[6] The design has been built by Melges Performance Sailboats in the United States, starting in 1993, and remains in production.

The hull has a nearly-plumb stem, an open reverse transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a carbon fiber tiller with an extension and a retractable lifting keel with a weighted bulb.

[2][11] For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a masthead asymmetrical spinnaker of 670 sq ft (62 m2), flown from a retractable bowsprit.

[5] In a 1996 review Darrell Nicholson wrote in Practical Sailor, "if sailboats were defined in human terms, the Melges 24 could easily be described as having the attributes of a precocious three-year-old who hadn't learned to respect her elders.

More than likely, she also would be described as being gifted, if a little high strung ... Aside from its plumb bow, narrow beam, flat bottom, hard bilges and open transom, one of the most striking features of the boat's design is the enormous, 13-foot long cockpit, designed to allow crew to move quickly from side to side during tacks, and to position weight in pre-determined spots to maximize boat speed off the breeze.