The boat has a draft of 4.5 ft (1.4 m) with the daggerboard extended. Removing the daggerboard allows operation in shallow water, beaching, or ground transportation on a trailer or automobile roof.[5]
There are three different sized sails for different crew weights or wind conditions. The gold rig has an area of 97 sq ft (9.0 m2), the blue 85 sq ft (7.9 m2) and the red 58.8 sq ft (5.46 m2). The smaller sail sizes use shorter mast top sections.[1][2][5]
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."[6]