Melges 24 Class welcomes new Chair and confirms 2027 Worlds in Pula, Croatia
by International Melges 24 Class Association 29 Nov 14:57 GMT
Melges 24 European Championship 2024, Split, Croatia © IM24CA / Zerogradinord
The International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA) has announced significant leadership changes and key championship decisions following its World Council Annual General Meeting held on Saturday, November 22.
After six years of dedicated leadership, Laura Grondin (USA) has stepped down as Chair of the class. The World Council elected Duncan Stamper (CAN) as the new Chair, marking a new chapter for the iconic sportboat class.
The meeting also confirmed updates to the Executive Committee:
During the AGM, the Council also voted to award the 2027 Melges 24 World Championship to Pula, Croatia, hosted by Sailing Club Trogir from 29 May to 5 June 2027.
Outgoing Chair Laura Grondin Reflects on Six Years of Leadership
"It is a bittersweet moment to be leaving the World Council after six years as Chair. I am delighted the class is in great shape with growing numbers, healthy finances, and new boats being built. Mike Gozzard's tireless leadership of the Technical Committee has been critical to the success of the new masts and to resolving many other issues. Congratulations to Cate and Allan Terhune for acquiring the Melges Performance Sailboats; I thank them for their commitment to supporting the Melges 24 class.
Congratulations to Duncan as our new Chair, and to all elected Executive Committee members. We have an excellent championship lineup through 2027, including the newly approved Worlds in Pula, Croatia.
I look forward to seeing you all on the water!"
Incoming Chair Duncan Stamper Outlines His Priorities
"I want to extend an enormous thank you to outgoing Chair, Laura Grondin, for her leadership and dedication over the past six years. She guided the class through the challenges of the Covid years and helped ensure the Melges 24 fleet remained strong, active, and well-supported.
As incoming Chair, my priority is to build on this momentum. Over the next year, I will focus on strengthening membership, expanding youth opportunities, and improving long-range planning for our major championships. We have active fleets in regions such as South America and Asia-Pacific that we need to re-engage, and we must continue developing pathways for young teams who represent the future of our class.
I am honoured to step into this role and look forward to working with sailors, national class associations, and organisers around the world to ensure the Melges 24 remains the benchmark in high-performance one-design sailing."
A Strengthened Partnership with Melges Performance Sailboats
The AGM also welcomed Cate and Allan Terhune, the new owners of Melges Performance Sailboats, who presented their plans to support the class, enhance production, and ensure spare-part availability ahead of major championships.