Melges 15 Makes Worldwide PY Handicap Debut

8th November 2023

Afloat.ie Team

A Melges 15 passes Ireland's Eye at Howth in North Dublin where a fleet of the new dinghy marque is forming

This past weekend saw a bit of history for the Melges 15 as it raced for the first time under the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap system.

The PY system, as it is known, aims to handicap dinghies based on their relative performance against the other boats they race with.

Howth Yacht Club, home of the second fleet of Melges 15s in Ireland, was the location; their Round Ireland's Eye Race was the event.

As Afloat reported earlier, this race kicked off the 49th year of Winter Racing for Howth Yacht Club and allows competitors to choose which way to race around ‘Ireland’s eye’ a small island just off Howth. The sailors start, choose to round the Island clockwise or anticlockwise and then get back to the finish as quickly as possible.

Racing under a provisional PY of 973, two Melges 15’s competed. Mike Evans crewed by Troy Hopkins entered the demo Melges 15 (#561) while Dad and daughter duo Cormac and Aoibhin Farrelly sailed their own boat (#635). Despite it being their first-ever race in the boat, Mike and Troy blasted around the Island, finishing third across the line and second overall on PY.

Howth Yacht Club Round Ireland's Eye Race PY results

With a demo weekend recently completed and a large order of boats due to arrive in the Spring of next year, according to agent John Sheehy, excitement in Howth will continue to build through the Winter for more Melges 15 sailing days ahead!

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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.