MELGES PERFORMANCE SAILBOATS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! The Melges Performance Saillboats team and everyone in Zenda sends warm holiday wishes. As preparation is in full swing for yet another amazing year of Scow and Sportboat racing, high attendance numbers are expected across the board. The upcoming year is going to be BIG!

GET YOUR 2007 MELGES 32 NOW! The popularity of this incredible sailboat is astounding and the rapid growth of the fleet has put the Melges 32® in high demand. Everybody wants a piece of this boat — owner, skipper or crew! You name it, you gotta have it! If the Melges 32 is on your holiday wish now is the time to get yours! Contact Melges Performance Sailboats today (262) 275-1110 and make sure you are racing in 2007!

2006 LAUDERDALE TRAINING REGATTA

BIG SUCCESS! Hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club, sailing greats from around the world were out in full force enjoying a lot of the action that can only be delivered by the Melges 32. Three days of warm temperatures, breeze, waves and ideal sailing conditions gave way to eight races total. Ecklund took the lead early and held on tight. He was repeatedly challenged by Claudio Recchi, Glenn Darden/Reese Hillard and Tom Neill on a number of occasions, but Jeff was the won able to work well under pressure and win by seven points.

BEYOND THE RACING. Eleven teams took advantage of fantastic coaching and debrief sessions every night highlighted by none other than Buddy Melges, Andy Burdick and Anthony Kouton. Speed tips, video coverage — the works! But the fun didn't stop there. On the water, the experience was just as rewarding. "One of the buzz words on Badfish is that Steve and I are the two worst sailors on the boat. We knew that the Ft. Lauderdale training regatta was going to be an education, and it exceeded every expectation. On the first day of sailing it was a surreal experience to have Buddy in a chase boat literally yelling at us to "Stick it in there". I honestly thought he was going to board us if I did not start performing to his expectations, " said Tom Ripley. "The next race, on the next day, we banged out our best performance, and it was the coaching from a sailing legend that made the difference. "

Tom continued, "Any time that you can attend an event and leave better and smarter than when you arrived it is a success. The Melges 32 is a great boat, and the class is great because of the environment and people. We all want to improve and when the best boats, with the most experience, are willing to help the new guys it eventually makes for very competitive sailing. The perfect example of this was on the last day of sailing in an 11 boat fleet, 5 boats rounded the first windward mark abeam of each other. That's one design sailing!"

Making this event more diversified and fun for everyone was the special Sunday sailing opportunities for junior sailors at the Lauderdale Yacht Club. Juniors were paired up with the teams according to skill level, placed in the stern in order for them to experience true sportboat speed. The enthusiasm was over the top. For example, Erica Reinicke sailed with the Italians — while sailing out of the harbor and to the race course, Recchi's Let's Roll team were on the rail and little did they realize, the 13-year old was sailing the boat upwind with great speed, correct angle of heel and sailing smooth in the moderate chop. This up-and-coming female sailor, best known for her achievements in the 420 and Optimist classes, was in charge, having fun and sailing great!

A very special thank you to all the participants, junior sailors and to the Lauderdale Yacht Club for such a great event. Visit MELGES32.COM for a complete listing of articles and fun information about this event. Check it out and some really cool photos too.

2007 ACURA KEY WEST RACE WEEK
MELGES 32 MIDWINTER CHAMPIONSHIP

JANUARY 15-19. The famous Key West Race Week event is only a month away and now is the time to prepare if you haven't began preparing already. Over the last few weeks, Premiere Racing has been issuing a number of notifications, which have all been posted immediately to MELGES32.COM. For convenience, each article has been linked below. Be sure to see each one as vital information about logistics, vendor supplier support, dockage, applications and registration are included:

MELGES 32 CLASS: 2007 ACURA KEY WEST RACE WEEK
MIDWINTER CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION

SPECIAL ANNOUNCMENT: TACKTICK NORTH AMERICA
SERVICE IN KEY WEST

This going to be a record breaking regatta for the Melges 32 with more than seventeen teams pre-registered. The racing is going to be awesome, fast and fun! Go online at PREMIERE-RACING.COM and check out all the details about this sensational event.

SPECIAL ACURA KEY WEST RACE WEEK NOTES
• The Melges 32 Class Association will conduct a meeting in Key West on Tuesday, 16 January at 5:30 p.m. Be there to discuss class items and other topics that guide, build and nurture the M32CA.
• The forthcoming 2007 Melges 32 Yearbook will debut in fantastic Key West. Look for it in the competitor paks and extra copies will be available at the meeting too!
• If you are planning to launch, rig and retrieve from the Truman Annex facility, boats need to register in advance.

CLASS MEMBERSHIP. Very important. Join the league of elite Melges 32 Class racers today and be totally in the know for 2007. Feel the benefits of a fully dedicated, regularly updated Web site, a full-color 2007 Yearbook and select onsite daily race reports and results!

2007 MELGES 32 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

JULY 13-15. Sail Newport and Melges Performance Sailboats are proud to announce that the 2007 Melges 32 U.S. National Championship will be hosted in conjunction with the 23rd Annual Newport Regatta — New England's Premier One-Design Regatta. Three days of racing will be held on the spectacular waters of Rhode Island Sound. Online registration and the Notice of Race (NOR) will be available at SAILNEWPORT.ORG in early January. Logistical information will be sent via email and will be available on the event web site. Please feel free to contact Adam DeSantis, Regatta Manager with Sail Newport on EMAIL or by phone (401) 846-1983.

WINTER SERIES EVENTS, NUMBERS ARE UP

THE MORE, THE MERRIER. The Melges 32 Class will be celebrating some major participation milestones during the three major winter series events — Key West, St. Pete's and Miami, the attendance level will be up! With seventeen already signed up for KWRW (more than double the 2006 fleet), the numbers are sure to also be on the up-and-up at the ST. PETERSBURG NOOD and of course at the MIAMI GRAND PRIX. Race this amazing boat!

MELGES 32 RULES UPDATE

NOW AVAILABLE. The rules for the Melges 32 Class Association have been updated. Be sure to DOWNLOAD (PDF) the latest version!

VISIT | BOOKMARK MELGES32.COM

2007. The upcoming racing season is going to be awesome, so be sure to bookmark and stay tuned to MELGES32.COM. As the year progresses, daily race reports and articles, interviews and photos galleries will be posted from key events. A host of other site enhancements are also planned so that everyone can plan their racing calendars, explore used boats, parts, take advantage of sailing opportunities and much, much more.

GET UPCLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE MELGES 32 IN CHICAGO

STRICTLY SAILBOAT SHOW. View the Melges 32 at the 2007 Strictly Sail Show at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois this February 1-4. This is a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look, spend some time just examining the boat, asking questions, top-to-bottom and from bow-to-stern. You can feel the performance, even when it's on the trailer! Other Melges Performance Sailboats will be on display such as the Melges MC Scow™ and the phenomenal Melges 17®. This is one of the many opportunities you will have to see these great boats live and in person. Also, see the full 2007 Melges 32 Racing Schedule below and stay tuned to MELGES32.COM as events are added regularly!

2007 MELGES 32 RACING SEASON. A host of events from coast-to-coast are planned such as the brand new 2007 East Coast Championship at the Annapolis NOOD at the end of April and the Rolex Big Boat Series planned for late September on the West Coast — in San Francisco, California. Check out the full schedule as there is truly an event for everyone.

MELGES PERFORMANCE SAILBOATS
P.O. BOX 1 • ZENDA, WISCONSIN • 262.275.1110

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