2023 Winter Series Moving to Jensen Beach, FL

The Melges 15 Class is excited to announce the 2023 Winter Series is moving to Jensen Beach, FL. The three-event series will be hosted by the Class at the US Sailing Center of Martin County, famous for its outstanding breeze on Florida’s East Coast.

The sailing center offers a fantastic, central location for hosting the growing Melges 15 Class. With more than 80 boats eager to sail the 2022 Winter Series, the Class expects the upward trend in registration to continue as boat sales boom across the country. 

Save the dates for the 2023 Winter Series:

• Event 1 January 7-8, 2023

• Event 2 February 25-26, 2023

• Midwinter Championship March 24-26, 2023

The Melges/Quantum Sails Zenda Team will host a clinic the day prior to each regatta. More information and registration will be available in Summer 2022. 

Melges 15 Available Worldwide

MARCH 9, 2022 (Zenda, Wisconsin): Melges Performance Sailboats is proud to announce the worldwide launch of the Melges 15 through its partnership with Nelo and dealers around the globe. Boats will be available for delivery starting in Spring 2022. 

Springboarding from its launch in May 2020, the Melges 15 has seen exponential growth in North America and was awarded Sailing World’s Boat of the Year title. More than 275 boats are sailing around the US with another 200 on the way to new owners. 

The Melges 15 offers an exciting doublehanded platform that appeals to a wide range of sailors from youth to adults. Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce a comfortable environment for both the skipper and crew. The deeper cockpit takes the load off the sailor’s knees helping them feel locked into the boat while the high boom and gnav vang system work together to make the boat easier to maneuver.

The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast. The eager to plane hull shape makes downwind sailing a fast, fun ride. 

Based in Porto, Portugal, Nelo is in a prime location to supply the European market with Melges 15s easily and efficiently. Bringing Nelo onboard for production also keeps the purchase cost low while providing a local resource for new owners. In combination with Nelo’s steady supply of high-quality boats, Melges dealers enhance the exponential growth that the Melges 15 has already experienced in North America. 

Find the full list of dealers by visiting Melges.com. For more information on the Melges 15, visit Melges15.com or email sales@melges.com. 

Save the Date: 2022 National Championship

The Melges 15 Class is thrilled to announce the 2022 National Championship, which will take place September 29-October 2 in Charleston, SC.

Three days of racing will be kicked off with a clinic led by Melges/Quantum Sails Zenda. The Nationals Notice of Race and online registration will be available soon.

The 2022 Melges 15 season is in full swing with a record number of entries for the Winter Series in Sarasota, Florida. The Spring calendar features new events on the East Coast and the start of the Pacific Northwest circuit.

Melges 15 Winter Series Attracts Teams from Around Country

Sixty-four Melges 15s competed in the second event of the 2022 Winter Series February 26-27 in Sarasota, FL. After five races, Eddie Cox and Molly Ziegler (WI) won the event followed by Turner Ryon (NJ) and Emily Haig (NJ).

Sailors traveled from all over the country including owner Brian Savery who made the 3,200-mile drive from Bellingham, WA, and Paul “Krak” Arntson from Lake Tahoe, CA. Rounding out the top five boats was Walker Angus representing one of the newest fleets from Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, VA.

Even with a light forecast for much of the weekend, the Race Committee was able to host a great weekend of racing in winds of 6-12 knots.

The Winter Series finishes off March 25-27 with the Midwinter Championship.

Sarasota Welcomes Melges 15 Class for Second Winter Series Event

The Melges 15 Class is back in Sarasota, FL for the second two-day event of its Winter Series February 26-27. The 2022 Series consists of three events culminating in the Midwinter Championship March 26-28.
 
An impressive 64-boats are lining up after Sailing World officially presented Melges with the 2022 Boat of the Year trophy in St. Petersburg, FL last weekend. Among the boats are those seeking shelter from the cold sweeping across the North as well as a few traveling from the budding West Coast fleets.
 
Sailing kicked off Friday afternoon with practice and a debrief hosted by Melges Performance Sailboats/Quantum Sails Zenda. Racing takes place Saturday and Sunday out of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Follow the action on the Melges Facebook and Instagram. Results will be posted on Regatta Network. Learn more about the Class at melges15.com.

Coming Soon to Texas!

Melges Performance Sailboats is thrilled to welcome Vela Sailing Supply as the newest Melges 15 dealer serving Texas. Situated in Rockwall, TX since 2011, Vela is a large online supplier of marine hardware and is an expert in a variety of classes. 

One of the founders of Vela Sailing, Rod Favela is no stranger to the Melges brand as an MC Scow sailor, himself. “Our main goals are to provide solutions to sailors and promote the growth and sustainability of the sport we are all so passionate about,” explains Favela. “And with that, we are sure the Melges 15 goes right in line with our philosophy.

Texas offers a wide range of fantastic sailing venues: from the waters of the Gulf to lakes spread all over the state. Young adults, couples, and friends are already finding out the advantages that the Melges 15 presents and all the boxes that it checks. Favela concludes, “All of us at Vela are sure that all sailors in Texas will quickly realize the same we see in it and soon will be present at many shores across the South.”

For more information on Vela Sailing Supply, visit velasailingsupply.com. Not in Texas? Click here to locate a Melges 15 Dealer near you!

Winter Series Debut: Q&A with Jennifer Cregar

Jennifer Cregar started searching for her own boat shortly after moving to Sarasota, FL. Once she sailed on a Melges 24 and 32 in Davis Island, there was no slowing down. After taking delivery of her new Melges 15, Cregar teamed up with the local fleet at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron to get her up to speed before the first Winter Series event.

Melges: What’s your sailing background?
Jennifer: I grew up on a small lake in Michigan and sailed a Sunfish as a kid; I just enjoyed being on the water from an early age. When I moved to Milwaukee for a new job, I wanted to take advantage of the incredible sailing opportunities on Lake Michigan. I enrolled in an Adult Learn to Sail course at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. From there, I was fortunate enough to meet a seasoned sailor who introduced me to wonderful new people and programs. I was then invited to sail regularly with an experienced team on a FinnGulf 34. Milwaukee also has an incredible Women’s Only Fleet, with whom I raced Mondays on a Soverel 33.

M: What first drew you to the M15?
J: Occasionally, I sailed on a friend’s Melges 24 and loved the design. After I moved to Sarasota, I was invited to sail a few times on a Melges 32 up in Davis Island, which was a blast! I knew I wanted a sporty boat that I could advance my skills on, and I loved the Melges boats. Sarasota is limited by depth, so 24s and 32s were out of the question. Since the Melges 15 is a doublehanded boat, I felt more confident that I could get some coaching while crewing and learning to drive.

M: What makes the M15 a good choice for newer sailors?
J: I am still a sailing “newbie” and petite. For the most part, you don’t have to be a super strong person to sail the boat - except at the top end of the wind range! I also wanted my own boat to advance my skills and something relatively simple, fast, and sporty.

M: How did it feel racing in your first M15 event?
J: Our fleet in Sarasota is really active, we have fleet racing on Sundays and work together a lot at the club. That being said, lining up against 59 other boats was a little intimidating at first, but I loved the whole experience! We stayed upright when things got windy and finished every race with smiles on our faces.

M: What were the biggest takeaways from the event?
J: The start is key! Lots of more experienced sailors jockeying for a prime spot was challenging; we can definitely improve in this area. I also think we can tune the boat better and be more active with our sail trim.

M: What are you looking forward to most during the series?
JC: To see if we can improve from the last regatta! It’s fun to meet new people sailing here from all parts of the country. I think the Melges 15 is a really special boat that draws a fun group.

The next Winter Series event takes place February 27-28 followed by the Midwinter Championship March 26-28.