Melges Reunion at Fraglia Vela Riva: Thirty Melges 24s Set for the European Sailing Series Round and Italian Championship as the Melges 15 Makes Its European Debut

Riva del Garda, Italy – It’s Melges Reunion time at Fraglia Vela Riva, which will host, in cooperation with the International Melges 24 Class Association and the Italian Melges 24 Class, the seventh event of the 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series. The regatta will also serve as the 2026 Italian Melges 24 National Championship and the second event of the Gaudì Trophy, named in memory of Gaudenzio Bonini, a longtime member of the Altea team. Sharing the spotlight throughout the weekend will be the European debut of the Melges 15.

The combination of these two events, together with the fact that this is the final opportunity for Melges 24 teams to compete before the European Championship in Tønsberg and to battle for the Italian title, has attracted an outstanding entry list, assembling a fleet of 30 Melges 24s worthy of any major international event.

Slightly fewer entries have been recorded for the debuting Melges 15, a dynamic, high-performance two-person dinghy designed by Reichel/Pugh and launched in 2020. Combining the speed of a modern performance dinghy with the stability of a scow hull, the Melges 15 has rapidly established itself in North America, where more than one hundred boats regularly compete at the Florida Winter Series. Strong fleets have also developed in Mexico, Chile and Canada, and the class is now making its European debut under the leadership of Melges Performance Sailboats, represented in Riva del Garda by company owners Cate Muller-Terhune and Allan Terhune Jr.

Among the Melges 24 fleet, very few of the class’s leading teams are missing. Two American entries will be on the starting line: Warcanoe, helmed by Michael Goldfarb and racing without the recently departed Billy Goldsberry, and LongShot, owned by John Poulson, current leader of the North American Sailing Series Corinthian standings.

Europe’s strongest contenders will also be present, including former European Champions Strambapà, sailed by Michele Paoletti and Giovanna Micol, together with Melgina of Paolo Brescia, currently ninth in the Melges 24 European Sailing Series standings. After six events, the ranking is dominated by Norwegian teams, with Corinthian leader Storm Capital of Peder Jahre ahead of Blow of Peder Nergaard and Helly Hansen Lisa of Kristoffer Spone.

That Scandinavian dominance reflects the exceptional participation numbers recorded at both the Danish Championship and the Nordic Championship, events that exceeded twenty entries and therefore earned increased weighting within the Melges 24 European Sailing Series ranking.

Also lining up in Riva del Garda are former Melges 24 World Champions Altea, with Andrea Racchelli and Nigel Young, together with Croatia’s Karlo Kuret aboard CRO-876.

Other major International Melges 24 Class Association contenders include Zhik Race Team, winner of last year’s Corinthian World Championship in Trieste with owner Miles Quinton and Geoff Carveth at the helm; Panjić of Luka Sangulin, with Tomislav Basic calling tactics; Hungary’s Chinook of Ákos Csoltó, another leading Corinthian campaign; and White Room of the Tarabochia family.

The Melges 15 entry list also promises plenty of excitement, with several internationally renowned sailors expected to make the European premiere of the new design even more compelling.

Racing will begin on Friday, with the first warning signal scheduled for 1300 hours, and continue through Sunday on two separate race courses. Competitors will also enjoy a full social programme, highlighted by the Melges Reunion Party, scheduled for 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 4, at La Spiaggia degli Ulivi, adjacent to the Fraglia Vela Riva clubhouse.

“There is no more dynamic image in sailing than a one-design fleet charging off the starting line or rounding a mark together, and Melges has always represented the very best expression of that spirit,” said Fraglia Vela Riva President Chiara Carloni. “We are always delighted to welcome the Melges 24 class back to our club, where it has become a regular and much-appreciated presence over the years. At the same time, we are proud to host the European debut of the Melges 15 and are confident that Lake Garda will become one of the class’s reference venues in Europe.”