Record Turnout for Melges 15 U.S. Nationals

The stage is set in Traverse City, MI, for the largest Melges 15 U.S. National Championship to date, with 62 boats registered for the regatta August 23-25, 2024. The Championship regatta has tripled in size since 2021, just a sample of the Class’s massive international success. 

More than 900 Melges 15s have been sold worldwide, including fleets popping up all over the Emerald Isle after the launch of Melges Ireland in late 2022. This year, the Irish Nationals at Howth Yacht Club in Dublin are scheduled to coincide with the U.S. Nationals, making for an action-packed weekend of racing.

Back in the U.S., the Nationals marks the conclusion of the 2024 Championship Series, a concept designed to elevate the competition and support regional fleets. The Series featured four of the most hotly-contested regional events in class history attracting more than 130 teams over the course of the summer. 

In California, the Melges 15s represented the largest one-design class at Long Beach Race Week with Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan winning the event and the prized Boat of the Week award. At the Inland Championship in Pewaukee, WI, 63 boats raced, marking the largest class event outside of the Winter Series. 

On the water for Nationals are several of the Class’s frontrunners including Emily and Dana Haig from New Jersey, Toby Sullivan from Minnesota, Michael and Jennifer Faugust from Wisconsin/Florida, and Melges’s own Eddie Cox. 

Practice racing in Michigan is scheduled for Thursday, August 22, with the main event running Friday, August 23-Sunday, August 25. Eight races are planned, with at least three races required to constitute a Championship. For more information and to follow the racing, visit melges15.com/nationals.