Sail22 Speed Barn | Melges 24 Tweaks

Sail22 had many requests from teams last week about the options we offer for Melges 24′s and other boats while at Key West Race Week, so we’ve put together a summary of details to make things easier. As always, feel free to ask us questions.

The Sail22 Speed Shop was extremely busy throughout December and early January in preparation for this past week at Quantum Sails Premiere Racing Key West Race Week. In late December, we picked up a brand new Melges 24 for a client, USA 829, and brought it directly to the shop to begin the customization process prior to her first splash in Key West. Here are a few of the tweaks we’ve made that can be made to any boat, new or old when they visit the Sail22 Speed Shop.

Sail22 Foam Deck & Non-Skid Deck: Be nice to your crew with our custom cut Sail22 Foam Deck. No grit, lots of traction and easy on gear and lines. If the skipper likes a little more traction, then we offer the option for non-skid in the aft section, which is what USA 829 opted for, while NOR 800 went for the full Sail22 Foam Deck. We also offer a full non-skid deck as well for teams preferring the traditional traction. Available for all boats, not just the Melges 24!

Sail22 Hiking Rail Strips: Add these to the rail to make hiking easier and more comfortable. Great for the Melges 24, Melges 32 and any other boat with legs out hiking.

Sail22 Melges 24 Hatch Cover: There are plenty of hatch covers on the market, but we think ours is by far the best! Constructed to have a hinge so that the cover does not become fully unattached from the deck and made out of high quality canvas. Velcro to deck and allows for quicker resealing for the bowman and always stays in place.

Sail22 Melges 24 Trampoline: Uka Uka has used a trampoline instead of a spinnaker bag for years. Trampolines are used on bigger boats to keep the kite out of the water that collects in the boat and allow for easy launching and take downs. Teams that have tested ours have rave reviews. Easy to attach with bungee and small pad-eyes we have created with Soak (makers of one of our favorite tweaks, the Soak Halyard Clip). With the trampoline, we recommend our Sail22 Compression Post Cover to make sure the kite does not become stuck on anything down below.

Sail22 First Aid Kit: Most first aid kits are full of things you really don’t need (aka fillers). Since Becky is a nurse practitioner and sailor, she has designed a first aid kit that is meant to handle injuries common to sailors on and off the water. All materials are high quality and not normally found in a common first aid kit. The case is also made by Pelican Cases to be fully waterproof and the whole kit only weighs in at 1.5 lbs. They come in handy when you need them the most!

Sail22 Dog Bone: This can be used on any boat and has various applications. We use them on tack lines, main halyards, spin sheets and more. We’re always finding new uses for them! They come in multiple colors as well (currently silver, green, blue and red).

Sail22 Carbon Rig Adjustment Tool: No need to keep a screwdriver in the crew’s pocket to tune the rig now that we make our Sail22 Rig Adjustment Tool. Perfect to add and take off turns quickly on the open body turnbuckles. Made of carbon with a lashing line to lash to the boat or to a crew member’s PFD.

Carbon Melges 24 Backstay Flicker: One of our most popular Melges 24 items. Super light weight and tapered. A tweak where you want at the top of the rig and much more flexible then the traditional flicker to allow for more backstay when you need it.

Melges 24 Carbon Jib Block Cover: Our very sturdy carbon jib block cover prevents the spinnaker from being sucked into the jib block on take downs, which can be a very costly error. Only needed on the port side for one design racing. Clear coated carbon looks great and is very functional. If you have ever had the kite stuck in the jib block, you will understand why this is needed!

Sail22 Melges 24 Carbon Tack Deflector: This piece keeps the spinnaker from becoming stuck in the lifeline triangle where the lifeline meets the deck on spinnaker sets. No need for bungee across the deck any longer with this device. Ours is made of carbon and glues to the deck (no holes required to be drilled).

Melges 24 Carbon Rig Locks: Once the rig is tuned, our Carbon Rig Locks keep the open body turnbuckles from spinning on or off any more than you wanted. Available in 8mm and 10mm to fit both sizes of open body turnbuckles depending on if they are made prior to 2011.

Melges 24 Third Hands & Keepers: Our third hands are sturdier than the traditional style (and cheaper too!). They allow the rig to be easier to work with for open body turnbuckles. The Keepers eliminate movement of the shrouds to prevent the third hand from becoming repositioned. Our Keepers work with other manufacturers’s Third Hands as well.

Sail22 Melges 24 Traveler Brackets: Anodized aluminum brackets that make it easier to work the traveler and backstay from either side so that they are never in the wrong place. Work both traveler or backstay from either side for light air settings. No block needed like other manufacturer’s brackets.

Sail22 Keel Guards: We’ve been working to perfect the best way to protect Melges keels and think we have found it. Our Sail22 keel guards provide front and back, as well as side stability to secure the keel in place while traveling.

Sail22 Turnbuckle Covers: We try and stay away from anything metal (ie. grommets), so our Sail22 Turnbuckle Cover is made out of high quality canvas and has a loop with lashing line. This keeps the cover from falling in when tuning the rig.

Sail22 Forestay Triangle Cover: Our Forestay Triangle Cover prevents water from coming in to the area around the furler. It’s amazing how much drier the boat is with this piece in place. Velcro in place for easy on and off.

Sail22 Forestay Turnbuckle Sleeve: This prevents the spin sheet from catching on the furler drum during gybes. A sleeve to make sure things run smooth and better than a water bottle or garden hose!

Sail22 Melges 24 Stanchion Ball: A very simple way to keep the kite from catching on the front port stanchion during sets and take downs.

Sail22 Ultra Light Megles 24 Backstay: (0.46 lbs with micro-cleat attached) Super light and covered. We developed our Ultra Light Backstay with a special line after not being satisfied with the original vectran and PBO options due to the breakdown that occurs of the fibers in UV light.

Sail22 New England Ropes Rigging Package: We offer full service rigging for all boats. Custom designed based on your preferences and our recommendations.

Dock Boxes: Custom made dock boxes are available that fit the Melges 24 trailer. Our favorite is a gray (which is on USA 829). Add vinyl team graphics to customize your dock box even further for easy recognition.

Sail22 Tuning Stickers: Why mark up your hull with a sharpie when you can have Sail22 tuning stickers? We make them for the jib cars, backstay, jib trim and traveler markings and rig tuning guides (just let us know which sail maker you use or we can do a custom one with your numbers).

Sail22 Flush Mount Velocitek ProStart or Tacktick Micro Bracket: Allows you to mount a Velocitek ProStart or Tacktick Micro directly onto the mast to keep it clear of halyards. When used with both Tacktick and Velociteck, it allows both screens to be at the same distance from the mast versus sticking out due to the traditional bracket size.

Sail22 Carbon Double Cleat Spinnaker Bracket: In big breeze, the spinnaker halyard can slip leading to a mess when it’s not needed. An easy fix is to double cleat and the Sail22 Double Cleat Spinnaker bracket is made of carbon and uses the same fasteners as the traditional Melges 24 bracket. Use the existing cam cleat and add a second one to the bracket.

Vinyl Logos for Hull and Sails: Custom graphics for your hull, cockpits, sails, dock boxes and more. We have the ability to cut large graphics in house and apply them prior to your next event.

Custom Painted Tillers: A favorite request in our Sail22 Speed Barn. Do you want your tiller to stand out with a special color or design? Vinyl graphics or airbrushed designs can be added during this process to make your tiller stand out!

These are just a few of the custom parts and options we offer to clients through Sail22. We enjoy working with clients one on one to make sure their boat is exactly the way they want it set up or overhauled. Please check out our website at www.Sail22.com for further offerings to teams such as gear, logistics, coaching and photography. We can be reached any time of the day by email at info@sail22.com and we’re quick to respond to phone calls too at 574-889-0022.