Irish Melges 15 Class Unveils Packed 2026 Racing Calendar

4th January 2026

Afloat.ie Team

The Irish Melges 15 fleet will enjoy a full 2026 calendar, including monthly events and a major European Championship in Lake Garda, following strong class growth across Ireland, especially Dublin Bay.

A European championship in Lake Garda is set to be the 2026 highlight for the Irish Melges 15 class.

The class has continued to grow here following the success of the inaugural Europeans held on the Hyland Shipping course as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta last July. Dun Laoghaire, in particular, has seen strong growth with 20 out of the 37 boats now in Ireland based there.

A goal of the committee, chaired by new class president Jamie Tingle, is to host one class event each month from April through September to supplement the existing local summer racing. Vakaros RaceSense will be used at all class events having proven its value and added to the enjoyment and efficiency of racing.

This year’s calendar is notable for the class with the first regional event to be held outside Dublin with Lough Derg Yacht club hosting an inaugural Western Championships on April 18/19.

May sees the class hold their Eastern Championships in the Royal Irish as part of the Dun Laoghaire Cup on May 23/24. The Royal Irish, who now have 5 M15s on their deck, will be hopeful for a home winner.

A ‘Northerns’ will be held in Howth Yacht Club on June 20/21. This event will be the final warm-up before the European Championships, which will be held in Riva Del Garda on July 3/4/5. Charter boats will be available at the event, though it is anticipated that a well-packed truck of 12 Irish-owned boats will arrive in Italy to take part.

The Irish National championships will return to Dublin Bay in August after Howth hosted the last two years. The Royal Irish will again host the event, taking place on August 22/23.

Finally, September will see a Sprint Style based out of the Royal Saint George Yacht club on September 19/20. Sixteen races are the target for the weekend, with 8 15-minute races being sailed each day. With more winter frostbite races set for the new year, 2026 will be a busy one for the class.

Published in Melges 15

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Melges 15

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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.

At a Glance - Melges 15 Specifications

LENGTH 15 ft
BEAM 5 ft 6 in
DRAFT 2 ft 7 in
HULL WEIGHT 230 lbs
SAIL AREA
MAIN 93.6 sq ft
JIB 39.8 sq ft
ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKER 156 sq ft
CREW 2

At a Glance - Irish Melges 15 class calendar for 2026

April 18–19 – Western Championships, Lough Derg Yacht Club
May 23–24 – Eastern Championships, Royal Irish Yacht Club (as part of Dun Laoghaire Cup)
June 20–21 – Northern Championships, Howth Yacht Club
July 3–5 – European Championships, Riva del Garda, Italy
August 22–23 – Irish National Championships, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dublin Bay
September 19–20 – Sprint Style Event, Royal St. George Yacht Club (16 races targeted)
Winter 2026/2027 – Additional frostbite racing (dates TBC)