California Dreamin' - Meet Long Beach's Melges 15 Fleet
The Melges 15 is continuing its record growth across the U.S. with Alamitos Bay Yacht Club among the newest fleets popping up on the West Coast.
Melges tuned in with Nick Kofski from Long Beach to get the lowdown on the budding Melges 15 scene out West. Kofski, a former Viper and Vanguard sailor, took delivery of his new Melges 15 this Fall.
“Alamitos Bay Yacht Club is one of the main venues for dinghy sailing in the Los Angeles area with solid fleets among the Lasers, Viper 640s, Lidos, and Sabots. The fleets are made up of all types from world champions and Olympians to the regular weekend cruiser types.”
Originally from Chicago, Kofski knew a few friends who had purchased Melges 15s and were enjoying the Winter Series. “Speaking with my friends, the M15 looked like a fun fleet that was affordable to get into and might fill a void at our club as well. So we got a few guys together and lined up an order.”
The void Kofski alluded to was the declining participation in a few of the one-design fleets at his club. “The big numbers at the Winter Series and across the country were especially encouraging for us as we were looking to start a new fleet. We had a few club members moving away from the once-dominant classes and looking for a new design that would tick all the boxes.”
“Long Beach has perfect conditions for the M15 with the normal breeze around 12-16 knots and small sea state on most summer days. It’s a fairly simple boat with a manageable kite that is easy for crews to deal with. It also has great speed for the size and cost of the boat - it’s sorta hard to beat.”
A reflection of the Melges 15 Class nationwide, the ABYC owners come from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and levels of experience. “Our owners run the gamut ranging from their 30s to their 60s, with a few families already sailing with their kids that are in the junior fleet. There are a few couples and friends sharing boats too.”
From holiday regattas to weeknight racing and premiere annual events run out of ABYC, there’s no shortage of activity for the Melges 15 fleet to engage with. A few short weeks after receiving their boats, the fleet was racing in the Turkey Day Regatta. “Six of us are brand new owners and the other traveled from nearby,” said Kofski. “We saw winds from 5-24kts, so it was great for all of us newbies. We had a blast with lots of lead changes and very close racing for all.”
In addition to local events, Kofski hopes to do some traveling on the East Coast and is heading to the Winter Series next month. “We’re stoked to see 70 boats on the line,” added Kofski.
Join the Melges 15 Class out West in 2023:
June 23-25, 2023 Long Beach Race Week Long Beach, CA
July 29-30, 2023 Pacific Coast Championship (CGOD) Cascade Locks, OR
Interested in starting a new Melges 15 fleet at your club? Email sales@melges.com.