Melges 15s US Winter Series

Sixty-four Melges 15s competed in the second event of the 2022 Winter Series February 26 & 27 in Sarasota, Florida, USA.


Photography by Morgan Kinney

05 March 2022

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The second event of the 2022 Winter Series February 26 & 27 was held in perfect conditions in Sarasota, Florida, USA.

After five races, Eddie Cox and Molly Ziegler (WI) won the event followed by Turner Ryon (NJ) and Emily Haig (NJ).

Sailors travelled 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 to 27 with the Midwinter Championship.

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Designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges, the Melges 15 prioritizes stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.

 

“The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train,” said Harry Melges III.

The Melges 15’s stable hull shape and ergonomic cockpit make it a suitable layout for adult racing and educational sailing. Easy conversion from a club configuration (non-spinnaker) to a one-design setup, provides more versatility to club programs and options for individual owners.

With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in a variety of conditions, the boat features a narrow overall beam and a flat cross-section shape for stability, righting moment, and ease of planing. For a more forgiving feel upwind and to navigate larger sea states, the Melges 15 has just the right amount of fore and aft rocker.

Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce this layout factoring in cockpit depth, backbone height, and floor plan. The result is 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 Melges 15 is built to be sailed by everyone from friends and couples to families and kids. The design offers performance, comfort, and stability in one sleek package.

 

melges15.com

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