Technology Takes Center Stage at Melges 15 Nationals

The 2026 Melges 15 U.S. National Championship delivered everything sailors desire at a championship regatta: a talented fleet, challenging conditions, and close racing. Hosted by Lake Geneva Yacht Club in Fontana, WI, the event attracted 75 teams for three days of competition in some of the strongest conditions many competitors have experienced all season. 

While the racing itself was a showcase of skill, endurance, and fleet depth, the event also highlighted how technology continues to transform race management and safety on the water. 

Throughout the championship, competitors faced sustained breeze, nearing and exceeding the class maximum, that tested crews, equipment, and officials. Managing a fleet of this size in heavy air traditionally requires significant resources, particularly when it comes to starting lines, course adjustments, and safety coverage. 

“The conditions were challenging at times, but RaceSense helped keep racing fair and efficient throughout the event,” said Ben Lamb, three-time Etchells World Champion and Vakaros ambassador. “It also reduced the resources required for traditional race management, allowing more support boats to be on the course, which was a real benefit from both a safety and coaching perspective. I particularly loved that the bottom marks would more to square up the downwind which is extremely rare outside of RaceSense.”

A combination of MarkSetBots and Vakaros RaceSense helped streamline operations to improve the experience for everyone on the water. 

RaceSense automated critical aspects of the starting process, providing synchronized countdowns and real-time line information directly to sailors’ devices. More recently, the Melges 15 Class began allowing distance-to-line information at sanctioned events, which improves congestion control and gives sailors better tools to manage starts in large-fleet racing.

For Principal Race Officer AJ Schweda, the impact was clear.

“Running a 75-boat national championship in big breeze brings plenty of logistical challenges, especially around starting lines and course management,” Schweda said. “With RaceSense, however, the size of the fleet didn’t matter — whether we had 75 or 133 boats, we didn’t need a midline boat. Combined with a strong signal crew, we were able to handle the national championship level without the wind overly affecting our ability to run races.”

The setup also gave race managers better visibility across the racecourse. Using a network of repeaters, spectators could follow racing more closely, while officials had a better view of where boats were positioned across a course that frequently included overturned hulls and rapidly changing conditions.

“The technology was a huge game changer for Race Committee,” Schweda said. “The MarkSetBots were especially valuable in the deep Lake Geneva waters, allowing us to quickly and accurately keep the course on the correct axes. Because the marks are robotic, we didn’t need an anchor puller on either the MarkSet or Gate boat.”

That efficiency translated directly into more racing. Despite operating near the wind limits for much of the championship, the Race Committee fired off eight races.

“RaceSense has become a standard in the Melges 15 Class and made getting races off much easier,” Schweda said. “We were often right at the wind limits throughout the weekend, but the ability to race efficiently within our window helped us complete all eight races. Without RaceSense, we likely wouldn’t have been able to get that many races in.”

The biggest benefit of the technology, though, may have been safety.

By reducing the number of boats required for traditional race management functions, event organizers were able to reallocate personnel and assets to safety operations. With more than 70 boats spread across the racecourse in heavy air, having more boats available to respond quickly to capsizes, breakdowns, or sailor assistance requests added an important layer of confidence for both competitors and organizers. 

The technology also allowed the Race Committee to run a leaner three-boat system, while freeing the gate boat to serve as an additional safety resource when needed.

“We were fortunate to have a strong crew that kept everything running smoothly, which meant the sailors didn’t have to wait for course adjustments or deal with multiple general recalls,” Schweda said. “The technology also allowed us to run a three-boat system, plus freeing up the gate boat to double as an additional safety boat — something that was especially helpful when we were pushing the wind limits.”

The result was a regatta that demonstrated how modern race management can improve efficiency, while making the events safer and more scalable. 

“Overall, the combination of MarkSetBots and Vakaros RaceSense proved to be the right setup for an event focused on both getting races in and keeping sailors and Race Committee safe,” Schweda said.