Rick Orchard and his sailing team Grins picked up their Melges 32 in Zenda on a Wednesday, set up the boat Friday afternoon and were racing out of Charleston Harbor Saturday morning. Not only were they competing in their brand new Melges 32, but they were crushing the competition.

Known to most as the Rockville Race, this year’s fleet had 45 entries with boats ranging from 45’ to 24’. The race consisted of a 35 mile pursuit where the competitor’s stay overnight in Rockville, SC with a return race the following morning. Saturday brought NW winds at about 15-17 knots, which meant downwind sailing the entire distance. Never having sailed the boat before, Orchard and his team not only got line honors on Saturday, but made a statement as well. “Due to our PHRF rating of 33, we started 2.5 hours behind some of the boats. Before the race was even 3/4 the way done, we had already passed everyone. This boat is a rocketship.”

Read more about Rick and his incredible win at MELGES.COM and ONE DESIGN.COM

The Melges 32 is at the height of popularity as more and more new boats are leaving the Melges factory in Zenda prepared for winter racing in the south. ACURA Key West 2006 in January will be the first M32 race in the Midwinter Championship. They will then head to the St. Pete NOOD in February, and back over to ACURA Miami Race Week in March. A fantastic triple-header for this exciting sportboat! For more information about Key West and Miami, visit PREMIERE-RACING.COM and SAILINGWORLD.COM for the St. Petersburg NOOD.

THE MELGES 32 GOES INTERNATIONAL

Check out the latest Melges 32 accessories. Especially the new travel covers that wrap up the new boat for clean and simple travel. These are a must have item, so that your boat stays in tip top condition. Visit us online at MELGES.COM or call (262) 275-1110 to get yours today.