| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Reichel/Pugh |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1996 |
| No. built | 18 |
| Builder(s) | Melges Performance Sailboats |
| Role | Racer |
| Name | Melges 30 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,800 lb (1,724 kg) |
| Draft | 7.00 ft (2.13 m) with keel down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | composite material |
| LOA | 31.83 ft (9.70 m) |
| LWL | 28.50 ft (8.69 m) |
| Beam | 9.83 ft (3.00 m) |
| Engine type | Yanmar 260 18 hp (13 kW)diesel engine |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | lifting keel with weighted bulb |
| Ballast | 1,600 lb (726 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | spade-typerudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 36.91 ft (11.25 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 10.69 ft (3.26 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 38.05 ft (11.60 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 15.48 ft (4.72 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | fractional riggedsloop |
| Mainsail area | 294.51 sq ft (27.361 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 197.28 sq ft (18.328 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 1,180 sq ft (110 m2) |
| Upwind sail area | 1,475 sq ft (137.0 m2) |
| Downwind sail area | 1,180 sq ft (110 m2) |
TheMelges 30 is an Americansailboat that was designed by Reichel/Pugh as aracer and first built in 1996.[1][2][3][4][5]
The design was replaced in the product line by theMelges 32 in 2004.[1][2]
The design was built byMelges Performance Sailboats in the United States, from 1996 until 1999, but only 18 boats were completed before production ended.[1][2][6][7]
The boat was intended to form aone-design class and also be used forPHRF handicap racing.[5]
The Melges 30 is a racingkeelboat, built predominantly offiberglass andcarbon fiber. It has afractionalsloop rig, aplumb stem, areverse transom, an internally mounted spade-typerudder controlled by atiller with an extension and alifting keel with a weighted bulb. It displaces 3,800 lb (1,724 kg) and carries 1,600 lb (726 kg) of lead ballast in the keel bulb. The cockpit is 15 ft (4.6 m) long.[1][2][5]
The design made extensive use of carbon fiber components, including the mast, rudder, the keel fin andbowsprit.[5]
The boat has a draft of 7.00 ft (7.00 ft) with the keel extended and 4.00 ft (1.22 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on atrailer.[1][2]
The boat is fitted with a JapaneseYanmar 260diesel engine of 18 hp (13 kW) powering asaildrive for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 8 U.S. gallons (30 L; 6.7 imp gal).[1][2]
For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with anasymmetrical spinnaker of 1,180 sq ft (110 m2), which is flown from the articulating carbon fiber bowsprit.[1][2][8]
The design has ahull speed of 7.15 kn (13.24 km/h).[2]
In a 2000 reviewnaval architectRobert Perry wrote, "the Melges group and the Reichel/Pugh team have come out with a 30-foot version of the 24. For local fleets this boat may be even harder to deal with than the 24. You could always excuse the 24 as it blew by you with, "It's just a big dinghy." But this 30-footer, with its engine and the addition of lifelines and pulpits, almost looks like a normal boat and will give PHRF raters a fit. Actually, it's in a class of its own. I can think of no other boat that is designed with this particular balance of parameters. In a nutshell, this design appears aimed at providing the fastest monohull ride around without the fear of capsizing."[9]