Making Corinthian fleet feel valued

Jaime Torres, Secretary of the U.S. Melges 24 Class Association, is a strong advocate and participant for the Corinthian side of the Class. He shares what makes Corinthian competition so important:

Defining what is the measure of success of a class can be challenging. Member satisfaction must surely be one of the top parameters, but the source of that satisfaction differs at every level of performance of the class members.

While that is probably true for every class, it is particularly difficult to determine for a class that has so many distinct levels, such as the Melges 24. The Melges 24 is a very affordable boat yet it is being raced, at the very top by nearly unlimited-budget teams hiring top-ranked professional sailors.

Because most Corinthian teams don’t have anywhere near the financial capacity of those teams, our challenge is to make the most of limited resources in our attempt to get near the best competitors on the race course.

Making the mid-level fleet Corinthian feel valued and supported is critical to the health of the class as most of us are all pushing to the edge of our capacity to participate. For some teams it may mean a top 5 Corinthian finish and for many of the entry-level teams it maybe just finishing a regatta in one piece.

But it’s the Corinthian teams showing up in numbers that make regattas possible for everybody including the top teams. They provide the necessary fee income for organizers, the bigger number of boats at the start line, and the trickle-down pipeline for the used gear the pro teams sell to move on to newer equipment.

So, we are really important to any class, and more recognition of that reality is rightfully due.

Source: https://usmelges24.com/news/2026/4/9/jaime-torres