Melges 24 Webinar 2026 - Tips From The Pros - March 24

Ready to sharpen your Melges 24 game? Join the Melges 24 Webinar on March 24 at 19:00 CET / 14:00 EDT / 11:00 PDT on Zoom.

The Melges 24 Webinar 2026 brings together leading professional sailors, sail makers and coaches — Dave Hughes, Giovanna Micol, Nigel Young, Mike Marshall, Chris Larson and Allan Terhune — to share practical knowledge, proven techniques, and current thinking on how to sail the Melges 24 faster and better.

Designed for both Corinthian and professional teams, the session will focus on rig tuning, sail trim, crew movement, communication, starting techniques, boat handling through changing conditions, and the small details that help top teams consistently gain speed. The goal is to make high-level performance more understandable and accessible across the class.

The webinar will open with welcome remarks by Mauro Melandri, long-time IM24CA event press officer, before Mike Marshall leads the discussion and questions with the panel.

Registration is free, but required to receive the Zoom link to attend. The session will also be recorded and made available afterwards.

Please use your personal Zoom link from the confirmation email to join.

Register for the Zoom link here:  bit.ly/Melges24Webinar2026-Registration

Meet the panellists:

Dave Hughes - Melges 24 Worlds 2016 Miami Pierrick Contin	Dave Hughes is a U.S. Olympian, world-class sailor, and coach with extensive experience across Olympic classes, keelboats, and one-design racing. A Melges 24 World Champion 2016 with Stu McNay onboard Conor Clarke’s Embarr, he is widely respected for his technical sailing knowledge, crew work precision, and coaching ability at the highest level of competition. World Sailing Vice President.
Giovanna Micol and Michele Paoletti in Biograd - CRO Melges 24 Cup 2026 regate.com.hr	Giovanna Micol is an Italian Olympian, a 2022 Melges 24 European Champion with her husband Michele Paoletti on Strambapapa, and one of the leading female sailors in international racing. A member of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, she was part of the winning crew in the 2024 Women’s America’s Cup, bringing elite-level tactical and performance insight from both one-design and top professional campaigns.
Nigel Young Pierrick Contin	Nigel Young has been closely connected with the Melges 24 class since its early years in Europe and remains one of the most experienced technical voices in the fleet. As a longtime North Sails expert, he combines sail development knowledge with decades of practical Melges 24 racing experience.
Mike Marshall - North Sails Design Expert	Mike Marshall is a sail designer, coach, and active Melges 24 sailor with broad international experience in performance sail development and race preparation. Known for leading many successful technical seminars and webinars, he will moderate the discussion and guide the practical exchange between panelists.
Chris Larson Rich Roberts	Chris Larson is a highly accomplished helmsman, tactician, coach, and program manager with over 30 years of experience across international sailing and more than 30 world, international, and national championship campaigns. A 2009 Melges 24 World Champion, he also coached the winning team at the 2022 Melges 24 World Championship, with particular strength in team management, boat optimization, logistics, and race-winning execution.
Allan Terhune Jr Melges Performance Sailboats	Allan Terhune Jr. is a sail designer, top-level one-design sailor, and Melges 24 North American Champion 2025 with Harry Melges IV on Zenda Express. As the owner of Melges Performance Sailboats, he combines design expertise, class knowledge, and practical performance insight gained from years of front-line competition.