Melges 20 at Charleston Race week…

[Mambo Kings]

The front page article on the Melges 20 caused me to glance at attendance at Melges 20 events.

Ouch!

There were only 10 boats at the last world championship

There were only 5 boats at last month's US national championship !

There are only 5 boats registered for the World Championship in April in Miami

Jumped the shark? or temporary problems?

 

[BrightAyes]

Well, to their credit, they wrote this article from the Front Page

new life

The Melges 20 is a fast, fun, easily trailered, high-performance sailboat with feet-in hiking and a manageable crew size of three or four. The boat is a blast to sail

sailinganarchy.com

 

[WCB]

The front page article on the Melges 20 caused me to glance at attendance at Melges 20 events.

Ouch!

There were only 10 boats at the last world championship

There were only 5 boats at last month's US national championship !

There are only 5 boats registered for the World Championship in April in Miami

Jumped the shark? or temporary problems?

Temporary problems I think. They're open to a bunch of new ideas to jump start the participation. So far so good. I heard from Keiran that the four boats that are available to charter for the next event in Miami are already chartered so they should be at 10-12 boats for the next event.

 

[Mambo Kings]

The front page article on the Melges 20 caused me to glance at attendance at Melges 20 events.

Well, to their credit, they wrote this article from the Front Page

new life

The Melges 20 is a fast, fun, easily trailered, high-performance sailboat with feet-in hiking and a manageable crew size of three or four. The boat is a blast to sail

sailinganarchy.com

Yup that was the article/press release that caused me to look at the attendance.

 

[Mambo Kings]

Temporary problems I think. They're open to a bunch of new ideas to jump start the participation. So far so good. I heard from Keiran that the four boats that are available to charter for the next event in Miami are already chartered so they should be at 10-12 boats for the next event.

Hope so .

 

[WCB]

Hope so .

Me too...me too. I'm planning to be there with my boat

 

[Mambo Kings]

Me too...me too. I'm planning to be there with my boat

I have emailed to ask about the charter. I have always wanted to try the M20. We'll see.

 

[WCB]

I have emailed to ask about the charter. I have always wanted to try the M20. We'll see.

Let's talk. If all of the boats are taken, then I could offer one of two options. You could crew for me if one or both of my two crew don't come through, or you could charter mine for the same price.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

When I had the chance I really enjoyed Melges 20 racing in Coconut Grove. It is like sailing fantasy camp. I hope this class starts to grow again. They are grumpy little boats, but more fun than a J/70 and not nearly as demanding as a 24.

 

[Groovin]

I could be wrong, but I think the class is ripe for new corinthian teams to enter the class, and also to build regional fleets elsewhere. Sailing in Miami is great, but some of us also want to spend time on our home waters as well. In the 'put your money where your mouth is' category, we're bringing a M20 to our midwest lake this year. Maybe we'll start something.

 

[WCB]

I could be wrong, but I think the class is ripe for new corinthian teams to enter the class, and also to build regional fleets elsewhere. Sailing in Miami is great, but some of us also want to spend time on our home waters as well. In the 'put your money where your mouth is' category, we're bringing a M20 to our midwest lake this year. Maybe we'll start something.

Agreed...that's why the changes are happening per the article on the front page. It's all about getting corinthian teams out. This likely means more Summer regattas too.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Yup that was the article/press release that caused me to look at the attendance.

Looked more like an ad than a press release.

My guess is that MBW or the class or both have implemented a new marketing plan to try to fix 5 years of not having one.

 

[jackolantern]

Agreed...that's why the changes are happening per the article on the front page. It's all about getting corinthian teams out. This likely means more Summer regattas too.

Until you work on restricting professional sailors in the class you'll never make it affordable.

Needing a pro to sail a 20 foot sprit boat with an outboard motor..... reducing the entry fee a little bit isn't going to change the fact that it makes the class cost-inaccessible for Corinthians.

 

[BrightAyes]

Until you work on restricting professional sailors in the class you'll never make it affordable.

Needing a pro to sail a 20 foot sprit boat with an outboard motor..... reducing the entry fee a little bit isn't going to change the fact that it makes the class cost-inaccessible for Corinthians.

Amen brother. I love my pro friends to death, but they should sell coaching only and stay the hell outta the boat when racing. They ruin it for the proletariat paying the bills. You don't sign up for a men's 3.0 tennis league expecting to face a 7.0 pro across the net do ya?

 

[MR.CLEAN]

You don't sign up for a men's 3.0 tennis league expecting to face a 7.0 pro across the net do ya?

Which Melges 20 owner bought the boat without being aware that pros crew the top boats?

 

[BrightAyes]

Which Melges 20 owner bought the boat without being aware that pros crew the top boats?

This was based upon the expectation a new class of Corinthians will flood into the fleet...if the pros stay on shore and away from the podium.

 

[jackolantern]

Which Melges 20 owner bought the boat without being aware that pros crew the top boats?

What's larger, the market of owners who would buy the boat to sail against pros or the market of owners who would buy the boat to sail with amateurs?

Based on the # of boats racing in Florida right now and the tenor of the other posters in this thread....

 

[MR.CLEAN]

This was based upon the expectation a new class of Corinthians will flood into the fleet...if the pros stay on shore and away from the podium.

What?

 

[MR.CLEAN]

What's larger, the market of owners who would buy the boat to sail against pros or the market of owners who would buy the boat to sail with amateurs?

Based on the # of boats racing in Florida right now and the tenor of the other posters in this thread....

It's pretty obvious that the class has been managed into ever-dwindling numbers on the line at most events. That being said, the current owners vote on the rules, not the potential owners. Ba's claim that any purchaser of a Melges 20 didn't know the class rules, or the kind of people who race them at major events, or that they somehow expected a corinthian class, is dumb.

 

[WCB]

It's pretty obvious that the class has been managed into ever-dwindling numbers on the line at most events. That being said, the current owners vote on the rules, not the potential owners. Ba's claim that any purchaser of a Melges 20 didn't know the class rules, or the kind of people who race them at major events, or that they somehow expected a corinthian class, is dumb.

Clean, want to sail with me next month? We need a third.