Bill Goggins and Dave Decker talk life, sailing and scow boats with three generations of the Melges family

Bill Goggins: You guys do a lot of different sports – iceboating, ski racing, motorcross, duck shooting… In terms of preparation is there a common thread?

Harry Melges III: Whatever the sport, make sure your equipment is ready to go. So if it’s skis proper tuning and waxing. On a boat a well-polished hull, good sails and being comfortable with your tune. After that it’s a lot of practice time to get your confidence level up to a point where you’re confident that you can win.

Buddy Melges: And your technical preparation has a big effect on your ‘head’.

Harry Melges IV: Yeh, just keep doing the important stuff over and over again and perfect what you’re doing.

Bill Goggins: When you are competing against other people your age, what gives you that ‘edge’?

Harry Melges IV: Well, I like to think that I feel the boat better than other people. I can always predict what the boat’s going to do using the angle of heel and stuff… But I’m still working on that! It’s getting a lot better, though.