Buddy Melges
Encyclopedia
Harry "Buddy" Melges, Jr., is one of the most successful competitive sailor
s in history, with dozens of national and international championships in many different classes, including ice-boating as well as conventional sailing. Born January 26, 1930, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin
, Melges grew up on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
sailing the boats designed and manufactured by his father, Harry Melges Sr. Based in Zenda, Wisconsin
, Melges Performance Sailboats
is still in operation, and is now run by Buddy's son, Harry Melges III. Their Melges 24
, introduced in 1993, became one of the most successful launches in boatbuilding history, and today Melges Performance Sailboats
is the only builder of many inland lake scow
classes, including the A, E, C, M, MC and the Melges 17
.
Melges is an Olympic
gold (Soling
, 1972) and bronze (Flying Dutchman
, 1964) medalist, a two-time Star
world champion (1978, 1979), a three-time 5.5 Meter
World Champion (1967, 1973, 1983), a five-time E-Scow
National Champion (1965, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1983), a seven-time Skeeter Ice Boat World Champion (1955, 1957, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1981) and a three-time Yachtsman of the Year. As a capstone to his intensely charismatic and competitive career, he helped Bill Koch
steer his America3 to a successful defense of the America's Cup
in 1992.
Melges was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame
in 2001, and to the Inland Lake Yachting Association Hall of Fame (on the first ballot, and unanimously) in 2002.
A friend and confidant to kings, politicians and industrialists, Melges still lectures and teaches across the United States,
and he continues as an active and honorary member of many yacht clubs across America. Given his numerous innovations and contributions to boat design, cockpit layout & sailmaking, taken together with his acute vision and fierce competitiveness, gregarious personality, and legendary tactical skills, Buddy Melges has been characterized as the "Grand Master" of competitive yachting, and he is also revered affectionately as "The Wizard of Zenda". Buddy has remained an avid duck hunter and longtime supporter of Ducks Unlimited and other wildlife conservation groups.
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s in history, with dozens of national and international championships in many different classes, including ice-boating as well as conventional sailing. Born January 26, 1930, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is southwest of Milwaukee and northwest of Chicago. The population was 7,305 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Walworth County...
, Melges grew up on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
sailing the boats designed and manufactured by his father, Harry Melges Sr. Based in Zenda, Wisconsin
Zenda, Wisconsin
Zenda is an unincorporated community in the Town of Linn, Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located south of Lake Geneva and just north of the Illinois border. Its ZIP code is 53195.-History:...
, Melges Performance Sailboats
Melges Performance Sailboats
Melges Performance Sailboats, is a United States company founded by Harry Melges, father of former Olympic sailor Buddy Melges. The company's headquarters is in Zenda, Wisconsin. The about six hundred existing boats are approximately evenly split between North America and Europe, with fleets in...
is still in operation, and is now run by Buddy's son, Harry Melges III. Their Melges 24
Melges 24
The Melges 24 is a one-design class of sailboat commonly used for racing. The boat is notable for its ability to plane over the water downwind in modest winds, and for its combination of a simple design that is highly tunable....
, introduced in 1993, became one of the most successful launches in boatbuilding history, and today Melges Performance Sailboats
Melges Performance Sailboats
Melges Performance Sailboats, is a United States company founded by Harry Melges, father of former Olympic sailor Buddy Melges. The company's headquarters is in Zenda, Wisconsin. The about six hundred existing boats are approximately evenly split between North America and Europe, with fleets in...
is the only builder of many inland lake scow
Scow
A scow, in the original sense, is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from the Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.-Sailing scows:...
classes, including the A, E, C, M, MC and the Melges 17
Melges 17
The Melges17 is a Bermuda rigged racing scow first launched in January 2004 by Melges Performance Sailboats. The boat's rig consists of a main with a large roach, a roller furling jib and an asymmetrical spinnaker.-Design:...
.
Melges is an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold (Soling
Soling
A Soling is a class of open keelboat designed by Jan Linge of Norway in 1965. In 1968, it was chosen from among many other boats to be the men's triple-handed boat for the 1972 Olympics...
, 1972) and bronze (Flying Dutchman
Flying Dutchman (dinghy)
thumbthumbThe Flying Dutchman is a 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person monohull racing dinghy. Developed in the early 1950s, its large sail area per unit weight allow it to plane easily when sailing upwind. The boat utilizes a trapeze harness for the crew and hiking straps for the...
, 1964) medalist, a two-time Star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
world champion (1978, 1979), a three-time 5.5 Meter
5.5 Metre (keelboat)
The International 5.5 Metre Class was created to yield a racing keel boat giving a sailing experience similar to that of the International 6 Metre Class, but at a lower cost....
World Champion (1967, 1973, 1983), a five-time E-Scow
E-Scow
The E-Scow is the younger sister of the A-Scow, both boats are manufactured by Melges Performance Sailboats. Its rigging is similar to the A-Scow, and their hull shapes are almost identical, just 10 feet shorter. The boat is competitively sailed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, New York,...
National Champion (1965, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1983), a seven-time Skeeter Ice Boat World Champion (1955, 1957, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1981) and a three-time Yachtsman of the Year. As a capstone to his intensely charismatic and competitive career, he helped Bill Koch
Bill Koch (businessman)
William Ingraham "Bill" Koch is an American businessman, sailor, and collector. His boat was the winner of the America's Cup in 1992. His last name is pronounced "coke." Per Forbes William Koch's net worth was $3.4 billion in 2010 on oil and other investments-Early life and business...
steer his America3 to a successful defense of the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
in 1992.
Melges was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame
America's Cup Hall of Fame
The America's Cup Hall of Fame, located at the Herreshoff Marine Museum of Bristol, Rhode Island, USA, honors individuals for outstanding achievement in the America's Cup sailing competition...
in 2001, and to the Inland Lake Yachting Association Hall of Fame (on the first ballot, and unanimously) in 2002.
A friend and confidant to kings, politicians and industrialists, Melges still lectures and teaches across the United States,
and he continues as an active and honorary member of many yacht clubs across America. Given his numerous innovations and contributions to boat design, cockpit layout & sailmaking, taken together with his acute vision and fierce competitiveness, gregarious personality, and legendary tactical skills, Buddy Melges has been characterized as the "Grand Master" of competitive yachting, and he is also revered affectionately as "The Wizard of Zenda". Buddy has remained an avid duck hunter and longtime supporter of Ducks Unlimited and other wildlife conservation groups.