EYESAILOR
Super Anarchist
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The Melges 20 was sold to Melges' customer list as smaller boat with easier logistics. This is an owner group used to professional crews and Melges level of service and events. It had not been done on boats this small before but it was Melges and it kinda worked. For as little as $25,000 you could compete in a weekend regatta in Miami against the same standard of competition as you got in the top M24 teams and M32 teams. That sure beat the six figure sums you could spend getting a Melges 32 on the line in Sardinia.
You only needed 2 or 3 paid guys. So that is only 2 or 3 flight tickets (so you didn't need to fly them private) and 2 or 3 hotel rooms. Dinner and nightclubs were cheaper. Yard logistics were cheaper. It was a good deal.
The low budget programs could go and race J70s. The M 20 was where you got the hot professional competition. Anyone who thought this was an amateur class never opened yachtscoring.
If they expect to pivot the class on a dime and suddenly create a new demographic of amateur Melges 20 owners then it will take some heroic expectations. You need an almost 100% turnover in owners (none of them want to sail with less than cutting edge experienced crew and nor do they have time in their work lives to run their own logistics). Then you need a very energetic volunteer class association. It took years and a lot of effort for the Melges 24 to make that shift. They were eventually successful but they got a big helping hand from the launch of the M20.
The other problem the M20 faces is that , to the sport boat cognoscenti, it is under-powered.
How do you persuade a keen , competitive amateur owner to buy a Melges 20 when the Melges 24 already offers an amateur class, with a powered up boat and a cult like following. I have met many Melges 24 owners and sailors who are passionate about the boat. I have never met a Melges 20 owner who is equally deeply in love with their boat. It was popular because it was pro and the competition was good. It was never an incredible boat to sail,it was a good program.
In the meantime Melges are selling M15s as fast as the grocery store sells cereal bars. Dont cry for me Argentina.
You only needed 2 or 3 paid guys. So that is only 2 or 3 flight tickets (so you didn't need to fly them private) and 2 or 3 hotel rooms. Dinner and nightclubs were cheaper. Yard logistics were cheaper. It was a good deal.
The low budget programs could go and race J70s. The M 20 was where you got the hot professional competition. Anyone who thought this was an amateur class never opened yachtscoring.
If they expect to pivot the class on a dime and suddenly create a new demographic of amateur Melges 20 owners then it will take some heroic expectations. You need an almost 100% turnover in owners (none of them want to sail with less than cutting edge experienced crew and nor do they have time in their work lives to run their own logistics). Then you need a very energetic volunteer class association. It took years and a lot of effort for the Melges 24 to make that shift. They were eventually successful but they got a big helping hand from the launch of the M20.
The other problem the M20 faces is that , to the sport boat cognoscenti, it is under-powered.
How do you persuade a keen , competitive amateur owner to buy a Melges 20 when the Melges 24 already offers an amateur class, with a powered up boat and a cult like following. I have met many Melges 24 owners and sailors who are passionate about the boat. I have never met a Melges 20 owner who is equally deeply in love with their boat. It was popular because it was pro and the competition was good. It was never an incredible boat to sail,it was a good program.
In the meantime Melges are selling M15s as fast as the grocery store sells cereal bars. Dont cry for me Argentina.
