Melges 24: new year, shorter stanchions by tonnage (finally!)

Do you know what it means hiking? In English, it denotes the action taken by crew members when they take advantage of the dragnets to make windward weight. Especially on Melges 24s, where ballast becomes a key factor given the reactivity of the hull, hiking, or rather, “taco hiking” in its most extreme sense (the body bent over the drapes resembles the shape of a taco) is extremely important.

SEVERED STANCHIONS

As of Jan. 1, 2014, the Melges 24 Class approved a change that brought sighs of relief to all crews of the most successful one design in recent years. We get it from Riccardo Simoneschi, winner of the last Audi European Sailing Series and, most importantly, president of the International Melges Class Association: “The stanchions,” Simoneschi explains, “have been shortened, and now the hiking line is about 35 cm from the deck and stretched per tonnage rule (a minimal tolerance). This way the hiking position becomes the same for all three crew members and is much more comfortable.”

STOP HANGING
In the past, the one and three (respectively, the aft-most and forward-most crew members, excluding the helmsman) had the hiking line high on their torso and remained “hanging” in a very tiring and uncomfortable position. In addition, the lower stanchion makes it easier to retrieve the gennaker. “A simple and effective change,” Simoneschi concludes, “that like too many other things in the ‘democracy’ of sailing took a very long time to pass. As a president (and sailor), I’m glad I succeeded.”

MODIFICATION COSTS LITTLE AND DOES NOT REDUCE PERFORMANCE

To minimize the cost of the modification, the Melges shipyard came up with an ingenious solution of cutting off old stanchions and attaching a cap to the end of them, at a cost of around $35. Only one concern had been raised by the sailors: given the tension and reduction in height of the stanchions, could it be that those outside at the dragnets may not be able to push outward as before, decreasing the righting moment? For now, there have been no drops in boat performance because the three crew members are able to stay out all the time, without constantly changing positions to allow blood to circulate in the lower limbs as was the case until recently.

(photo by Pierrick Contin)