Brian Hutchinson Interview Part 2

In part two of his interview with legendary Melges 24 sailor Brian Hutchinson, Justin Chisholm quizzes him on the intricacies of perfect boat preparation and finds out his views on the future of the class.

IM24CA: You have a reputation for meticulous boat preparation. What are the three most important things to get right when preparing a Melges 24 for a major regatta? What tricks/tips can you offer to less experienced sailors in this area?

BH: If we are focusing on equipment, I would say we need to look at the foils, the rig and the sails, since these are the tools we have to propel us through the water.

FOILS: Give the team confidence in their foils by providing the best finish possible. Repair all chips and gouges and make sure there is no slop in the keel Delrins or rudder pintles. It is important to make sure the rudder hardware and fasteners are up-to-date. At the Tallinn Worlds we sheared the eight-year old flat-head fasteners off the lower gudgeon while in fifth at the weather mark. That can really ruin your day and even your regatta. So, call up Melges and replace the old gudgeons that have counter-sink holes with the new-style gudgeons that have straight-through fastener holes. Then replace the counter-sink fasteners with hex-head fasteners. Check this area often for any play. Lubricate the pins before sailing each day. Make sure the rudder gudgeons are aligned, by using a single, straight alignment-pin for mounting and bedding the hardware. Do the same for the pintle straps on the rudder. While making sure the pintle straps fit tightly, clamp two long levels on either side of the rudder head to check the the rudder tip is on-centre.. This, along with the single-pin alignment will allow free-flowing rudder-rotation and ensure the best symmetry from tack to tack.

The factory sends the boats out with the keel fins positioned near the maximum measurement triangle, which has worked well for the class champions over the years. So, that is a good starting place for the keel. All foils are delivered with a 400-grit finish, which works for anything aft of the max thickness point. To keep the foils clean through the season you might use something finer in the forward thirty-five percent like 600 grit. On the leading edge you might use 800-1000 grit sandpaper on a block with a lower-density pad.

RIG: Make sure the standing rigging is of optimal length and in good condition. I rarely set the rig forward of ‘base setting’ except for lumpy, light-air conditions where I mostly want the bow down and charging. This is where speed through the water trumps bow-height for keeping the boat on-track, which also keeps the boat from sliding sideways and stalling in the waves.

A basic rule of thumb for shroud tension is to keep the uppers loose enough for the leeward upper to be just slack. Depending on the cut of the sails, the lowers should allow 20-40mm mid-mast sag for light& lumpy, underpowered conditions, where there would be less twist. For speed shapes where the leach is more twisted the mast should be straighter, side-to-side,

For proper balance in big breeze you should have room to tighten the cap-shrouds (uppers) by at least 32 turns above “base setting” on the Ronstan single barrel. This equates to sixteen-plus turns on the double-ended open-body Johnson turnbuckles. If you have the standard, (old) headstay system, it is advisable to check for wire damage often and have spare internal halyards . Make sure the headstay and appropriately sized jib-head shackle are at the length needed for keeping the clew low and the jib foot slightly sweeping the deck. For the fixed headstay system, I like even more throw (approx. 100mm) on the headstay and 25 mm on the side shrouds. to accommodate the need to drop the mast back through a wider range than the old (standard) system. To reach a mast-rake comparable to that reached by the stretchier standard rig, count on starting with 75mm +/- 25mm more rake than the old base setup.

SAILS: For most venues choose sails that allow you to play with adjustment throughout the anticipated wind range. You’ll want to be able to reach the optimum shape and depth for each wind/wave condition you find. The top sailmakers build sails of a shape and depth range that allows you to be competitive throughout the common wind range.

Before racing, make sure the mainsail sets correctly on the rig without any hard points.You might carry a heavy air and a light air batten for the top and bottom pockets. For chop I would look for a deeper head and some return at the bottom batten. You should also make sure the jib battens are not too stiff in these conditions.

For the standard headstay set-up, I feel that a medium flat jib is good. If it is lumpy just move the car forward until the sail breaks evenly under the new open sheeting position. Generally, I think many people start with the jib lead too far aft, which makes the bottom of the sail too flat Remember that this boat does have a small cabin-top bubble which begs for a complementary shape in the jib foot. If there is any chop the need for a high-lift powerful shape begs for the lead forward and the sheet to be comfortably trimmed (not too much). The most important part of the sail is from the spreaders up, so the firmness of the leach at the spreader and the control of the upper leach (not too hooked) deserve the most attention. Some people use a leach tell-tail somewhere around the spreader and make sure it is always flowing. Although this is a good indicator, I find it less precise than a discrete reference to tape marks on the spreader (marks at 200mm and 300mm from the tip). If the boat is rolling along in smooth water with steady light/medium wind you might trim with the mid-leach close to the inner (300mm) stripe. While sailing in lumpy and medium air you might start the jib trim at the 200mm mark. If it is blowing 16+ knots you will likely trim between the 200mm mark and the spreader tip.

Test-fly the kites through the wind range, if possible. Adjust the luff and leech chords to match the conditions. In smooth water the luff should be quite open (flat), but short of the point where the luff collapses violently. In waves you can have a slightly tighter luff-chord, which will allow the trimmer to carry a healthy curl.

IM24CA: You have experience in racing in a variety of one-design classes over the years. Which classes do you think are getting it right at the moment? Looking at the International Melges 24 Class, what do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the class right now? What is the class getting right and what is it getting wrong, in your opinion?

BH: I’ve always admired the Snipe class for the high number of couples and families in the class. The fun social setting that accompanies a very high-level of racing, satisfies most of what we are all after. Their natural, from the ground-up approach to fleet organization keeps the events “real” (and answers the wishes and capabilities of the masses), which helps to ensure long-term success. Of course, the Snipe fleet enjoys an international presence and has its share of large regattas in exotic locations. We have a similar thing going in the Melges class, although we need to focus more on the hometown sailors.

For totally high-performance, high-efficiency sailing we cannot ignore the meteoric rise of the Moth class. This very dynamic group of high-performance sailors communicates super well and seemingly spontaneously assembles in large fleets to test each other’s closeness to the cutting edge. I caution against using this class as a model for the Melges 24 class, for their experimental boats pack-up in 65 lb boxes and can ship on an airplane. Shipping the Melges 24 around is a lot more expensive. But we are a true one-design class, so we should be more into borrowing, lending or chartering boats.

For any class the most tangible growth is realized at the local level. When a local fleet continues to add new boats and sailors they can acknowledge that they are have it right. From there the District strengthens and everyone is happy. In the US, the Pacific Northwest Melges 24 fleet is close to 30 boats. They have monthly one-design regattas in Seattle and the growing Vancouver fleet. These fleets and boats from Portland and Idaho, converge at Whidbey Island Race Week for family fun, great local seafood and great music and dancing. Then, they travel south to the amazing Columbia River Gorge where they get to sail in twenty-five to thirty knot winds in the day and hang out around the campfire near their tents or cabins. They are a close group that enjoys each other’s company on the water or at barbecues and parties at night. I would say they are definitely getting it right!

There is one simple I would do to increase membership and it relates to networking and recruiting. Start with a flat annual fee of $25/head for all crew, including skippers. For this flat fee plus all of the member’s contact information anyone could drive any boat in any event. This would eliminate the financial barriers for new drivers, AND it would create an more complete reference for networking. If a boat look available, then it would become easier to get it to the line. Too many times we find boats sitting on the hard during regattas. In North America, alone we would instantly quadrouple the number of registered members. Although the fees would be less we would actually increase the total operating budget.

IM24CA: What are the three key things which you think the Melges 24 class should concentrate on in order to guarantee the long-term future of the class?

BH: It’s really not too hard to imagine but the tried and true methods that brought this class to over 800 boats are still effective. The big three are: 1.) Local fleet development, 2.) Strategic scheduling and 3.) Great venues.:

1.) LOCAL FLEET DEVELOPMENT:
This should include a schedule of modest monthly weekend racing with parties and other activities to recruit entire families. The class should also encourage individual juniors, sailors from other classes, performance-oriented sailors, and competitive racers looking for a fun and fast boat to sail. Find a way to share the speed tips and helm, and bring everyone’s game up through regular training sessions, clinics and racing. Providing local fleets with a structure for events and growth, as we are doing is helpful. A look at how the 75-year old Snipe class nurtures existing and new fleets will provide a way to ensure new or perspective owners can get the fleet going.

2.) STRATEGIC SCHEDULING:
This should really not be too difficult. Equipped with a calendar, a pencil and a phone (or even some more modern technology) a small group of focused organizers with reps across a continent can find clear dates for holding events. For local fleets the focus is on regularity. The regional events should not conflict with local events within the region. Of course National, Continental and World Championships need to be held at the time of year when the wind and weather is optimum so that people will naturally want to travel to sail there

Over the past few years the Melges 24 fleet has had difficulty coping with competing classes who seemingly “poach their crew”. A simple answer to that it to take a look at the calendar before fixing dates. After stumbling a few times at recent championship Melges 24 events, the US fleet is making changes to the scheduling process. I recommend that we continue to work in-concert with the Melges 20 and Melges 32 to form series of regattas at one location, as is happening at Lake Garda next year.

3.) GREAT VENUES:
The best venues for people to sail are often the ones nearest to their home. Having a dozen or two dozen other boats to race within a half-hour of their homes or work is a safe bet for longevity. For regional regattas we need to pick spots that are exciting, have some amenities, are natural hot spots. It doesn’t always have to be blowing hard to enjoy these boats, but having reliable wind and weather in a beautiful backdrop helps.

I am quite optimistic about the future of the class. Although the US Melges classes appeared to have stumbled a bit with the scheduling in the past few years we still have managed to have some great racing. The talent in this class is quite deep and the class as a whole rewards top-level sailing skill. But we are also helping the newcomers. I think we are back on-track now People have been working together to build a simpler race schedule. They also are working to bring new Melges 24 sailors to the regattas.

To ensure that we are on-track with the common goal of having quality racing, we need to recognize the difference between just picking good venues and picking venues with dates that maximize the number and quality of the field. The easiest method for choosing Championship venues is to identify the current popular regattas. If there is already a ‘stand alone’ event, then the work is easy for picking date/venues. Of course, if they are part of a larger multi-class regatta, then we might use such regattas as feeders to the subsequent stand-alone championship regatta the class and local region put on ourselves. I cannot stress how important this last detail is, for this established Melges 24 class has certain expectations. The only question would be how far above that standard a host club will rise.

The fact that the boat is safe and really performs in thirty-five knots of wind requires that we have great race committees that are equipped to deliver great and safe races. Hyeres, France. Santa Cruz, California, Lake Garda, Italy, Porto Cervo, Sardinia; San Francisco, California and the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon are all examples of fantastic venues that can pull this off with experienced race committees. The Melges 24 class’s Championship Coordinator and PRO, Hank Stuart came through again at the recent North American Championships in Rochester, New York, delivering great races in winds up to thirty-five knots. I can tell you that everyone there was super-jazzed with that experience, especially since we were sailing in t-shirts and shorts.

IM24CA: Is there anything else you would like to say or comment on?

The Melges 24 class is starting its eighteenth year and is still the best one-design keelboat in the world. Whether racing or just having fun day-sailing on the bay, it is hard to rival the rush we get when catching waves or being launched by big wind out in the big stuff. The face can hurt from smiling after days like that.

There are over eight-hundred twenty boats out there now, with maybe half of them considered actively racing. I know that racing is not the only way to have fun on the Melges 24, but it sure brings people together. So, I think the class needs to put a big effort into a campaign to uncover those boats that are sitting in barns or on a hook in front of someone’s cottage. There are untold numbers of juniors and other curious sailors who could clean them up and get them out to the racecourse.

Anyone wary of taking on such an effort should remember that due to the consistent construction methods and materials employed on every boat from day one, there is unrivaled consistency in shape and strength from the first boat to the eight-hundredth boat. So every boat is fully competitive. That’s true one-design at its best. Good fun.

Part One - http://www.melges24.com/news/melges-24-guru-brian-hutchinson-tells-all-j...