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Buddy Melges

Melges in 1992
Personal information
Born	(1930-01-26)January 26, 1930 Elkhorn, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	May 18, 2023(2023-05-18) (aged 93) Fontana, Wisconsin, U.S.
Medal record Sailing Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1972 Munich Soling 1964 Tokyo Flying Dutchman Pan American Games 1967 Winnipeg Flying Dutchman

Harry C. "Buddy" Melges Jr. (January 26, 1930 – May 18, 2023) was an American competitive sailor. He earned national and international championships in several classes in conventional sailing and ice-boating and is widely regarded as one of the top racing sailors of all time.

Early life

Born 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.

Sailing career

Melges was an Olympic gold (Soling, 1972) and bronze (Flying Dutchman, 1964) medalist, a two-time Star world champion (1978 and 1979), a three-time 5.5 Meter world champion (1967, 1973 and 1983), a five-time E-Scow national champion (1965, 1969, 1978, 1979 and 1983), a seven-time skeeter ice boat world champion (1955, 1957, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1980 and 1981), and a three-time Yachtsman of the Year (1961, 1972 and 1978). He helped Bill Koch steer his America 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 in 2002. He was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2011. Melges lectured and taught across the United States and was a member of many yacht clubs. He was characterized as the "Grand Master" of competitive yachting and was called "The Wizard of Zenda".

Death

Melges died at his Fontana, Wisconsin, home on May 18, 2023, at the age of 93.

References

1. "National Sailing Hall of Fame". www.nshof.org. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Buddy Melges Jr". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
3. "Herreshoff Marine Museum & America's Cup Hall of Fame". www.herreshoff.org. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
4. "Harry C. Melges 2011 Inductee". Nshof.org. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
5. WOJCIECHOWSKI, GENE (May 8, 1992). "Captain Marvel : Highly Respected Buddy Melges Speaks His Own Language, Sails a Course Only He Can See". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
6. Museler, Chris (May 22, 2023). "Buddy Melges, American Sailing Champion, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

External links

• Harry Clemens Melges II at World Sailing
• Harry Clemens Melges at Olympics.com
• Buddy Melges Jr. at Olympedia (archive)

v t e Soling American Championship Winners

Fleet racing

1971 Dane, LeBlanc, Cerise 1972 Goldsmith 1973  Canada Fogh 1974 Melges 1975 Kolius 1976 Melges 1977 Curtis 1978 Curtis 1979 Haines 1980 Baird 1981  Canada Fogh 1982  Canada Fogh 1983 Curtis 1984 Haines 1985  Canada Fogh 1986  Canada Fogh 1987 Kostecki 1988 Kostecki 1989  Canada Abbott, Jr., M. Abbott, Beatty 1990  Canada Fogh 1991 Mahaney 1992 Mahaney 1993 Not completed 1994 Klein 1995 Madrigali 1996 Madrigali 2001 J. Hoeksema, Wolf, R. Hoeksema 2002 Cohan, Buttner, Gladchin 2003 Walker 2004 Wareham, Vance, Brackett 2005 Galloway, Steinborn, Anthony 2006  Canada P. Hall, Karrigan, Deacon 2007  Canada P. Hall, Parekh, Parsons 2008  Canada Fogh, Cheer, Findlater 2010  Canada Fogh, Fich, Devries 2011 Gallaway, Proctor, Ewing 2012  Canada Fogh, Fich, Devries 2013  Canada P. Hall, Lacey, W. Hall 2014  Canada P. Hall, Parsons, W. Hall 2015  Canada P. Hall, Lacey, W. Hall 2016  Canada P. Hall, Lacey, W. Hall 2017  Germany Dietzel, Zeileis, Ramoser 2018  Canada P. Hall, Lacey, W. Hall 2019  Canada P. Hall, Scott McNeil, W. Hall

v t e Soling Canadian Championship Winners

Fleet racing

1969 Dane, LeBlanc, Cerise 1970  United States Melges 1971  United States Melges 1972 Olympic year - not held 1973 H. Fogh 1974  United States Melges 1975  Australia Forbes, Anderson, O'Neil 1976 Olympic year - not held 1977 P. Hall 1978 H. Fogh 1979 P. Hall 1980  Brazil T. Grael, Adler, Senfft 1981 H. Fogh 1982 H. Fogh 1983  United States Chapin 1984 Abbott, Jr. 1985 H. Fogh 1986 H. Fogh 1987 Not held 1988 Abbott, Jr. 1989 Thomson, Flinn, Gow 1990 Beatty 1991 Thomson, Flinn, Gow 1992 Abbott, Jr. 1993  United States Madrigali 1994  United States Kolius 1995  South Africa Savage 2002 Huczek, T. Rickards, Hymers 2004 Mitchel, MacKnight, Davy 2005 Huczek, Hymers, Logar 2006 H. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2007 H. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2008 H. Fogh, Cheer, Findlater 2009 H. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2010 H. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2011 Abbott, Jr., Lacey /M. Abbott, J. Abbott 2012 H. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2013 Abbott, Jr., M. Abbott, Bamford 2014 T. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2015 P. Hall, W. Hall, Lacey 2016 T. Fogh, Cheer, Devries 2017 P. Hall, Lacey, Paccarar 2018 P. Hall, W. Hall, Lacey 2019 Bruce Clifford, M. Abbott, N. Abbott

v t e North American Champions in Soling
Fleet racing	1969: Dane, Le Blanc & Cerise 1970: Curtis, Doyle & Cormier 1971: Mosbacher, Hutcheson & Dickey 1972: Curtis, J. Curtis, Rousmaniere & Nystedt 1973: Dakin, J. Dakin & Crowler 1974: Kolius, Hoepfner & Hunt 1975: Forbes, Anderson & O'Neil 1976: Buchan, Buchan & Scorett 1977: Fogh, Toews & Kerr 1978: Haines, Trevelyan & V. Brun 1979: Abbott Jr., Abbott Sr. & Bissel 1980: Allen, Hoffman & Porter 1981: Grael, Adler & Senfft 1982: Baird, Klein & Edmundson 1983: Melges, Melges III & H. Melges 1984: Fogh, Toews & Calder 1985: Fogh, Calder & Maru 1986: Fogh, Calder & Maru 1987: Kostecki, Billingham & Baylis 1988: Mahaney, L. Mahaney & Brady 1989: Mahaney, Brady & Kern 1990: Mahaney, Brady & Kern 1991: Mahaney, Brady & Kern 1992: Klein, Corwin & Burns 1993: Klein, Corwin & Burns 1994: Fogh, T. Fogh & van Wonderen 1995: Madrigali, Barton & Massey 1996: Madrigali, Barton & Massey 1997: Curtis, McKlintock & Anderson 1998: Madrigali, Healy & Jordan 1999: Curtis, Hart & Brenner 2000: Larsen, Anderson & Moffett 2001: Heitzinger, Tennity & Santos 2002: Johnsson, M. Johnsson & Leslie 2003: Johnsson, M. Johnsson & Hernandez 2004: Abbott Jr., Tucker & Turvey 2005: Abbott Jr., J. Abbott & Boston 2006: Johnsson, M. Johnsson & Hernandez 2007: Fogh, Cheer & Devries 2008: Fogh, Cheer & Devries 2009: P. Hall, Kerrigan & Flynn 2010: Fogh, Cheer & Devries 2011: Kanter, Tully & Freemann 2012: P. Hall, Davis & W. Hall 2013: Fogh, Findlater & Devries 2014: P. Hall, Davis & W. Hall 2015: P. Hall, W. Hall & Lacey 2016: Abbott Jr., Davis & J. Abbott 2017: P. Hall, W. Hall & Devries 2018: Kanter, Willan & Devries 2019: den Outer, de Lange & Bosch 2020: Not held due to COVID-19 2021: Not held due to COVID-19
Match racing	No research done yet!

• 1930 births
• 2023 deaths
• American male sailors (sport)
• People from Elkhorn, Wisconsin
• People from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
• 1987 America's Cup sailors
• 1992 America's Cup sailors
• 2000 America's Cup sailors
• Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics
• Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in sailing
• Olympic gold medalists for the United States in sailing
• Sailors at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Flying Dutchman
• Sailors at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Soling
• Soling class sailors
• World champions in sailing for the United States
• Star class world champions
• 5.5 Metre class world champions
• US Sailor of the Year
• Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in sailing
• Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games
• 20th-century American sportsmen