Minnesota Team Triumphs at 2024 Melges 15 Great Lakes Championship

Photos by Betsy Lawless

Rochester Yacht Club in New York hosted the 2024 Melges 15 Great Lakes Championship July 12-14 on Lake Ontario. The three-day event featured seven races in conditions varying from 6-10 knots in choppy waters.

Jim Barnash, RYC’s Melges 15 Fleet Captain, cheekily added, “Even the chop-hardened Annapolitans were annoyed with Rochester's staircase-like wave sets from the local ‘navy.’” 

Toby Sullivan and Ella Wisely from White Bear, MN, won the championship title. Two points separated the leaders from locals Barnash and Meredith Killion. Morley Flynn and, wife, Lauren Crossett, from nearby Fair Haven Yacht Club, came in third. 

“Sullivan and Wisely were impressive both on and off the water. They have all the tricks to keep their heads out of the boat,” remarked Barnash. “I was both annoyed and jealous of Toby and Ella's upwind setup as they sailed higher and flatter than the rest of the field. After turning the corner, they sailed lower, at the same or better clip than most, which made passing them impossible.”

Barnash said, “The Rochester M15 fleet enjoys hosting and traveling as it injects talent and new techniques, which level up our skills. Our fleet has a great thing going—information sharing, enthusiasm, and fresh faces, as we're still gaining new members.”

Next in the 2024 Championship Series:

Melges Performance Sailboats