Melges 24, first impression

The big scoup for me is just this .. .What is all the fuss about?

It's just another sportsboat. I mean okay it planes. The only remarkable things about the boat are the hiking style and the astronomical cost of new boats.

It has a nice tunable mast all nicely set up. So do all the newer, cheaper carbon mast sporties. It has a big assy. A hunter 707 has a bloody big symmetrical which will wizz you along at 15knts @176' to the wind.

I think the boat is like french champagne, expense making everyone talk about its premium quality and grand prix status. 

Okay moan over. It has 30 000 euros of carbon epoxy well and good. Hence the 30 000 euro including trailer and a blow job cork 1720. And due to needing 6 crew the jolly little SB 3 . . The flying 15 of the noughties. ( i wonder if its price is similar in affordability to uffa's little old flyer?)

Yeah, would a 20 year old cork 1720 be as stiff ?  Anyhows how is she, comparisons aside?

Plus side is the revised arse on deck hiking. The old 'serious sailor' rag doll hiking may have well been replaced by trapezes as far as being pro goes. Optimum for the new may be actuall less comfortable, but the IRC style feet crossed on hull far out sitting ujnder the top wire is actually good enough. So it is a comfy boat to hike if you all are good lard and agree the strop goes at life vest height!

No winch, no issue. On the bunnytoe 25 it is a distraction to a fast tack. Cross cleating with a final little tweak , tops!

You need to be strong and have an understanding helm for the gennnaker when the wind or angles are up.

Fun to sail the angles up and down, it is of course good one the up hill as well as the down.

Uphill i actually prefer the bene 25. Nicer tweakabilities while actually the melges seems more sure footed on the beat. That was a supeise. I like the schplatu's jib cunningham and inhaulers. However the platu has D2's and also the schmelges has a neat forestay tensioner at the mast. I'd say the latter boat needs the right settings whereas the platu can be set on an average setting and tweaked on the running rigging more. Carbon bends more and if everyone bends sideways in 6.6knts wind then you have to do the shrouds right and the headstay.

Given no od fleet, i would opt platu for the factors above and the cruising potential is better!! Sleeps 2 and can be modified to sleep 4 or more. Also symmie is actually better for narrow courses. You need a racing crew anyway so pole and gybing are not an issue. Iirc also the boo m is higher. For od the platu means visa card and the med.

Spinnaker handling is a little hit and miss sometimes because of the size and choice of inside or round the shrouds. Gybes require the usual keel boat technique with big over sheet and ease followed by a little luffing if need be. Not a supefast dinghy type gybe. No falling over on its ear. Bit slower gybe than i was expecting due to all that blloody cloth to go roudn the rather little fordeck to hounds area.

So more like a j1o9 to gybe than a 29er.

The sails are north kevlar and a quantum deep runner. Lots of slipping the tack line again more like a j109.  Rolls nicely over to windward and is stable in 12knts breeze at least. Quite a few strategic and tactical situations call for some deeper running. Short distances, narrow sounds and the river and tidal pattern calling the play to get there as fast as poss without being dumped on a corner.

So i am suitably impressed given the age of the boat. If i had just sold say an X 99 and had to put in some more cash for sails and a trailer on a new one then i would not be that impressed after many weeks without planing conditions!