Demo the Melges 15 Dinghy in Dublin Bay

12th June 2023

Melges 15 dinghy demo sails are available in the next couple of weeks on Dublin Bay

For anyone interested in the new Melges 15 fleet that has arrived in Dublin Bay, a selection of dates for demo sails are available in the next couple of weeks. Slots are available on a range of dates and times at the Royal Saint George Yacht Club and can be booked here

The boat has exceeded expectations so far, with a wide age and skill range of sailors enjoying the fast, stable platform that the Melges 15 provides, despite the lighter breezes of the last few weeks.

The top recorded speed is currently held by father-daughter combo Theo and Alanna Lyttle with 14.4 knots.

The above and below screenshots are from Theo Lyttle's Strava app that lets you track your running and riding with GPS The (above and below) screenshots are from Melges 15 sailor Theo Lyttle's Strava app that lets you track your running and riding with GPS

The video below shows why US sailors are enjoying the boats so much.

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About The Author

John Sheehy

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Royal Saint George Yacht Club member on Dublin Bay, Ireland. He grew up sailing in Dublin Bay and is a passionate team racer and match racer.

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About the Melges 15 Dinghy

The Melges 15 was designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges.

The design prioritises stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.

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.

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.

“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,” according to Harry Melges III.

With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in various 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, they say, 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 manoeuvre.

The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element, while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast.