Melges 14

{{Short description|Sailboat class}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}

{{Infobox sailboat specifications

|name = Melges 14

|insignia = File:Melges 14 sail badge.png

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|designer = Reichel/Pugh

|architect =

|location = United States

|year = 2016

|no built =

|design =

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|brand =

|builder = Melges Performance Sailboats

|role = Racer

|boats =

|crew = One

|trapeze =

|draft = {{convert|4.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} with daggerboard down

|air draft =

|displacement = {{convert|120|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}

|hulls =

|hull type = monohull

|construction = fiberglass

|loa = {{convert|14.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|loh =

|lwl = {{convert|14.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|beam = {{convert|5.20|ft|m|abbr=on}}

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|keel type = daggerboard

|ballast =

|rudder type = transom-mounted rudder

|rigs =

|rig type = Catboat rig

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|sails =

|sailplan = Catboat

|sailarea main = {{convert|97.00|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea headsail =

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|sailarea total = {{convert|97.00|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

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The Melges 14 is an American planing sailboat that was designed by Reichel/Pugh as a one-design racer and first built in 2016.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/melges-14|title= Melges 14 sailboat |access-date= 14 September 2022|last= McArthur|first= Bruce|work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914160340/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/melges-14|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/melges/14|title= Melges 14|access-date= 14 September 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914174332/https://sailboat.guide/melges/14|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/designer/reichelpugh-yacht-design|title= Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design|access-date = 14 September 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2021|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914141026/https://sailboatdata.com/designer/reichelpugh-yacht-design|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/reichel-pugh-yacht-design|title= Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design|access-date= 14 September 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914224723/https://sailboat.guide/reichel-pugh-yacht-design|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://melges.com/melges-14/|title= The Melges 14|access-date= 14 September 2022|author= Melges Performance Sailboats|author-link= Melges Performance Sailboats|work= melges.com|date= 14 September 2022|year= |archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914160501/https://melges.com/melges-14/|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}

The design was named Sailing World magazine's "Best Dinghy" of 2016.{{cite web|url= https://www.sailingworld.com/best-dinghy-melges-14/|title= Best Dinghy: Melges 14 Review|access-date= 14 September 2022|last= Reed|first= Dave|work= Sailing World|date= 19 April 2019|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914230238/https://www.sailingworld.com/best-dinghy-melges-14/|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}

Production

The design has been built by Melges Performance Sailboats in the United States since 2016 and remains in production.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/builder/melges-performance-sailboats|title= Melges Performance Sailboats|access-date = 14 September 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2021|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200908184850/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/melges-performance-sailboats|archive-date= 8 September 2020|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/melges|title= Melges Performance Sailboats|access-date= 14 September 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220914224725/https://sailboat.guide/melges|archive-date= 14 September 2022|url-status= live}}

Design

The Melges 14 is a racing sailing dinghy, built predominantly of PVC-cored fiberglass. It is raced with one sailor but can carry two adults. It has a catboat rig with a carbon fiber, two-piece mast and single-piece boom. The sail is made from Mylar. The hull has a plumb stem and a plumb, open transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller with an extension and a retractable daggerboard. It displaces {{convert|130|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}.

The boat has a draft of {{convert|4.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} with the daggerboard extended. Removing the daggerboard allows operation in shallow water, beaching, or ground transportation on a trailer or automobile roof.

There are three different sized sails for different crew weights or wind conditions. The gold rig has an area of {{convert|97|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}, the blue {{convert|85|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} and the red {{convert|58.8|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}. The smaller sail sizes use shorter mast top sections.

Operational history

In a 2019 review in Sailing World Dave Reed wrote, "the Melges 14, the judges agreed, is a righteous challenger to the Laser's kingdom. It was recognized as the best dinghy in 2016, and it's a boat that will make you want to drop everything, rig up and go sailing when the breeze is on."

See also

References

{{Reflist}}