2024 Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2 winner decided in final race
by Morgan Kinney 26 Feb 2024 12:45 PST
February 24-25, 2024
2024 Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2 © Andrew Jowett
The Melges 15 Class concluded its second of three Melges 15 Winter Series events this weekend in Jensen Beach, FL. With 78 boats on the starting line and a full range of challenging conditions, the action was intense up and down the leaderboard.
Culminating in a four-team battle in the final race for the overall regatta win, the event witnessed tight racing across different divisions.
Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan clinched the overall honors with a bullet in the final race. Battling between second and sixth in Race 4, the team seized the lead on the last downwind leg, propelling them from fourth overall to the top of the podium.
"I have the privilege of sailing a lot of Melges boats, and this is easily my favorite," said Searle. The duo is headed to the European Melges 15 Winter Series in Cascais, PRT April 12-14.
The standout performance of the weekend came from the husband-wife team of Claudia and John Bartlett. With Claudia at the helm, the team dominated the Grand Master and Couple's divisions, securing top 5 finishes in all but one race.
"This weekend was what we like - lots of shifts, picking the right side of the course. Well, except for one race," smiled Claudia, referring to a questionable tactical decision in Race 2.
The battle for the top female skipper seemed poised to also determine the overall winner between sisters Dana/John Haig and Emily Haig/Zoe Fisher. The most thrilling moment of the weekend was the photo finish in the first race, with Dana and Emily crossing the line within 2 feet of each other to claim 1st and 2nd place, respectively. Going into Day 2, it seemed like the regatta would come down to Dana and Emily, but the light and shifty conditions of the last race thwarted their plans for a family 1-2.
The top Master title went to the familiar faces of the husband-wife team Michael Faugust and Jennifer Ikeda Faugust. Members of the M15 class since its inception, they overcame an OCS and a late start in the last race to secure the top master position and 19th overall.
The Top Youth award goes to Ryan Keene and Daniel O'Farrill, winners of Race 2.
Final results from the Melges 15 Winter Series Event 2 are available at melges15.com/results. The Midwinter Championship caps off the series March 22-24. Email for details on chartering a boat or purchasing a charter boat from the fleet.