Melges proudly presents the Melges 20 World League racing

by International Melges 20 Class Association on 27 Jan 2017 As sailors thirst for higher levels of competition, sportboat industry leader Melges Performance Sailboats has answered the call with an all-encompassing, worldwide racing competition - the Melges 20 World League.

With more than 100 teams expected to participate for ultimate Melges 20 supremacy, this new competition includes North American, European and Asian Divisions, culminating at the 2017 World Championship in Newport, RI on October 2-7 hosted by the New York Yacht Club.

Using point totals accumulated from racing at sanctioned events throughout the season in both overall and Corinthian standings, only time will tell which region will claim superiority, and who will be crowned the very first Melges 20 World League Champion.

With a record number of participants at the 2016 Worlds, the Melges 20 continues to assert itself as a premier one-design Class.

'The goal of the Melges World League is to unite teams around the globe and provide another layer of world-class competition for Melges sailors,' said Harry Melges, CEO of Melges Performance Sailboats. 'The new format organizes regattas under one single circuit with aligned scoring and management, giving boat owners confidence that they will have the best racing experience at each regatta in the Melges 20 Class.'

North American Class Manager, Sam Rogers is excited about the new Melges 20 World League: 'Melges 20 owners are accustomed to top-flight, competitive events and the World League represents that and more. It will be very exciting for teams to participate, especially with another prestigious title on the line. We have some big goals for the Melges 20 World League going forward.'

The Melges 20 World League kicks off on February 3-5 at one of the greatest sailing destinations around the globe - Biscayne Bay for round two of the 2016/17 Miami Winter Series. Teams attending will definitely get a jump start on the standings, but as the summer heats up, the European and Asian Divisions will look to close the gap.