INTERVIEW: Jaime Torres — A Corinthian Competitor Through and Through
One of the things that makes the Melges 24 Class quite unique is the willingness of teams to share knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned—especially within the Corinthian fleet. When we reached out to Jaime Torres, Secretary of the USM24CA and helm of one of the class’s most active Corinthian programs Smile and Wave, we expected a quick interview. Five questions. Simple enough. What we received instead was something far better: an honest, thoughtful, and incredibly generous conversation about racing, teamwork, preparation, and what it really means to compete as a Corinthian team in the Melges 24 Class.
Jaime didn’t hold anything back. From practical approaches to team management and preparation to the mindset that keeps Corinthian programs competitive and growing, his responses reflect the kind of openness and camaraderie that continue to define this class. It is exactly this spirit—teams helping teams—that strengthens the fleet as a whole and helps newer programs realize that success in the Corinthian division is not only possible, but achievable.
USM24CA: You’ve long been a strong participant (and advocate) for the Corinthian side of the Melges 24 Class. From your perspective, what makes Corinthian competition so important, and not just for your team, but for the health and future of the Class overall?
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 midlevel 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.
USM24CA: Winning the Corinthian division at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series St. Petersburg was a major milestone and effectively set the tone for your Southeast Racing Series campaign. What clicked for your team in St. Pete, and how has that result been carried forward?
Our team has in place all the building blocks of good program:
• Mistake-free boat handling
• Fast and reliable gear
• Good tuning
The consistently missing element to get us to the Corinthian podium has been having a good tactician. Almost every time we have a good Corinthian tactician, we can work our way to a podium position as we did in St. Pete and Miami. It was particularly sweet in St. Pete because it’s my adopted hometown. But I don’t want to downplay the element of luck. Going into last day we here fighting for 2nd place. The initial leader, Eddie Gary racing Troublemaker, a very talented new team, had a catastrophic failure and allowed us to capitalize on the day’s strong winds to catapult into first. Luck favors the prepared and, boy, we were prepped to pounce!
USM24CA: Your team has shown remarkable consistency across the first three events of the Melges 24 Southeast Racing Series. What does your preparation look like, and what specific disciplines or habits do you think have made the biggest difference in your performance? Are you still figuring that out? What advice can you share with other teams looking to race more competitively as a Corinthian team?
• Mistake-free boat handling – this comes from crew consistency and practice time. It has taken a long time put together a team that works well together. By working together, I mean not just being good on the boat. It includes getting on as a team off the water, arriving early for rigging, and staying until the boat is packed to hit the road. Most importantly is understanding the need for coaching and is willing to put in the time to train. Over the nearly four decades of yacht racing, I have been privileged to enjoy sailing with and being coached by some of the world’s most outstanding sailors. I credit Marty Kullman the most for raising my level on one design boats. In the end, this is a 5-person boat, and my crew members are my team’s biggest asset. The bow work is phenomenal and sail trimming and tuning are on point.
• Fast and reliable gear – after my starter boat, which was amazing, I had the opportunity to step into a twice-world championship winning boat. This gave the team the opportunity to experience the ease and reliability of a professionally rigged boat. Everything works perfectly, every block and line is the right spec, the boat is marked for repeatability. The keel and steering system are tight and precise, and all the moving parts move effortlessly. Having a finely finished boat, an organized system for your main gear and spares and the right tools to make changes and repairs play a part in getting to the water with the confidence that you can go out and do good. Inspect every element of your boat then replace gear way before it breaks. Particularly vulnerable are halyards.
• Good tuning – understanding how to set the boat up for different conditions, then recognizing the changes and adjusting while racing has been a game changer for us. Good sail trim and tunning is the foundation of speed. Lucky for us, with so many high-level pros being in the class it’s easy to find good information and tuning guides to set up your boat for speed.
• You need to show up - commit, register and plan early to attend the events that give you the most bang for your buck in advancing your team’s goals. Reach out early and get commitments from your crew as soon as possible so that they can travel less expensively. Go for the most comfortable race house you can afford and get there early enough so you can set the boat up relaxed with a minimum of one full day to practice (two is way better!) and get comfortable with conditions.
• Build a crew list – it takes time and genuine effort to build crew list of people you like and that can contribute to your performance. Do not sail with good people you don’t like and train the folks you want to sail with to be as good as they can be.
• Have a team vision – plan and set clear goals for your team. Then make sure you communicate that clearly to the team and prospective team members. Be honest, clear and thorough, and let your team understand how expenses are shared, what time commitments are required and what is expected of them as contributions to the team effort. That is how you manage expectations.
• Lead by example - Corinthian owners are expected to be there with the team doing the hard, dirty work.
We are on a continuous path to ‘figure it out’. The number one challenge since day one has been getting a steady crew. Our team is from all over so now it’s a matter of getting the team together for a couple days before every regatta to practice. Like most Corinthian teams, most of our crew have regular jobs which is why picking just a limited number of events becomes extra important.
USM24CA: The fleet continues to get better, sail smarter and raise the bar ever so gradually. For example, teams like yourself and with newer programs like Troublemaker led by Eddie Gary are already making an impact. How do you view the level of competition right now, and what does it say about where the Corinthian Melges 24 fleet is heading?
Some of the owners that have been in the class for a long time were saying how much higher the level of performance is throughout the class. A telling comment was that the top Corinthian teams now are sailing with skill sets and speeds that would have won world championships 10 years ago. I was not here ten years ago but I tend to agree. A few of us are right there with them often, just missing the consistency.
Some of this performance improvements come from widely available online information on tuning, tactics and boat handling. Many of the world’s best racing teams have contributed a culture of inclusiveness. Peter McClennen and team Gamecock has been especially generous with the Corinthians by organizing free clinics that have upped the level of many of us. And the class itself is promoting online training to help everybody get better. The USM24CA is enjoying a renaissance, and the top teams are investing in new boats allowing a trickle down of really fast boats into the mid-level which in turn fuels the supply of good affordable boats for the entry level. Many non-pro teams are loving the Melges 24 experience, and they are putting in the time and effort to not just go sail in away-events but to go win.
USM24CA: Corinthian Melges 24 teams often rely on a mix of a consistent core and evolving crew roles. How do you approach building and maintaining your team dynamically, and what is it about Corinthian racing that continues to motivate you versus competing solely in the open division?
The secret is a solid crew list, and you build it by being super proactive in getting the contacts of prospective crew when you meet them. Then connect, pick the quality events that you know the crew wants to go to.
Have a vision for what you want and how to accomplish a team, and make sure you communicate that clearly to the team and prospective team members. I email all crew prospects a team ‘ethos’ sheet that outlines expected crew responsibilities, calendars, and how some expenses are shared. When a new crew steps in the rest of my crew naturally conforms.
Lead by example. Corinthian owners are expected to be there with the team doing the hard, dirty work too.
Keep you cool under pressure (easier said than done!)
Many of highest-level pro teams pay super skilled professionals to be the driving force behind the efforts. They maintain, deliver, prep and tune the boats before, during and after the racing. The owners love sailboat racing but not surprisingly, they often do not have the time or inclination to get into the down and dirty of aspects racing. They have much more productive things to do with their time.
Sadly, I can’t afford to compete in the open division because if could, I would. There is nothing quite like racing a boat full of top pros and beating them with our new-to-us used sails and just one day of practice.
But no matter what the results outcome, racing a fast and exciting Melges 24 adds to the joy of being there with your team and with fellow Corinthian owners getting ready to do battle against the pros in the water. We can’t beat them consistently, but we beat them sometimes and that feels amazing.
Yes we are on a bit of winning run right now but its long season, and there quite few very good Corinthian teams that regularly beat us. Our aspirations are high are hoping to build on what we have accomplished so far and take home the Corinthian trophy for the North American Sailing Series, the Southeast Racing Series and the Worlds!
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A sincere thank you to Jaime for taking the time to share his experience, perspective, and practical advice with the Melges 24 community. What began as a short interview quickly evolved into a thoughtful and incredibly valuable conversation—one that we feel can benefit both newer teams looking to enter the Melges 24 Class and longtime owners continuing to build strong Corinthian programs.
The Melges 24 Corinthian spirit is built on participation, sportsmanship, and a willingness to help others succeed, and Jaime’s openness reflects exactly that. We greatly appreciate his willingness to give back to the fleet (because he does a lot more than you think), continue competing at a high level as a Corinthian team, and help create a stronger, more connected Melges 24 community for everyone.