The E Scow Spring Regatta marks the official kickoff to the season on the Melges Team’s home waters, Geneva Lake. Each year, over two dozen boats travel to Lake Geneva Yacht Club for two days of high-stakes racing. This year, the regatta delivered a full spectrum of challenges: from gnarly 25+ knot gusts and heavy chop on Day One to a lighter breeze that tested sailors’ patience on Day Two.
There’s no hiding from the drone; every tack, shift, and slip-up gets captured. Fortunately for us, the footage tells a good story. Race Three on Day Two turned out to be a standout for us. We stayed sharp, made the right calls, and came away with the win.
The day began with tricky conditions: light breeze, big shifts, and huge holes scattered across the course. It was the kind of race where every move counted. Here are three key things we zeroed in on to make it happen:
1. Stay in the Wind
This was our #1 priority. In conditions like this, you have to be in pressure longer than the boats around you. We spent the whole race looking up the course and putting ourselves in the best lanes we could find.
If you check the drone footage, you’ll see it:
• First upwind at 8:45
• First downwind at 15:45
We stayed in the breeze and gained. That was the difference.
2. Stay Fast
It sounds obvious, but it’s everything in light, tricky conditions. We focused on keeping the boat ripping—bow down, sails eased, and always pressing for speed.
Upwind: Sails were eased, top of the main open, and we ensured the top telltale was always flowing.
Downwind: When the pressure hit, we pressed with our weight before heading down, always trying to build speed first.
Speed over height. Every time.
3. Stay Patient
You’re going to win and lose hundreds of yards in a race like this. That’s just how it goes when the breeze is this unstable. We tried not to get too high or too low, just kept chipping away and making good decisions.
The teams that hang tough and keep their heads usually end up gaining ground, even if it doesn’t always feel that way in the moment.
Check us out at the end of the video: 37:05
Becalmed, we stayed patient and only lost our minds a little bit ;) and still came away with the win.
It's really fun to get back out in the E Scow. We are looking forward to a great season and are here to help. Melges and the Quantum Sails Zenda Team are thinking about E Scow Sailing, sails, and how to go faster every day. We want you on our team. Let us know how we can help you this summer with new sails, parts, and tips to sail your boat faster.
EDDIE COX
Eddie grew up on White Bear Lake, MN, where he raced Melges X Boats as a junior sailor. Eddie attended Hobart College and was a 4-year starter on the sailing team. Straight out of college in 2016, Eddie started working for Melges Performance Sailboats, where he oversees sales and plays a pivotal role in developing boats such as the Melges 15. Eddie is a National Champion in the E Scow, C Scow, and MC Classes, and actively races A Scows, Melges 24s, and Melges 15s.