Join the Pacific Northwest Circuit
Brian Savery traveled from Bellingham, WA to Sarasota, FL for the Winter Series.
The Melges 15 Class calendar features three new events as part of the Pacific Northwest Circuit. Filled with world-class venues and scenic landscapes from the Gorge to Lake Washington, the Melges 15 offers a versatile platform for the region’s waters.
With the Boat of the Year announcement, Melges has seen interest exploding in all parts of North America. With the support of local dealer, West Coast Sailing, the PNW has seen great interest from families and couples looking for a simple boat to enjoy a day on the water.
The Melges 15 Class is excited to add three new events to the calendar.:
April 23-24, 2022 Puget Sound Spring Regatta Seattle, WA
July 30-31, 2022 CGOD Cascade Locks, OR
September 24-25, 2022 Dale Jepson One-Design Bellingham, WA
The Melges Team spoke with owner Brian Savery about the local sailing scene and what his plans are for the season.
“I had my first Melges sailboats experience after college back in Boston on a Melges 24. Then moved out here in 2007 and sailed very consistently on 24's with Paul "Krak" Arnston, and a few others. We love the boat and bought Melges 24 #246 a few years ago. With our growing family of three boys now ages 1 month-3.5 and limited free time, the Melges 15 makes much more sense because we can be on the water and going fast in no time. After growing up sailing 420s and Vanguard 15s, I feel like this is the dinghy I always wanted to sail.”
Sailing in the Gorge. Photo by Sean Trew
Melges: What does the sailing scene look like at your home club?
Brian: In Bellingham, we sail at the Community Boating Center, which is a great resource for people learning to sail and kayak. Actually, the Melges 15 is kind of a great step up for these sailors and we get lots of interest from them. We also have a very active 505 fleet for the more "experienced" sailor, which we race with on Tuesday nights in the summer. For the average sailor though who just wants to hop in and go fast, the Melges 15 is a great middle ground. We can go as fast downwind in planing conditions as most of the 505s but are much more stable and comfortable. And now with 3-4 Melges 15s in town, we can definitely say this is the fleet on the rise.
Melges: Who do you sail with primarily?
Brian: My wife, Amanda, is a mother and doctor with limited free time. To quote Amanda, "It's such an easy boat for a beginner to pick up, go fast, and have fun all at the same time".
I also sail with Scott Wilson who I help coach the Bellingham High School team with. He is in the photo with me sailing at the Gorge.
Melges: What are the perks of having an M15 in Washington?
Brian: It's such an easy boat to jump in and trailer around to places like the Gorge or Seattle. The other nice part is you can get all types of wind from just a breath to 30+ knots, and the boat responds well to everything. We have so many epic sailing venues on the West Coast with a growing fleet, we really look forward to getting to sail at all of them.
Melges: What kind of opportunities are there for regatta travel in the region?
Brian: We have 3-4 regattas this year with one last year. Everything is a bit more spread out naturally compared to say New Jersey, but you get to experience sailing in many different environments.
Melges: What is your favorite venue and why?
Brian: Bellingham Bay is one of the most beautiful places to sail with the San Juan islands and Mount Baker in the background. But it's hard to beat sailing at the Gorge with its consistent winds and upwind current, which just gives you more time downwind!
Melges: What events do you plan on racing this season?
Brian: We traveled about as far as you can go in the continental US for the Winter Series in Florida! Then we have 3-4 local regattas on the schedule and are discussing Nationals in Charleston. Really the can't-miss event for out of towners is the Gorge regatta midsummer.
To view the full list of Melges 15 events, visit melges15.com/events.