Melges 17

The Melges 17 is an American scow-hulled sailing dinghy that was designed by Reichel/Pugh as a one-design racer and first built in 2005.

Production
The design has built by Melges Performance Sailboats in the United States since 2005 and remains in production.

Design
The design was conceived to provide a boat for youth sailors to move up to from the Laser, 420 and the X Boat, as well as for adults couples to sail.

The Melges 17 is a racing sailboat, with the hull built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with carbon fiber spars; a scow hull; a transom-hung, aluminum extrusion rudder controlled by a tiller with an extension and twin retractable, aluminum extrusion bilgeboards. It displaces 335 lb and is normally sailed by two sailors, with an optimal crew weight of 265 to 350 lb.

The boat has a draft of 3.96 ft with a bilgeboard extended. With both bilgeboards retracted it can be operated in shallow water, beached or transported on a boat trailer.

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker of 280 sqft, flown from a retractable bowsprit.

Operational history
The boat was at one time supported by a class club that organized racing events, the Melges 17 Class Association.