Emily & John Haig Win 2025 Melges 15 Midwinter Championship & Overall Series
Father-daughter duo Emily and John Haig (NJ) clinched victory at the 2025 Melges 15 Midwinter Championship March 21-23 at the Melges Watersports Center in Merritt Island, FL. Their impressive performance secured not only the Midwinter Championship title but also their third overall Winter Series win.
Competing against a stacked fleet of 96 teams from across the U.S., the Haigs demonstrated consistency and skill in the fourth and final event of the 2024-25 Winter Series. In total, more than 180 teams from 27 states traveled to the newly opened Melges Watersports Center throughout the season, marking another successful year of high-caliber competition in the Melges 15 Class.
“Five years ago, my dad and I started at the boat every time so we could hear the Race Committee calling times. Now we have the Vakaros units that count down the clock for us and tell us if we’re over in a ninety-plus boat fleet,” explained Emily regarding the evolution of the Winter Series since 2021.
The regatta kicked off with the most stable conditions of the weekend, as winds started at 7 knots and built to puffs of 18 knots. Jordan Wiggins and Min Min Kelly (FL) took an early lead, claiming victory in Race 1. Claudia Bartlett (TX), sailing with her husband John, delivered a standout downwind performance to capture her first win of the series in Race 2. Brothers Kamron and Quinn Kaiser (WI) claimed Race 3 before Emily and John Haig secured a crucial win in Race 4 to close out the day.
“Now I can retire from sailing,” Claudia joked. “We’re in the old, old people division. But we don’t care because age is just a state of mind. So John and I have been sailing together since we got married 25 years ago.”
On Day 2, light morning winds gave competitors time to enjoy volleyball, dolphin watching, and paddleboarding before the afternoon sea breeze filled in. Once racing resumed, the fleet took on three additional races. Siblings Michael and Lauren Ehnot (NJ) made their mark by winning back-to-back races, while Event 1 winners Cole Schweda and Meta Simon (WI) secured a win in the final race of the day.
The wind showed up late to the party on Sunday, resulting in no further races being contested.
Top Couple and past Olympian Brianna Searle commented, “Seeing the amazing class and facility was awesome to experience. Every racer should experience this because it’s very rare that you get to compete against 100 boats.”
Save the dates for the 2025-26 Melges 15 Winter Series at the Melges Watersports Center in Merritt Island, FL: November 22-23, January 3-4, February 21-22, and the Midwinter Championship March 20-22. Registration and hotel blocks will be announced soon on melges15.com.