Q&A Melges 24 Webinar 2026

The Melges 24 Webinar 2026 brought 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. 

Here's the Q&A of the session

Answered by Nigel Young - Stalwart of the Melges 24 Class

Q: Is there any recommendation in light air on getting the top batten to pop over? Whether in initial sail setup tension or technique through the tack? 

A: Take care not to over-tension the batten and get a good balance with mainsheet and traveller in the tack. Make sure to come out of the tack a little low on angle to load the sail — this will also help. Takes some practice.

Q: How much rudder angle if any?

A: Very hard to make a judgment on that in light airs.

Q: How frequently is the rigging to be changed during sailing?

A: The rules allow the rig to be changed as much as you wish on the race track. My recommendation is to have the rig steps all set before you start the regatta, and think about whether you need power or need to lose power. If a change needs to be made, make it — maybe only one change per upwind leg unless something major happens to the wind strength.

Q: What about the boom vang - what trim are you recommending?

A: Up to 10 knots TWS No vang at all…then, depending on conditions, you can slowly apply more vang to flatten the lower sections of the mainsail.  Take care to have a dedicated person to ease the vang if you need to dip a starboard tack boat!!

Q: In what breeze do you start playing the backstay? And when do you change the rig — upwind, between races, or windward-leeward?

A: As soon as you feel overpowered, start using the backstay — earlier than you might think, but take care. You can change rig upwind, which tend to be normal. It depends on wind strength, but downwind it’s harder to do if it’s windy.

Q: You are talking about light air — are we talking 0–5 or 5–10 knots? What are the numbers for light, medium, heavy? Do waves affect this?

A: “Light airs” could be something like 0-7 knots TWS…Med airs 8-15 knots tws and then on from there.  It’s really thinking about am I looking for power??  Do I have the correct amount of power?  Am I overpowered??  This feeling can only come from inside the boat, and of course, sea state will have a big bearing on the feeling on the boat...

Q: How do we know if we have enough tension on the backstay?

A: It’s all about sail shape and power.

Q: Do you ever adjust your mast rake or live with your on-shore measurement?

A: Personally, I do not change the rake on the water. The rig tends to rake itself as rig tension increases — it’s very dynamic this way.

Q: Do you have a rig tune guide? Any suggestions on making it specific to your own boat?

A: I can send you an example of my personal guide. Please email me: nigel.young@northsails.com

Q: Is it better to define/set the baseline of the rig in the water or on the trailer?

A: Live answered

Q: Given that sails have improved, are current tuning guides still a good place to start? Do numbers vary a lot between teams?

A: I think the Top Teams are all pretty close these days TBH.  I think it’s all about feel, interpretation of the conditions and your own crew weight, ability to hike hard etc etc…

Q: Is there a specific guide you follow, or do you adjust based on the crew?

A: Base setting for the M-24 is well-defined in the tuning guides. https://www.melges24.com/how-to-guides-expertise

Q: Can you define overbend? Is that the main folding in two?

A: Overbend is when you get a crease from the clew of the main to the spreaders — it looks like the sail folds in half.

Q: What are the typical angles you sail upwind in different wind ranges?

A: Impossible to answer on such a small dynamic boat…Sail flat, do not pinch and slow the boat, let the foils work and use the boat speed to gain height.  In the M-24 its easy to sail too slow and slide sideways…

Q: What is the recommended base setting for inner and uppers in 10 knots of wind?

A: Take a look at the North Sails tuning guide. It also depends quite a bit on crew weight and sea state.

Q: How often are you making adjustments to the jib cunningham?

A: It’s normally set before the start of each race and left as is.

Q: Until how many knots can you pump the boat downwind?

A: The spinnaker on the M-24 is unlimited pumping, the mainsail is standard WS Rules…….Pumping is really only a benefit if there are waves to accelerate down.  Take care not to upset the air flow over the rig by pumping when there is no gain by sliding down the waves…

Q: When do you keep your jib out downwind?

A: If there is pressure in the jib sheet downwind, it’s working. If there is no pressure, put it away. If it’s only just pulling, furl it for gybes.

Q: In what wind ranges do you use the P3/Runner vs the P1?

A: Teams have different views on this…….For me, these days, the P-3 has a small range in the 8-14 knot range….Above and below this, the P-1 is a much more flexible sail.

Q: When do you take out the jib downwind? In low mode?

A: You can use the jib anytime as long as there is pressure in the sheet. In low mode less often than in planing conditions. Think about whether the jib is working or not.

Excellent session - thank you!