned to settling down and starting his own shop. A bold move in a crowded specialist scene.

He pared his core business to a few key clients: the Volvo 70 Wizard, the IRC52 Spookie, and Darden’s Hoss stable. The work was plenty to keep him busy, but by design not enough to dilute the service he brought to each program. He was building Kingspoke’s reputation from a small workshop until he got lured away one last time, signing on with the US SailGP’s shore team. If Merrill needed a reminder to stay at home and mind the shop, it arrived just after the false start to SailGP Season 2, which kicked off in Sydney, Australia, and was then quickly postponed when COVID-19 shut down the world.

The version of Kingspoke we see today took shape during this period as the shop became known as a reliable local source for its textile rigging, but also for its penchant for solving challenges using custom hardware. Merrill credits Spookie owner Steve Benjamin with providing him a platform for pushing boundaries as well as encouraging him to think outside the box.

“What was nice about the Spookie was that Benj was always into anything kind of crazy or radical, and from that standpoint was always super supportive, so we were able to experiment with a lot of stuff,” Merrill says. 

An example that emerged from the Spookie laboratory is Kingspoke’s proprietary RLR Carbon Reeler.

“When we took delivery of the 52, none of the control lines had reelers,” Merrill says. “I thought, I can come up with something for that.”

The solution is an underdeck take-up reel that organizes control line and halyard tails below deck. The innovative bit is the use of a clutch mechanism that works in a similar fashion to a spring-loaded window shade—when you give a line a tug, it engages the take-up clutch and the spool spins, retracting the loose tail. Being carbon, they weigh next to nothing, and the mechanism is self-powered. The net effect is one less crew off the rail when you come around the leeward mark on two wheels—a compelling metric. The RLR has become ubiquitous on various 52 circuits, as well as on other larger grand-prix yachts.  

More importantly, the RLR has served to burnish Kingspoke’s reputation as a solutions provider, whether that solution is textile, carbon and epoxy components or machined hardware. One obvious trait of the rigging shop’s handiwork, regardless of the medium, is the elegant simplicity. Take, for example, a continuous control system with shock cord take-up, or a titanium PAC52 headstay strop through-deck fitting. Merrill’s instinct is to approach problems from the perspective of an engineer, and this results in systems and original designs that seem clever, innovative, and deceptively simple.

It’s a difficult concept to put into words, but consider the company’s logo, three crossed stitches—about as simple as you can get—but it’s a logo that can be whipped into the tail of sheets, halyards, and control lines. Having struggled firsthand with the simultaneous importance and difficulty of marking rope for traceability in the field (and having experimented with labels and clear heat-shrink, RFID chips and readers, and various other complex methods), the three quick whipstitches are, to my eye, well, elegantly simple.

I’ve heard it said that the best engineers are inherently lazy, which is not literally true, of course, but it speaks to the idea of thinking enough about a problem to solve it but not overthinking it and burdening the solution with unnecessary elements or complexity. This seems to be an unspoken ethos of Kingspoke, and it comes across in their work, their branding and their slick social media feed, which relies heavily on the photography of marketing and sales manager Sammy Hodges.

“The social media component is certainly something that we’re widely known for within the sailing community, and we’ve definitely made a conscious decision to present the work in a professional way and to try to educate; it’s kind of the same reason people come to us for these custom hardware jobs,” Merrill says. “We have the opportunity to literally show the end user what goes into the process of choosing specific materials, sizes, color coding…all the details they might not consider until they see it visually.”

Aside from its social feed, Kingspoke’s marketing efforts are minimal, focusing instead on supporting top sailors, including Riley Gibbs, Bora Gulari and Anthony Kotoun. Word-of-mouth brings new business to the shop, but Merrill and his team are conscious of not getting over their skis or sacrificing service.

“Developing strong ties with our customers and their rigging projects lead to long lasting relationships,” Merrill says. “Customer retention for us comes down to service first, and also the willingness to take on random hardware passion projects, and to just being a trusted resource.”

Today, Merrill and his staff of around five work their magic from a warren of shipping containers, a setup that seems to suit their style, which eschews grandiose plans for industry domination in favor of thoughtful growth.

“It allows us to do what we want, when we want, and react to opportunities as they arise,” Merrill says. “I always liked the modularity of the containers from an architectural standpoint, and we enjoy building them out on our own.”

Such flexibility is freedom as well. Instead of moving into a giant space and hoping that “if we build it, they will come,” Merrill’s approach is more along the lines of “if they come, we’ll add a container.”

“We focus on having our book of customers and keeping them happy,” he says. “Growth comes from being able to expand what we offer them, whether it’s load cells or soft shackles, or by distributing blocks or furlers. When we can offer more products and become more of a one-stop shop, we grow organically. That’s the goal.”

The post Meet The Riggers Crafting Magic appeared first on Sailing World.

Once in a while a great piece of sailing kit comes along that you can use off the water just as easily as on it.  Zhik’s All-Weather Coat is such an item. Think sitting on deck on a cool spring or autumn day. Or standing night watch in an overnight race. Or, maybe just re-splicing and rigging your control systems on a cold off-season afternoon. It’s versatile and there’s no official temperature rating, but I’m guessing this coat really comes into its own at temps from the low 30s–maybe even a touch lower–and up, not accounting for wind chill.

The first thing you’ll notice when you pick it up is how soft the face of the outer fabric is. Clearly quality stuff. Zhik advertises the outer layer as “highly waterproof and breathable.” I think that means it will be great in fog, mist, perhaps a light sprinkle, but if it really starts coming down or waves are crashing across the foredeck you’ll want to break out the real stuff to stay dry. 

The inner layer has polyester insulation, which is not removable, but I’m not sure why you’d want to remove it anyway, so no problem there. It’s three-quarter length, so if sitting, you’re insulated from a cold deck or dinghy seat. The jacket zips well around your neck, with soft fabric against your skin, so when conditions call for it, you’re comfortably tucked in.

An oversized, insulated hood provides further protection from the elements, and there’s plenty of room for a beanie. It can also be cinched to fit more snugly around your head. Two fleece-lined side zip pockets will keep your hands warm as well as providing storage. An inside pocket has enough room for a cell phone and then some. 

One cool detail is found at the cuffs. There’s a velcro closure on the outer shell, such as you’d find on most quality foul weather gear but not necessarily on generic outerwear, and an inner stretch cuff, as on more traditional outerwear. I found this comfortable and great for keeping out moisture as well as cold rushes up the sleeve. The front zipper is conveniently two-way, and there’s a hook on the lower right-hand side–a perfect attachment point for an outboard kill switch cord the next time you’re running a dinghy or out in a coach or small race committee boat. $299.

The post A Coat That Kills the Chill appeared first on Sailing World.

Before we tackle the hardware phase of the Still 2 Crazy project, let’s rewind for a moment to its beginnings. My father, Jon Shampain, and his boat partner, Robert Plant—with my help—purchased and started a full rehab of a vintage 1996 Melges 30, a sportboat that had runners, an articulating bowsprit, and overlapping genoas. Dad and Plant started by stripping the boat completely, even removing the chainplates. Then every hole was filled, and delamination in the gelcoat was ground away, filled, and faired. Because the boat is now almost three decades old, we added knees under the stanchions and ribs under the genoa lead system to prevent the deck from flexing. We also added laminate under areas where we knew there would be high loads, such as under padeyes and runner-­block attachments. We added winches for the runners, so we also added pads and backing plates for the new winch locations.

The runners were a good place to start. Originally, the boat had a purchase system that led belowdecks. While it was lightweight, it also was complicated, with many ­moving parts, and it allowed water to get inside the boat. So we opted for a 2-to-1 above-deck system that leads to a pair of Harken 35.2ST Performa winches, which are powerful yet smaller self-tailing two-speed winches. This should give us good control of the mast when tacking and jibing in a big breeze.

Using Harken’s online resources, I printed and built a scaled-to-size mock-up of the winch and positioned it where we wanted it on the boat, to verify that the line would reach the winch without affecting other systems. Incorporated in the system is a series of the 57 mm Black Magic blocks, which are the perfect size and strength to handle the runner loads on this 30-foot fractionally rigged sportboat. At the top, we have the purpose-built 57 mm runner block, which is designed for runners. At the stern, we have the standard 57 mm Black Magic blocks attached to the boat with Dyneema loops. In the cockpit, the 57 mm Black Magic foot blocks direct the runner to the winches.

The mainsheet system got a makeover as well. The original fine-tune adjustment ran through a purchase belowdecks. And while it was clean, like the runner system, it let water down below. I exchanged that for a standard system, similar to what you’d find on a Melges 32—a 6-to-1 with a cam base behind the traveler and a 4-to-1 fine-tune on a low-profile base in front of the traveler. We use 57 mm soft-attachment Carbo blocks on the boom and a double Carbo block on the traveler car. The fine-tune uses 40 mm Carbo fiddle blocks. For the mainsheet and fine-tune cleats, I spec’d the Harken fast-release fairlead. I find that it is easier to cleat and uncleat, and it has less friction on the big eases. The traveler itself has a 3-to-1 using a combination of 40 mm and 29 mm Harken Carbo blocks.  

We had some fun with the genoa car ­system. The boat was designed with tracks for the genoa and separate tracks for a jib, along with all of the purchase systems needed for the cars. It was all pretty old, and it was looking as if we were going to have to replace all of the tracks and cars. Instead, we designed a floating lead system that is light, cost-effective and simple. Under the location of the genoa and jib hardware, we mounted Harken’s 12 mm bolt-down ­fairleads to the deck. Then we spliced in a 2-to-1 Dyneema strop to Harken’s floating-­jib lead rings. These were spliced to a 3-to-1 purchase led to a cleat near the genoa winch. The strops for the No. 1 genoa and No. 3 jib are spliced together so that one line adjusts everything. Last, we added the Harken Grand Prix jib lead eye in front of the winch to prevent overrides. Voilà! Floating leads that are simple, easy on the pocketbook, and still have the 6-to-1 purchase for easy adjustments. The genoa lead cleats have Harken’s extreme-angle fairleads, which align the rope and allow us to cleat and uncleat them from the weather rail.

While on the genoa system, I was unsure how I wanted to set up the outboard leads. While I try to avoid adding stainless parts to a sportboat because every ounce matters, there is a time and a place for everything, and once again, Harken had something special. In the locations we thought that the outboard leads should go, we mounted 56 mm fixed padeyes (Harken 2759) with two bolts. Folding padeyes are great and Harken’s new Gizmos are great, but I really wanted to get the eyes as far outboard as I could, and that meant fastening them to the curved radius of the deck/hull joint. A two-fastener fixed eye let me mount them inline on the rail on a curved surface. They have a round eye built in and are very strong. I can attach a block to them, I can run a sheet through them, or I can clip a shackle or carabiner to them. And with working loads around 2,500 pounds, weighing just 1.3 ounces each and costing less than $20 apiece, with these I could do no wrong.

I’ve long felt a need for a high-load block similar to the 57 mm Black Magic block but one that was a little smaller. Harken’s new Fly blocks are amazing but too small for what I had in mind. As if to answer my prayers, Harken designed a new 45 mm Black Magic loop block—exactly what I wanted for the aft spinnaker blocks. They easily take the load, run smoothly, and are very light. In front of them are 75 mm Harken Carbo ratchet blocks. In light air, we can trim without a winch; in heavy air, we can turn the ratchets off and trim on the winches.

Another area that got a full makeover was the articulating-bowsprit purchases. There is a pole extender, a pole retractor, a pole-pull to starboard, and a pole-pull to port—each with its own purchase system belowdecks. Originally, they were led through the back of the companionway or the side of the cockpit. These were places where plenty of water could egress. My father came up with the idea to lead it all to cleats inside the companionway but facing outward to where the pit person would ­naturally be in maneuvers.

But because it wasn’t my idea to begin with it, I didn’t like it. But he got his way, and I admit that it works extremely well. Just inside the companionway are two standard cam cleats angled out to the cockpit with, you guessed it, extreme-angle fairleads on them. It really makes cleating, uncleating, and lining up the rope with the cleat a breeze. The pole-out incorporates a pair of medium-size Harken wire blocks. These are very strong and good when using small, uncovered Dyneema lines.

A 2-to-1 purchase is plenty for this function. As it is with the pole in, we did a 2-to-1 after trying a 1-to-1. There was some binding in the pole system, and the 2-to-1 seemed to alleviate that. Because less strength is needed for this function, we were able to use lighter Harken Carbo blocks. Because the articulation controls load up a fair amount more, we designed an 8-to-1 system using Harken Carbo blocks at the back end and high-load wire blocks at the front.

The boat came with an older code zero, and I was eager to get it on a furler because furling these sails makes setting, dousing, and use in general so much easier. Our previous Still Crazy had a great Harken unit, so I was confident that it was the way to go for us. The Harken Reflex Unit 1 furler with the top-down furling option and Harken’s 10 mm Torsion Cable was an easy choice. I am a fan of the interchangeable bottom pieces, so you can have one lower drum and multiple spinnakers with torsion cables ready to go. Clip in and clip out for easy storage or sail changes. In addition, we installed a retractable bobstay to help us maintain luff tension when sailing with the code zero. 

The Lineage Report

As a part-time rigger, I enjoy finding different ropes and exploring applications for them all. I worked with Marlow on this project. Let’s start with one of my favorite ropes and one of my go-to products for J/70 rigging: Marlow’s D12 MAX cores. This core is available in SK78 and SK99. It is strong and has nearly zero stretch. This is a key ingredient for jib halyards, main halyards, control pennants, backstays and runners. It’s also important in spinnaker halyards and tack lines, especially on boats with code zeros, where maintaining luff tension is essential. We used a lot of it on this project, and it’s performing as expected. Because it’s strong and also easy to splice, we were able to use 6 mm on the primary runner and 3 mm on the checkstays and topmast runners.

For spinnaker and genoa halyards, we chose their MGP Tech 50 covers with the D12 Max core. The MGP Tech cover is a Technora-based cover that is very grippy in the clutches and on the winch while providing good durability and chafe resistance. In fact, it’s so good in the hands and with chafe resistance that we also used it for the genoa sheets. For spinnaker halyards, we chose small Tylaska shackles and added Marlow’s chafe sleeve to reduce chafe when the halyards pull off center at the top. We are trying Tylaska’s spool shackles on the jib halyards. They are working well, albeit I need to lengthen the splices to accommodate the press rings in some of the older sails

For the runner tails on these fractional boats, heat resistance is key because the rope heats up under so much load when eased. For this reason, we went with Marlow’s MGP P Tech 50. While similar to the rope described above, the P tech has PBO woven in to help with the heat resistance. Of course, because overall stretch is a concern, D12 Max is in the core. To keep the weight down, we spliced a lightweight tail into it where it will never be loaded. We used Excel R8 for a clean and finished look that matched the runner tail itself.

For the spinnaker sheets, I wanted an all-purpose set and a light-air set. For the AP set, Marlow suggested the same cover as the genoa sheets and halyards: MGP Tech 50 but with a low-stretch softer core, such as D12 78. It sounded like a great idea and has proved itself well. For the light-air sheets, we went with another recommendation from Marlow: Excel HPR 6.5. It’s lightweight, strong, and easy to grip.

MGP Furler 50 is excellent for the code zero furling lines. It provides good grip in the furling unit and is easy to splice in a continuous loop. We added a small detachable block on a bungee with a clip so that the unloaded end stays tensioned. This keeps the continuous furling drum from ­back-spinning as you furl.

Tack lines live in clutches and are not adjusted much, so we thought we could use a simple cover over the D12 Max. MGP Racing fit the bill, with a simple polyester cover that is cost-effective but still works well in the hands and clutches. 

We used plenty of Excel Racing for ­control lines as well. It is a Dyneema-cored polyester-covered line that’s great for jib leads, vang, cunningham, outhaul, traveler, etc. It comes in many sizes and colors.

The post A Melges 30 Redo: Deck and Rigging Upgrades appeared first on Sailing World.

The tidy Vakaros RaceSense platform is gaining wider usage across many one-design classes and is universally lauded by the sailors. As a race officer with the New York YC, I and many others, have been working with engineers at Velocitek for several seasons to develop a similar system. The platform has gone from using the same L1-L5 GPS technology used in RaceSense to now using Real Time Kinematics technology. This, we’re certain, gives us next-level starting accuracy.

Real Time Kinematics is essentially a GPS standard that achieves accuracy through using differential positioning. This requires the use of two separate receivers, a base station and a “rover” to correct errors in real time. The base station is set up in a relatively stable (onshore) environment within 12 km of the race area. This unit continuously receives signals from GPS satellites and compares the calculated position based on those signals to the known position of the unit. This allows the unit to detect satellite signal errors that affect GPS accuracy, calculate the corrections, and then transmit them to the rover receivers on the racing boats and the receivers mounted to the race-committee assets. The rover units then apply these corrections to their own GPS data, bringing overall accuracy of the RTK system down to 1.8 cm (max). The distinction between 1.8 cm accuracy and 1-meter accuracy is the difference between being able to use the tech for protest arbitration and for hearings, and it also allows for extremely accurate tracking and replays—data that can really help to level a one-design fleet and get newcomers up to speed quickly.

The RTK platform was used for the club’s recent Resolute Cup, as well as all of its Sonar and IC37 class races in 2024, and race officers were confident of its accuracy for OCS calls. With such precision, all the standard starting shenanigans—general recalls, jailbreaks when the line spotter’s view is obstructed, and hiding in the middle of an OCS clump—went away. The result was saving an average of one race every 1.5 sailing days—surely one of the most compelling data points to come out of the project.  

In the recent past, having run hundreds of start sequences and more than a full season’s worth of practice sessions and regattas with the L1-L5 standard, patterns emerged relating to error frequency and the inevitability of compound GPS errors causing inaccurate results. The accuracy of an L1-L5 GPS signal gives it 1-meter precision, meaning the signal can accurately place the transponder on your boat within a 2-meter circle, so the 1-meter potential error can be in front of the transponder or behind the transponder. Keep in mind that there’s another transponder on the pin with the same error distribution, increasing the error range to 2 meters. This, of course, also applies to the boat-end transponder.

Through usage, we quickly learned that the PRO had to retain the authority to override any obvious GPS errors at the start. Using L1-L5, we would get the OCS report at 0:00, confirm bow numbers verbally with the PRO, and hit a button on the phone or tablet to confirm, sending the OCS notifications to the offenders. It took only a couple of seconds and was almost always complete before the VHF courtesy hail was transmitted. With RTK, we are now confidently “full auto,” allowing the system to make the OCS calls and immediately notify boats when they are over and when they are clear.

Our rules adviser and staff sailing director were involved with the integration of the system into our race documents to ensure compliance with the Racing Rules of Sailing. Preferring to err on the conservative side until we moved to RTK accuracy, we made it clear to competitors that “OCS calls will be based upon visual observation of the Race Committee” and added reference to the Velocitek system in the section where we discuss the RC’s intention to hail OCS boats over VHF. We also stipulated that failure to do so isn’t grounds for redress. All other trappings of a Rule 26 start remain unchanged: flags (including X-ray), sounds and courtesy VHF announcements.

As you can imagine, we fielded numerous “you called me over, but the box said I was good” comments in the early days, but we accepted and were open and transparent about the system shortcomings as it developed. It often felt as if we were building an airplane as we taxied down the runway, but having the IC37 Class sailors involved in every step of the process made it a rewarding project for all as the system evolved.

For 2024, we’re advancing to RTK accuracy. We’re certain at this point that it’s the right solution for starting sailboat races, and the industry agrees. Vakaros recently announced that its HALO (High Accuracy Location and Orientation) RTK device is on the horizon, so exciting things are on the way with RTK. The units will get smaller and sleeker—the size of a hockey puck—and will integrate into a boat’s NMEA 2000 bus, eliminating the need to charge the transponders at night and allowing starting data to be displayed on an existing display, with no need for an additional screen at the mast.

For smaller boats or boats that don’t allow pinging, we’ll begin to see screenless units that rely on lights or sound for OCS notification, and integration with smartwatches where class rules allow. There will be a push for integration with various handicap systems, with a goal of being able to see a boat’s current corrected position in the fleet during the race and having the system generate ­provisional results as the last boat crosses the finish line. 

Next on the to-do list is for RTK starting technology to become open source, with the development of a standardized system that will allow sailors to use the hardware of their choice to display the data. It would behoove us all as sailors for there to be one network that is compatible with all devices.

The post Accuracy is the Aim With This Wireless Race System appeared first on Sailing World.

For 20 years now, Zhik has maintained its reputation as the go-to supplier of hiking boots and hiking straps for multiple one-designs, but especially the ILCA dinghy. Study photos and footage of any recent Olympic Games, and chances are you’ll see ILCA competitors using Zhik’s boots and hiking straps. In fact, they were used by gold medal ILCA winners in London, Rio and Tokyo. Not a bad track record. 

Zhik Double-Wide X Hiking Strap

This year, in celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary, Zhik has introduced a double-width ILCA X Hiking Strap. It’s identical to the strap a lot of us have been using just, well, wider. The strap itself is a bit less than double the width of the original (4.25” compared to 3”), but the part that really counts, the ZhikGrip II layer, is indeed twice the width, measuring just over 4” compared to the original 2”.  Not a big deal, you suggest?  Give it a shot.

As you’ll likely conclude, not only does the wider strap spread the load over a larger area of your foot by virtue of its overall width, but it also provides maximum contact area, and with a wider ZhikGrip II surface, you’ll feel locked in even more, especially if using a Zhik boot with ZhikGrip II on the top. No doubt, some will always prefer the narrower strap, and it’s still available. But what if the wider version truly means you can hike longer and get more connected with the boat? For those folks, it’s likely a no-brainer.

Unfamiliar with ZhikGrip II?  It’s a proprietary pattern of tapered, rubber studs that work to provide a mechanical connection between strap and a similarly equipped Zhik hiking boot. Think Lego bricks. Well, maybe not quite that extreme, you get the idea. 

Like the original strap, the X model is padded and has an internally stitched, laminated “PE” board that keeps it stiff, pre-drilled mounting holes at the forward end and an attachment loop at the other. The aft end is tapered to centralize the hiking force around the rear webbing loop and so there are no sharp edges. Basically plug and play, although we did find it helped to drill out the front holes a bit to enable the bolts to fit through more easily.  $79.00

Zhik 360 Hiking Boot

I’ve been using the Zhik 470 model boot for years, and along with occasionally dabbling with competing brands, all those boots all had a relatively smooth surface where the top of the boot contacts the hiking strap. When used with the ubiquitous Zhik strap they’ve all worked well–at least that’s what I thought. Then I checked out the Zhik 360, which has a layer of ZhikGrip II–the same material used on the bottom of Zhik hiking straps–on the top of the boot. Combine the ILCA X strap with the 360, and it’s tough to imagine being any more locked into the boat. No more excuses on that front.  

Made of molded neoprene, the boot has the standard supportive ankle strap and side lacing. There’s a small hidden pocket for excess lace–unobtrusive enough that Zhik has included a small tab labeled “lace pocket” to point you in the right direction. In case you’re wondering, it’s under the rectangular plastic strap loop. That makes it easier to access than having the pocket in the ankle strap, as found on some models. The ankle strap’s velcro closure features a locking tab which we found made it nearly impossible to accidentally open the strap. It also means you’ll probably have to take off your gloves to peel it open, but by the time you’re ready to do that you’re ashore and the gloves are already off. The rubber sole provides great grip when pushing off the cockpit floor or sides, and the height of the sole cradles your foot,  providing more stability in the boat when not hiking. $229.96. 

The post The Supreme Grip and Hike Package appeared first on Sailing World.

It has been blowing 30 to 40-plus knots all night, and we can finally see the sea state at first light. It was a wild night bombing down massive waves in the pitch-black under a full main and a heavy-air running spinnaker. Without instruments, our only guides were a flashlight taped to the backstay, so we could barely make out a masthead fly and the dim glow of the running lights. I vividly remember passing waves at such a velocity that we flew off the front of one wave and slammed violently into the back the next. This happened two or three times in succession.

An hour before the sunrise, the boom broke. We thought that the competitive part of the race was over for us, so we took the opportunity to rest and hobble down the racecourse. But we were still in contact with the leaders, so we decided to try inserting the reaching strut into the boom and “grinding” the boom back together. One rusty hacksaw blade and—voilà!—a short time later, we were back in the race with a reefed main.

This was Robert Plant’s (no, not that one) Hobie 33, then named Ballistic, and the year was 2001. Unfortunately, along with the sunrise came the realization that we could see daylight through the hull-to-deck joint most of the way around the boat, and after finishing the race, we thought that was the end of the Hobie 33.

Instead, Plant and my father, Jon Shampain, decided to rebuild the boat, stiffen it back to its previous glory, and add an open transom.

Plant, a longtime sailor and architect by trade, is well-versed in construction techniques and design. My father is a ­long-time boat captain, navigator, and delivery captain around Southern California who is well-versed in what makes a good sailboat. Between the two of them, and with my prowess for deck layouts and rigging systems, we were sure that we would have a great platform.

My father became a boat partner with Plant, and Still Crazy was born. Years later, another full retrofit was done, and I became a third partner.

By 2019, however, we were feeling like we had “been there, done that” with Still Crazy. We all were busy and didn’t have much time to sail it, so we let it go to another owner, who now races it shorthanded on the Great Lakes. By early 2023, Plant and my father got that itch again and started a dialog. “Maybe we should get a boat again.” These guys sure do like a project.

They preferred the 30-foot sportboat range but wanted a boat that was a bit easier to get around and easier to sail. They ended up with specific criteria: an inboard engine, non-overlapping jibs, no runners, fixed keel, and economical. And, of course, it had to be fast and fun to sail.

We considered a Farr30, a Flying Tiger, Melges 32, Columbia Sport 30, Henderson 30, and other similar boats. But when a local Melges 30 with an outboard engine came to them for a song, they couldn’t say no. I couldn’t even attempt to talk them out of it. It was a proven boat with a good track record but hadn’t been sailed in nearly 10 years. And it showed. They got their project boat, and it needed everything except for some seemingly decent unused sails that came in a questionably soggy box. 

First built in 1995, the Melges 30 started out as a supersize Melges 24. Piggybacking on America’s Cup technology at the time, the design was jazzed up and pushed to another level. The first boat actually had a trim tab on the keel, which was pretty cool and really fast but cost-prohibitive, Harry Melges III says. Later, they learned that the boat was too fast for the articulating bowsprit in most conditions. Eventually ­simplicity won out, and the Melges 32 One Design was born using the same molds. All in all, it was a short production run, with only 16 of them ever built.

While Plant and my father started stripping hardware, they found moisture and elongated holes just about everywhere in the deck and bulkheads. The decision was made to remove every piece of hardware, every fastener, and fill every single hole inside and out. Delaminating gelcoat also needed repair, then everything faired and prepped for paint.

Time was also taken to attempt to stiffen the boat close to its original build. Knees, which are basically mini bulkheads between the deck and the hull, were put under the stanchions. These are a great addition to older boats because, as a boat ages and gets softer, the deck starts flexing. Years of pushing and pulling loads have been applied to the tops of the stanchions, causing the deck to soften. Mast steps of these older boats can get soft and can sag into the boat. This can make it harder to keep proper rig and headstay tension, so to combat that, we applied carbon cloth around the mast step area to prevent any future sagging. Other questionable areas received extra layers of cloth as well.

It was also important to Plant and my father to be on the drier side when sailing, especially down below. And neither has much interest in nonstop bailing in windy conditions. The Melges 30 was designed with runners on a purchase system that lead below deck through openings in the cockpit floor. We structurally sealed these and will add an above-deck system with winches. It will add a little weight, but the added safety and peace of mind using winches to hold high loads, combined with less water intrusion into the interior, will be a net gain. The original design had the mainsheet fine-tune down below as well. We’ll move that above deck like the Melges 32 and seal up an additional hole. My father intends to lead the articulating pole control into the companionway, which will remove two or three more holes in the cockpit.

After countless hours of prepping, fixing, replacing, adding, and deleting structure and parts, the decision was made to take it to a local boatbuilder/boat painter to have the topsides and nonskid sprayed, along with an epoxy bottom. It was a hard decision because Plant and my father had a budget and wanted to do it on their own. But with hours of fairing required and a desire for a professional, finished look, they succumbed to outside assistance.

While the boat was away at the “spa,” they took the trailer to be refurbished and raised the bunks a few feet. This will allow the rudder to be left in the boat while dry-sailing locally, and will also add space for storage boxes on the trailer. Simultaneously, the stern pulpits were modified by Steve Harrison at Harrison Marine in San Diego. Legs added to the stern pulpits would prevent movement when hiking and ­pulling on them.

Once the boat was back in their hands, Dad and Plant finished the painting of the interior, and then the mast and boom and associated parts such as instrument brackets, tillers, hatch boards, etc. At this point, we had a completely blank canvas, allowing me to design an entirely new deck layout with the help of Harken.

Having eliminated all the below-deck systems, we’ll be going to winches for the runners. The mainsheet fine-tune will become external. The jib lead will become a floating lead system, with inhaulers for the jib and genoa staysail. Finally, because the boat will someday have a square top, we’ll get rid of the backstay and add top-mast backstays to the runners. They will be on new Harken winches so that handling will become easier. All this will be done with the help of a running-rigging package from Marlow Ropes and an instrument package from B&G and Navico.

In future articles, we will dive into what parts we chose and why, and what worked and what didn’t. Everything we do will be budget-minded but we’ll be sure to have the correct gear so that we can race successfully, all the while inspiring others to keep  aging race boats modern and competitive.

The post The Rescue and Rehab of a Melges 30 appeared first on Sailing World.

For starters, both are now made of an estimated 98 percent recycled material, something unheard of a quarter-century ago. In case you’re wondering about the remaining 2 percent, it’s basically zippers and reflective material, currently not a recyclable option. Beyond that, there’s a lot to talk about. Both jacket and trousers are made of Gill’s XPLORE two-layer waterproof and breathable fabric with a liner. There’s mesh fabric at the bottom of the jacket, at the wrist on each sleeve, and at the bottom of each trouser leg to allow moisture to escape. I especially like how lightweight both pieces are, even with the lining.  

The main standout in the Offshore Jacket is from the shoulders up. The OS2 line has always had tall collars, but this one, at 7 inches, is probably the highest they’ve made. The collar on my loaner jacket came about halfway up the back of my head and at least up to my nose when fully zipped. Inside is a plush, fleece lining. The front of the collar features an integrated face guard that secures the collar around your chin and nose.

Zip the jacket all the way, pull the high-viz, lined hood (another nice touch) up over your head, secure a face guard across the front of the collar, and all that’s exposed are your eyes and perhaps your nose. Warm and dry. Clearly, over-the-deck spray and rain are not going to win this battle. When not in use, the face guard can be folded or rolled out of the way into a dedicated pocket in the side of the collar, and the hood can be similarly tucked into a pocket at the back of the collar.  

Is there anything not to like about it? If you’re cool with the size of the collar when wearing the jacket in a more casual mode, the only thing I’d recommend is an inner flap so the zipper doesn’t rest against your facial skin. But maybe that’s not an issue, given the conditions you’d likely be wearing this in would necessitate an inner layer that would come far enough up to provide a buffer between your skin and the zipper. 

The jacket has a Velcro-sealed cargo pocket on each side, along with side-entry hand-warmer pockets lined with fleece. Two deep chest pockets have large zipper pulls, making them easy to access even with cold fingers or when wearing wet sailing gloves. A pocket just inside and to the left provides a perfect place for a phone or anything else you want to have with you but not take any risk getting it wet. With all those storage places, there’s more than enough for anything you’d typically need on deck.

Finally, I really appreciated the soft, inner-cuff seals, which are secured with Velcro tabs. Something we’ve seen before, but it always checks a box. Like the whole collar arrangement, if you snug them up, there’s little chance water will penetrate, even when working with your hands above your head, such as when jumping halyards in very wet conditions. 

Offshore trousers are one of the most frequently worn pieces of sailing kit, and as such they need to top-shelf. So, when I first saw the modest $260 retail price tag on Gill’s OS2 trousers, I anticipated a middle-of-the-road garment. Boy, was I wrong. Everything about them is primo. I worked hard to find something wrong with them, but I came up empty.  

Picking them up for the first time, the fabric feels remarkably durable, yet it’s not stiff or heavy, even with the beefy knee and rear-seat reinforcement panels.  Neither feel like you’re wearing pieces of cardboard. A Velcro waist closure keeps them close to your body.

Some details: The men’s model includes a brace system with a comfortable stretch back panel and Velcro adjusters. A two-way zipper in front with a large gusset provides protection, yet enables the user easy access for relief without having to mess with the jacket. The women’s model has a drop-seat function that, as I understand it, can be used without undoing the braces. I imagine that’s a real bonus.

On the front right side is a Velcro tool attachment point, and the convenient front thigh pocket includes a D-ring. At first I questioned the lack of a thigh pocket on the left side, but one is easily enough. Velcro closures finish off the bottom of each trouser leg.  

Overall, the OS2 system is a really solid, well-designed offshore kit that should provide most sailors years of good use. Twenty-five years of development can’t be wrong.

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