Melges 15 Momentum Builds Deep in the Heart of Texas

In a move to enhance its sailing program and add value to its club membership, the Houston Yacht Club recently purchased nine Melges 15s. The strategic decision not only underscores the club's commitment to fostering a vibrant sailing community but also speaks to the appeal of the Melges 15’s design.

The Melges 15 is a modern dinghy known for its stability, performance, and versatility. Designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges Performance Sailboats, the Melges 15 has quickly gained international popularity among sailors of all levels for its exciting characteristics. 

“In general, the Melges 15s are well built, durable, and well thought out,” explained Jack Cronan, Rear Commodore of HYC and the catalyst behind the club’s purchase. “Our club members were very supportive of the initiative to bring these boats in.”

“To keep the club going, we really need young couples and young families. This boat is perfect for people who are looking for something new that looks sexy and goes fast, but anyone can get on it,” added Paul Barnes, Sailing Director at HYC. “We finalized the decision mid-December and had the boats delivered in January.”

Club member Jon Larson remarked, “I hope this increases our membership. Our club has a rich history of dinghy racing. I can absolutely see more young people joining the club because of this fleet.”

The Melges 15 is designed to be both competitive and accessible, making it suitable for a wide range of sailors. Whether members are looking to engage in friendly club races, compete in regattas, or enjoy a sail, the Melges 15 offers an exciting experience.

“The M15 in particular is family-friendly and there’s a wide range of folks that can participate whether just sailing or racing,” said Cronan.

A club-owned fleet of Melges 15 reduces costs, provides equal opportunities, centralizes maintenance, facilitates training programs, promotes competitive events, and allows members to explore and test their preferences in a supportive community setting.

“With a boat like the Melges 15, we’re making sailing more accessible for more people whether they’re chartering or buying their own boats,” said Larson. “With a fleet owned by the yacht club, the club can handle repairs, cleaning, and storage, relieving individual members of the burden and ensuring that the boats are always in good condition.”

The Rear Commodore emphasized that not all members may have the means to own a boat, and having a club-owned fleet ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in sailing activities while promoting inclusivity and camaraderie.

Member Park Tupper joked, “Millenials don’t like to own things and I think we’ll be able to get a lot more of my peers down here when they know they don’t have to do anything aside from come out and have fun!”

“The boat is pretty simple to use with a high fun output. It’s easy! You just throw it in the water and go!” added Tupper’s girlfriend, Lauren Walker. “This boat offers an activity for us to do together and have fun.”

The addition of the Melges 15 fleet opens up exciting opportunities for the Houston Yacht Club's racing calendar. Members can anticipate a heightened level of competition as the fleet becomes a focal point for club races and regattas. 

“The particulars are such that it’s relatively simple where novices can get onboard and still perform at a level that is comfortable right off the bat,” observed Cronan. 

During the club’s first weekend on the water with the Melges 15s, members experienced conditions from 4-20knots on flat water. The nine-boat fleet was joined by a few privately owned boats from around the state.  

“I went out for a spin with a youth sailor in the breeze here and it was a blast! For any adults looking to do some dinghy sailing, this is a great class. Not to mention, it’s way more exciting than the youth sailing boats that are out there,” said Larson.

Soon, the club plans to charter the boats to its membership and offer club racing on Friday nights. Eventually, the club hopes to grow the Class in the region and host larger events.  Members hope that boats from around the region will join them for some of the events and they can start traveling to National regattas. 

The Melges 15 can elevate any club or organization’s programming and provide an accessible sailing experience for members of all ages and skill levels. Email sales@melges.com for more information on scheduling a demo and fleet promotions.

Try Before You Buy in Cascais

To celebrate the launch of the European Winter Series in Cascais, Portugal, Melges is offering a discount on the purchase of new Melges 15s for sailors chartering at the series.

Charter a Melges 15 for the low price of €500 and apply the charter fee towards the purchase of a new boat. The charter includes a 2024 race-ready Melges 15 for five days including two days of practice and the three-day event.

Racing
There are two Winter Series events to aim for March 1-3 and April 12-14. The events will be run by the Clube Navale de Cascais in partnership with Portuguese Melges dealer, SailCascais. The racing will take place Friday-Sunday. Sailors from around the world are encouraged to compete!

Debriefs
Vasco Serpa, SailCascais, and Eddie Cox, Melges, will be leading post-race debriefs.

Cascais
The picturesque coastal town of Cascais, Portugal, known as an iconic sailing venue on the west coast of Europe, is set to welcome the Melges 15 Class. The events will be run out of Clube Naval de Cascais, a venue that has previously hosted ISAF worlds, America’s Cup events, and, more recently, the TP52 World Championships.

Cascais offers easy access to warm-weather winter sailing. A 25€ Uber from Lisbon Airport takes travelers to Cascais in 25 minutes.

There is no shortage of accommodation options from 5-star hotels to Airbnbs within a short walk to the venue. With great golf courses, mountain biking, surfing, historic monuments, and amazing food, sailors, family, and friends can expect great fun and memories on and off the water.

Start a Fleet
It’s not too late to make plans for Summer 2024! Melges and its dealers are offering fleet deals for orders of three or more boats. Email sales@melges.com to bring a demo boat to your club and introduce members to the Melges 15 Class.

Contact
For more information about the events and charters, email sales@melges.com or visit melges15.com/european-winter-series.

Epic Start for the Melges 15 in Cascais

The Melges 15 debuted in Cascais with the the Portuguese Champions Regatta, an invitational trophy organised by SailCascais and Clube Naval de Cascais, that gathered the Portuguese National Champions from different classes and some local legends.

From Optimist to ORC the Portuguese Champions made it to Cascais this weekend, as well as some World (ORC & 420) and Europen Champions (Dragon & J70) and other sailors with top honors in major events.

After 7 races sailed over two days, Afonso Domingos (3x Olympian, 2x Star Barcardi winner, ORC World Champion) and Diana Neves, from Cascais, were the big winners (3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 7). Despite the impressive scores, Henrique Brites and Luis Pinheiro (SB20 and Snipe Portuguese Champions) kept the pressure until the end (5, 2, 2, 2, 4, 1, 4), as there was no discard, and the last race counted double, to eventually tie the winners at the top, only to lose on the number of first places. The 1996 420 World Champion Martinho Fortunato sailing with his son Manuel, from Clube de Vela de Lagos, closed the podium (1, 3, 10, 3, 1, 11, 1).

It was a great weekend of sailing in Cascais with wind mostly from the South at 4-15 knots, that brought some swell into the bay. The Melges 15 provided by the organisers, proved to be a great choice for the event as they are easy to sail and they love these conditions.

The event had a solid representation with top sailors from the most active classes in Portuguese sailing, ranging from 14 to 59 years old, from the North to the South of Portugal and from the Azores and Madeira Islands.

Congratulations to Clube Naval de Cascais for the organization and to everyone taking part and especially to the winners.

2024 Melges 15 Winter Series Opens with Record Numbers

The first event of the 2024 Melges 15 Winter Series kicked off in Jensen Beach, FL, attracting over 90 boats. After two days of competition and four races, Luke Arnone and Cameron Giblin led the masses with a 21-point advantage.

The Melges 15 continues to prove that is a platform that anyone can sail. Almost half the fleet was in the 22-49-year-old age bracket with 25 youth skippers, 36 skippers over 60, 4 boats in the Mega Master division at 70+, and a dozen female skippers. A notable number of new faces were racing the Melges 15 at their maiden event including husband/wife team Phil and Abby Tanner, who spent their first weekend away from their 15-month-old and 5-year-old.

“I probably haven’t sailed in a fleet like this since I was 16 years old,” added Phil.

Abby added, “You’re always in the action! It was super exciting and a lot more manageable than I thought it would be. Every race was more and more fun.”

Across the weekend, competitors were met with a variety of challenges, from shifting winds to tactical course layouts. Day One was cut short after only one race as storms enveloped the Sunshine State and a tornado threatened Martin County. Day Two had winds varying winds from 10-18 knots as a cold front entered the stage.

“We haven’t seen a turnout like this since our Opti careers. It was incredible,” said Giblin. “It speaks to how well-designed the boat is and the community it attracts.”

Speaking about their success at the event, Arnone added, “It was a culmination of our sailing experience to date. We had great conditions - we were planing downwind and got the boat moving really well through the chop.”

The 2024 Series is powered by Vakaros’s RaceSense, software that allowed all four races to be started under the P-Flag.

Pete McGriff and JJ Smith, were over early at the start of Race 4. The pair saw the red light on their Atlas 2 and took action to clear themselves immediately before dueling it out with James O’Gwen/Aidan Cunningham and Arnone/Giblin for the race win.

Despite being over early in three out of four of the races, Travis Odenbach and Monica Morgan placed fourth overall.

“I learned that I may be too aggressive of a starter - RaceSense will catch you!” remarked Odenbach. “The greatest thing about being new to the Melges 15 is that you learn something every race. We found a new gear upwind and down and it seemed to work! At the end of the day, it comes down to learning the new equipment and never believing that we are out of the race.”

The next event is set for February 24-25 with the Midwinter Championship March 22-24. The early bird deadline for Event 2 is January 18. Email sales@melges.com for details on getting a new boat in time for February. More information on the Winter Series can be found on melges15.com/winter-series.

SPINNAKER SWEEPSTAKES

Win an American Flag Melges 15 Spinnaker!

We need your help! Fill out this questionnaire for your chance to win an American Flag Melges 15 spinnaker. By filling out this form you are agreeing to let Melges use your statements and send marketing information. The lucky winner will be chosen at the Winter Series Event 2 awards ceremony.

95 Boats to Open 2024 Melges 15 Winter Series

The highly anticipated Melges 15 Winter Series is kicking off in spectacular fashion this weekend in Jensen Beach, FL, boasting an incredible record of 95 boats registered. Sailors from across the country are convening at the US Sailing Center of Martin County, to mark yet another milestone in the early history of the Melges 15 Class.

The success of the Melges 15 Winter Series sets a high standard for one-design racing worldwide not only with its appeal and numbers but with the introduction of Vakaros’s RaceSense. RaceSense is a game-changing technology for race management with the ability to call the start with centimeter accuracy putting an end to general recalls, black flag starts, and protests.

This event is an opportunity for Vakaros to run its technology through the paces using RaceSense in its largest fleet to date.

“There are few platforms in sailing that allow for this type of racing with this size fleet: it’s an incredible test for RaceSense and a testament to the Melges 15 Class’s forward thought to be here throughout the Winter Series,” commented Todd Wilson, Cofounder of Vakaros.

Teams that don’t already have Vakaros units will be supplied with demo units for the three-event series. The Vakaros team will be onsite for the events to run data-driven debriefs leveraging insights from the Atlas’s data logging.

Participants, ranging from early adopters to passionate newcomers, are gearing up for a weekend with big fleet action in the forecasted breeze.

"We are thrilled to witness such an overwhelming response to this year’s Winter Series," said Eddie Cox, from Melges. "To see 95 boats registered for our first event of the year is a testament to how great the boat is. It truly underscores the dedication and passion of this Class."

Racing runs Saturday-Sunday, January 6-7 in Jensen Beach, FL. For more information on the Melges 15 Winter Series and upcoming events, visit melges15.com/winter-series. Follow the racing on Clubspot at https://bit.ly/3s65Oiq.

13 Boat Fleet of Melges 15 Dinghies Set for Howth Yacht Club in Spring 2024

Sarah and Mark McLoughlin on a demo sail in the Melges 15 dinghy off Howth

Originally Published by Afloat.ie

After a successful demo weekend at the end of October, a full container of twelve Melges 15s will be heading to Howth Yacht Club for Spring 2024 to supplement the existing boat there.

Family is a predominant theme amongst the orders, with cross-generational sailing being a common theme amongst the purchasers.

The demo weekend on October 28/29 saw hourly demo sails from 10 AM to 3 PM each day in Medium to Fresh conditions. While none of the participants had sailed the Melges15 before, they were quick to get to grips with the boat and put her through her paces. Different combinations sailed, Husband and wife, father and daughter, mother son, daughter and friend, and even a three-up combination. While rarely raced three up, crews of three are allowed as per class rules, and it was interesting to see this configuration thrive, says Melges 15 Ireland promoter John Sheehy.

Trying out a three-up combination in the Melges 15 dinghy off Howth

Conditions on Saturday, especially the sea state around Ireland’s Eye kept everyone on their toes. Bragging rights for top speed of the day went to skipper Michelle Evans, tagging 15 knots blasting towards Lambay Island with husband Mike trimming the kite. The youngest skipper on the day was Optimist sailor Sarah McLoughlin, showing her dad Mark the way as they zipped around.

A Melges 15 during the demo sessions off Ireland's Eye, Howth. Photo: Tom Ryan

Sunday brought new testers and firmer winds. Most sailing took place in the lee of Howth, where, initially, flatter water allowed the sailors to push the boat and themselves to their limits. A particular mention for the sailor celebrating his 70th birthday that weekend who chose 25knots true wind and large choppy waves off Ireland’s eye as the place to celebrate. After a long, fun weekend of sailing, the usual debriefs, and discussions in the bar, Howth sailors are looking forward to this new fleet arriving early next year with plans for weekly sailing and events underway. With a 13-boat fleet, Howth takes over from Dun Laoghaire as the leading fleet in Ireland.

Demo weekends will continue through the Winter in different clubs across the country as the class looks to build on its launch momentum, according to Sheehy.