Melges Watersports Center Set to Bring World-Class Sailing to Florida's Space Coast

Melges Performance Sailboats is proud to announce the all-new Melges Watersports Center, the country’s newest sailing development and training venue located in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast. 

The Melges Watersports Center is committed to broadening the base of wind and human-powered water sports through dedicated community programs and providing support for the development of future champions and Olympians. 

“Our goal is to create the premiere North American sailing venue,” said Andy Burdick, President of Melges.  

Located on the Banana River at one of its widest points, the venue offers a large, protected body of water, ideal for small sailboats, windsurfers, foiling, and human-powered sports. The Center is also located close to ocean access, allowing for future planning of larger-scale events on the Atlantic.  

The Melges Watersports Center is scheduled to open in October 2024 and begin hosting regattas, clinics, and camps. It will serve as a world-class venue, attracting an international audience to Brevard County. 

As one of the most active one-design classes in the country, the Melges 15 will bring more than 100 teams to the area throughout its four-event Winter Series. In addition, the Center will kick off its inaugural year with the Melges 14 National Championship and a dozen more scow and dinghy events. 

The Center is not just a regatta venue but a year-round hub for aquatic activities and education, catering to beginners and seasoned athletes. It will boast a wide range of services and programs aimed at fostering a love for the water while providing public access to the area’s largest natural resource through kayak and paddleboard rentals.

The Melges Team will facilitate access to the top coaches and athletes in the industry, offering unique training and development opportunities. Several clinics are already on the calendar, aimed at improving boat handling, performance, and racing tactics. These clinics are perfect for individuals eager to absorb expert knowledge within a casual, fun atmosphere. 

The Center, backed by the professional team at Melges Performance Sailboats, aims to be a top sailing destination. The Melges Team has numerous world and national championship titles and decades of instructional experience. With a passion for the sport and a commitment to excellence, Melges consistently elevates the level of event management and educational clinics, fostering a vibrant community of sailors.

"The Melges experience doesn’t end with a purchase. We’re dedicated to providing a holistic sailing experience through regattas, training, and education," explained Burdick.

“We have built a strong community through our boat designs, one that attracts enthusiasts from all walks of life. Through the opening of the Center, I see that community growing larger and more connected through year-round activities.”

The Melges Watersports Center is located at 2550 N. Banana River DR Merritt Island, FL within the 5-acre Brevard County park, Kelly Park East. The venue has been celebrated as one of the top locations for windsurfing due to its consistent breeze and easy access from nearby Orlando airport. 

For more information, visit melgeswatersports.com.

Melges 15 Wins Boat of the Week & Crowns West Coast Champions

Photo: Joy Sailing

The 2024 Melges 15 West Coast Championship was contested at Long Beach Race Week June 21-23 at Long Beach Yacht Club and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. With 18 Melges 15s on the race track, it was the largest class at LBRW. 

Seven races were sailed in a full range of 12-20 knots under blue skies on the dark blue waters of the Pacific. 

Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan from Corinthian Yacht Club won the Championship title, racing in their first West Coast Championship. 

“My crew and I have been sailing the boat for about eight months now and we wanted to come down from San Francisco to race Long Beach Race Week because we know it provides beautiful weather and a lot of fun off the water,” said Searle. “The Melges 15 is an awesome boat, it has more perks than is publicized – it’s incredibly stable which makes it easy for a lot of different people to sail and it’s a lot of fun.”

In addition to representing the largest class, Searle and McGranahan also won LBRW Boat of the Week! Local team Brad Thompson won the Yacht Club Challenge representing Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

Next on the West Coast circuit:

• July 20-21: High Sierra Regatta • Fresno, CA

• July 27-28: CGOD • Cascade Locks, OR • Charters Available

Melges 15 Class Takes Center Stage at Long Beach Race Week

The 2024 Melges 15 West Coast Championship is preparing to get underway at Long Beach Race Week co-hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club and Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in California June 21-23. With 17 boats registered, the Melges 15 represents the largest one-design fleet racing at the event. 

“LBRW is definitely the highlight of the SoCal racing season, so it’s awesome to have the West Coast Championship held in conjunction with it!” said local owner, Brad Thomspon. “I think it will help encourage more people to join the M15 class - especially since we have the most boats competing in only our 2nd year at LBRW.” 

The Melges 15s also represented the largest class at Cal Race Week earlier this month hosted in Marina del Rey, CA. The fleet’s increasing presence at West Coast events is a testament to how well-suited the design is to the region. 

“It’s great to see a good mix of local competitors and teams traveling from further away for our events,” said Tim Clarke, owner of Vela-LA and M15 sailor. “The competition was strong at CRW and it has been great to build on the success of that regatta. That event generated more interest in the class and we were happy to welcome some new owners to our local Melges 15 fleet.”

Racing is scheduled for Friday-Sunday with the awards on Sunday afternoon. Follow the action on lbrw.org. 

Midwest Sailors Triumph at East Coast Championship in Annapolis

The iconic sailing town of Annapolis, MD hosted the second annual East Coast Championship at Severn Sailing Association. Twenty-nine teams, mostly from the region, competed, but a Midwest boat topped the leaderboard.

Toby Sullivan and Graham Ness from Minnesota won the event in a 24-point tie-breaker with New Jersey’s Emily and John Haig, followed by Annapolis locals, Sara Morgan Watters and Anna Flynn.

The three-day event featured consistent winds and flat water on the Chesapeake Bay. Nine races were sailed to engage a throwout, which shook up the rankings.

This was Sullivan’s first Championship win since joining the Class in 2021. “The win still hasn’t sunk in yet, but it means a lot to finally bring home a championship win after competing against the top guys for a few years,” remarked Sullivan.

After the first seven races, the sailors left their boats behind and headed to Camp Steele for live music, dinner, and tasty beverages. A special thanks to Ron and Bonnie Steele for hosting the party!

The regatta was a culmination of three events, the Triple Crown Series, hosted by the Annapolis clubs. The Sailing World Regatta Series, Spring Series, and East Coast Championship dates all coincided with the Triple Crown horse racing event introducing a new competition for the SSA, Eastport Yacht Club, and Annapolis Yacht Club.

“The Triple Crown was really neat because it encouraged everyone to register for each event and we had all three clubs represented,” said Watters, a member of Eastport Yacht Clubf. “There’s a lot of ex-college sailors that live in the area and are looking for the next boat to sail. This boat is really taking off here, and it’s fun to see the momentum.”

Annapolis Yacht Club member, Madeleine Schroeher, added “The fleet here is super competitive and a great group of people. It’s awesome being able to have great racing in your own backyard.”

The Championship Series continues with the following events:

• West Coast Championship • June 21-23 • Long Beach, CA

• Great Lakes Championship • July 12-14 • Rochester, NY

• Inland Championship • August 2-4 • Pewaukee, WI

• National Championship • August 23-25 • Traverse City, MI

2024 East Coast Championship to Set Sail in Annapolis

The stage is set for the Second Annual Melges 15 East Coast Championship, June 7-9, 2024 in Annapolis, Maryland. The highly anticipated event has attracted 28 teams from across the East Coast, including sailors from New York, New Jersey, and South Carolina.

As part of the Championship Series introduced in 2023, these class-sanctioned regattas aim to elevate competition, promote regional fleets, and foster a sense of camaraderie among racers.

Annapolis, renowned for its rich maritime history and vibrant sailing community, boasts burgeoning Melges 15 fleets at several clubs, including the Severn Sailing Association, Eastport Yacht Club, and Annapolis Yacht Club. 

The event marks a significant milestone for the host club, Severn Sailing Association. The Melges 15 fleet’s compliance with strict membership and regatta participation requirements led to its new class sanction at SSA, enabling the fleet to organize annual events, club racing, and offer boat storage at the club.

SSA Fleet Captain Bryan Stout expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming championship. “It's a wonderful chance to really establish our fleet's presence in the Chesapeake Bay,” remarked Stout. “I'm happy to see all of the hard work we have been doing over the last couple of months come to fruition. Thanks in no small part to the volunteer efforts of SSA, the Annapolis M15 Fleet members, our wonderful sponsors, and of course Ron Steele, who is hosting a big party Saturday night.”

Eight races are scheduled for the three-day event. The Melges Team will be onsite coaching and providing daily coverage of the event on the Melges 15 Facebook and Instagram channels. Results will be available on melges15.com/results. For a full schedule of events featured in the Championship Series visit melges15.com/championship-series.

Open Season on Geneva Lake

By Maru Urban, LGYC

The Geneva Lake Sailing School kicked off the regatta season in SE Wisconsin by hosting their Melges 15 clinic at LGYC May 4-5. Saturday started with breakfast, followed by a skippers meeting, racing, and wrapped up with a debrief. The RC got 4 races in with S/SW breeze of 5-10. Unfortunately, there was no wind on Sunday, so that was all of the racing that the 18 competitors got to experience.

Home lake standouts Oliver Gray & Adler Johnston tied Finn Burdick & Colton Hibbard for first place with 10 points each. Oliver and Adler took the tie-breaker with two victories in the four races. Congrats to all, way to start the season off!

Melges Mayhem Regatta Report

By Pierce Barden, M15 Cape Fear Fleet Captain

Eighteen Melges 15 teams gathered at the Carolina Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach, NC for the first annual Melges Mayhem Regatta on May 4-5. Sailors from across the Southeast participated and included teams from NC, SC, GA, and FL.

The Carolina Yacht Club, situated on the Atlantic Ocean, provided a great venue and hospitality. The club has a history of hosting major championships such as the Lightning Worlds, Lightning Pan Am Trials, Sunfish Worlds, Lightning NAs, Laser Nationals, Lightning ACCs, and Laser ACCs.

Saturday’s racing was in light 5-6mph breeze and PRO Billy Mebane and RC volunteers ran 4 races. Michael and Griffin Stapleton led the way with 4 firsts. Tied for 2nd were Austin Ando/Jack Sutton and Liam Walz/Anna Flynn. Pierce and Kiki Barden were 4th, followed by Gavin and James Crowell in 5th.

Sunday produced a little stronger 6-8mph wind allowing crews to sit on the high side. Three races were completed and awards were presented to the top 3 teams. Michael and Griffin Stapleton representing Hobcaw Yacht Club captured the overall win in dominating fashion with a total of 8 points. In 2nd place was Austin Ando/Jack Sutton also from Hobcaw Yacht Club with 13 points. Liam Walz/Anna Flynn representing Crescent Sail Yacht Club finished 3rd with 14 points. Jon Betts/Violet Derry from Carolina Yacht Club leapfrogged into 4th overall with 30 points. Locals Andrew Simpson/Sam Woodley from UNC-W finished 5th overall with 37 points.

Thank you to everyone who made this regatta successful by volunteering their time and efforts. Please check the Melges 15 Facebook Group in the coming months for next year’s regatta dates.