136 Boats Race in 2024 Melges 15 Winter Series

The Melges 15 Class is experiencing an unprecedented season, marked by a remarkable turnout of 136 teams participating in the 2024 Winter Series. The Midwinter Championship runs March 22-24, 2024 at the US Sailing Center of Martin County in Jensen Beach, FL.  

Ninety boats, representing a competitive field, are vying for the coveted Midwinter Championship title and the series trophy this weekend. Returning for their third event are Event 1 winners Luke Arnone and Cameron Giblin from Bay Head, NJ. As the overall series leaders, they’ll be duking it out with Event 2 winners, Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan from Miami, FL. 

The allure of warmer temperatures and sunshine has drawn a significant number of participants southward all season, seeking respite from the lingering grasp of winter. The Sullivan Family from Minnesota has doubled their presence in the series, with brothers Toby and Josh Sullivan each helming their respective boats. 

Peter Sullivan, who alternates crewing for his sons Toby and Josh, expressed how incredible it is for them to have the chance to participate in the Winter Series. “Work Thursday, parachute into FL for a weekend of crazy good, competitive racing on the funnest boat around. We get to hang out with old friends and make new ones in this  amazing community.”

Follow the action from the three-day event starting Friday, March 22 on the Melges Facebook and Instagram accounts. Results will be posted to Clubspot. Learn more about the Melges 15 Class and view daily photos at melges15.com.

Manso/Leal Win European Winter Series Event 1

Paulo Manso and Tiago Leal won the inaugural stage of the Melges 15 European Winter Series in Cascais, PRT. Hailing from Madeira Island, Manso demonstrated resilience in overcoming challenging conditions earning firsts in all but one of the six races sailed. 

John Sheehy and his daughter Katie from the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Ireland closely trailed the leaders, starting and finishing strong in the first and last races. Local talents Joana Madeira and Diogo Pinto secured the third spot with a consistent performance, recording all top 5 finishes.

The competition in Cascais featured 14 teams representing Ireland, Switzerland, and Portugal. The Melges 15 Class, already a huge success in the US, is gaining traction in Europe through the Winter Series and last month’s appearance at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show.

The picturesque setting of Cascais provided a beautiful backdrop to the races, with a solid breeze peaking at 17 knots producing 3-meter swells. The Race Committee strategically conducted the races inside the bay, where the NW wind proved to be shiftier and gustier, offering the fleet a challenging yet exhilarating experience. 

Reflecting on their success, Manso noted, "The boat was fast, making our life easier on the race course. We managed to sail the pressure patches well on the downwinds, making the difference." 

The upcoming second Cascais Winter Series from April 12-14 promises more exciting competition with charter boats available. Email sales@melges.com to learn more about sailing the three-day regatta. 

Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2 Winner Decided in Final Race

The Melges 15 Class concluded its second of three Melges 15 Winter Series events this weekend in Jensen Beach, FL. With 78 boats on the starting line and a full range of challenging conditions, the action was intense up and down the leaderboard.

Culminating in a four-team battle in the final race for the overall regatta win, the event witnessed tight racing across different divisions.

Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan clinched the overall honors with a bullet in the final race. Battling between second and sixth in Race 4, the team seized the lead on the last downwind leg, propelling them from fourth overall to the top of the podium.

“I have the privilege of sailing a lot of Melges boats, and this is easily my favorite,” said Searle. The duo is headed to the European Melges 15 Winter Series in Cascais, PRT April 12-14.

The standout performance of the weekend came from the husband-wife team of Claudia and John Bartlett. With Claudia at the helm, the team dominated the Grand Master and Couple’s divisions, securing top 5 finishes in all but one race.

“This weekend was what we like - lots of shifts, picking the right side of the course. Well, except for one race,” smiled Claudia, referring to a questionable tactical decision in Race 2.

The battle for the top female skipper seemed poised to also determine the overall winner between sisters Dana/John Haig and Emily Haig/Zoe Fisher. The most thrilling moment of the weekend was the photo finish in the first race, with Dana and Emily crossing the line within 2 feet of each other to claim 1st and 2nd place, respectively. Going into Day 2, it seemed like the regatta would come down to Dana and Emily, but the light and shifty conditions of the last race thwarted their plans for a family 1-2.

The top Master title went to the familiar faces of the husband-wife team Michael Faugust and Jennifer Ikeda Faugust. Members of the M15 class since its inception, they overcame an OCS and a late start in the last race to secure the top master position and 19th overall.

The Top Youth award goes to Ryan Keene and Daniel O’Farrill, winners of Race 2.

Final results from the Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2 are available at melges15.com/results.

The Midwinter Championship caps off the series March 22-24. Email sales@melges.com for details on chartering a boat or purchasing a charter boat from the fleet.

Fresh Faces Bring New Competition to Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2

The Melges 15 Winter Series is set to continue its season with the much-anticipated Event 2, taking place February 24-25 in Jensen Beach, FL. Building on the first event's success, 84 Melges 15s are gearing up for two days of competition and fun in the Florida sun.

The Melges 15 Winter Series has become a highlight of the winter sailing calendar, attracting friends and families from across North America. A number of newcomers are joining the ranks as well to bring fresh competition among mixed fleet. 

Mike Schroff and Abby Brown, celebrated their one-year anniversary of racing the Melges 15 together, with a win at the Sailing World Regatta Series in St. Petersburg, FL last weekend. While Schroff will be sailing with a new crew in Jensen Beach, he’s coming into this event with a confidence boost. 

“The Winter Series is almost three times the size of what we saw on the starting line in St. Pete,” said Schroff. “I’m excited to see how our tactics and boat speed play out in the bigger fleet. One of my favorite things about the series is how everyone is there learning and getting better together. The Winter Series stands out not only for its size and competition but also for the sheer number of entries. No other class can compare!”

The 2024 Series is powered by Vakaros’s RaceSense, a game-changing technology for race management. RaceSense can call the start with centimeter accuracy, which resulted in all races being sailed under the P-Flag at the January event. 

“The Winter Series events have by far the largest fleets we’ve ever been able to run RaceSense in,” said Will Huerth, Director of Sales at Vakaros. “We’re so excited to partner with the fastest-growing one-design fleet in sailing right now.”

For more information about the Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2, including race schedules, and participant details, please visit melges15.com/winter-series. The Midwinter Championship caps off the Winter Series March 22-24. Email sales@melges.com for details on charter boats and boats for sale at the end of the series.

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.