Johnson & Tell Crowned 2023 Melges 15 Midwinter Champions

The 2023 Melges 15 Winter Series came to a thrilling conclusion this weekend in Jensen Beach, FL with the Midwinter Championship. Clay Johnson and Elizabeth Tell of New Jersey were crowned champions after a highly competitive series of eight races with 65 boats. Emily Haig and crew were named the top team in the overall series. 

Friday featured a full array of conditions starting with a calm morning and dialing up an exciting afternoon with the sea breeze. Geoff Becker and Monica Morgan led the day kicking off the event 1,1, 5.  

Day Two delivered much of the same conditions with a lighter 6 knots to start the day as the sea breeze filled in early afternoon piping up to 18-20 knots. The day finished with several contentious battles for first through fourth place matching points 1,2 and 3,4. A new leader emerged when Rochester Yacht Club’s Billy Farmer and Grace Benzal cracked the top ten and won race four. 

With six races completed, teams held out for the seventh race discard that would be sailed on Sunday. 

The sea breeze arrived early on Day Three delivering a steady 10-12 knots. With a tie still to be broken at the top between Johnson/Heller and Becker/ Morgan, a bullet in the final race took the New Jersey team to the top establishing a 7-point gap between them and second for the Annapolis-based Becker. Telmo Basterra and Ryan Wood rounded out the top three. 

The Melges 15 Class announced that it will be returning to Jensen Beach, FL for the 2024 Winter Series. The three events will take place January 6-7, February 24-25, and March 22-24, 2024.