They're Here

The wait is finally over! If you've noticed some shiny new dinghies in the dinghy pen, you're not imagining things. There was great excitement last week as a container carrying 12 brand new Melges 15s arrived at Howth Yacht Club after a long journey from Melges HQ in Wisconsin, USA.

With one Melges 15 already here, purchased at the end of last season, our fleet size now stands at a lucky 13. The sight of these sleek, state-of-the-art dinghies has everyone buzzing with anticipation.

Watch the Unboxing

In case you missed the grand arrival, Gary Cullen had his drone ready to capture the moment. You can watch the "unboxing" here!

Racing Schedule

The new owners are itching to test drive their boats and will be racing alongside the other dinghy fleets on Thursday nights. Everyone was raring to go last night, but with gusts in excess of 25 knots, we thought it prudent to wait for calmer conditions over the weekend!

All going to plan, the fleet will be out racing next Thursday night, 6th June. We are also planning a Sunday morning series featuring a sprint format and some fun novelty races, like a race around the island.

Mark your calendars! Howth Yacht Club will host the Melges 15 National Championships from 24-25 August. We expect the fleet from Dun Laoghaire (11 boats) to come across the bay, and we may even see some boats make it across from the UK.

Meet the Club Melges 15

We are delighted to announce that the club has purchased one of the new Melges 15s, which will be available for chartering by members who have completed a training course and demonstrated their competence in sailing it. There are several members contemplating buying a Melges, and in support of promoting a revival of dinghy racing at HYC, the club is providing interested members the option to race a Melges during summer 2024 before they hopefully commit to buying.

How to get involved with the Fleet

Our goal is to get as many boats on the water as possible, and for that, we need regular crew. We invite members interested in getting involved to register on our new WhatsApp group. For the latest information, check out our dedicated Melges 15 web page at hyc.ie/melges15.

Junior M15 Day

One of the main benefits of the Melges 15 is that it is such a fun boat to sail. We are already lining up an action-packed Melges 15 Junior Day for Saturday, 29th June, complete with a disco to follow.

Stay tuned as we welcome this exciting new class to Howth!