John Sheehy

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.

Awarded World Boat of the Year in 2022, the Melges 15 is now the fastest-growing class in the world, with 700 boats worldwide

Melges 15 Dinghy - Try Before You Buy in Cascais

1st January 2024 Melges 15

To celebrate the launch of the European Winter Series in Cascais, Portugal, Melges Ireland is offering a double discount on the purchase of new boats for Irish sailors chartering at the series. With a promotional charter fee of €475, new Melges…

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

Demo the Melges 15 Dinghy in Dublin Bay

12th June 2023 Melges 15

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…

An initial order of 12 boats has been placed for 12 Melges 15s for Dublin Bay this summer

Melges 15: A New Double-Handed Dinghy Fleet to Arrive for the 2023 Dublin Bay Sailing Season

31st January 2023 Melges 15

The Melges 15 dinghy, a new double-handed dinghy taking the US by storm, is due to launch in Europe this summer, with its first European fleet set for Dublin Bay. Leading the class launch is John Sheehy of the Royal Saint…

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.