2008 US Sailing Team Racing National Championship

The US Sailing Team Racing National Championship for the Hinman Trophy just concluded at the Hinman Yacht Club. This is a special year since it's an ISAF Team Racing World Championship qualifier as well. Enjoy the podcasts below for a recap of what happened and why all these team racers won't forget the great winds and hospitality of Erie Yacht Club (if you want high resolution video of any of these, you are welcome to email me at dude1@apple.com ).

1) Silver Panda
2) West Kirby
3) Tannery Loungers
4) Tap n' Go


Why are Amanda Callahan, Elizabeth Hall, Lisa Keith and Clay Bischoff synchronizing diving into the water? Did they just win for the third time in a row?


Check out some of the awesome boat handling that Panda has while gybing.


Why is Erik Stork doing a back flip off the back of his V15? Did he and his team just qualify the the 2009 ISAF Team Racing World Championship?



part 1

part 2

part 3

Listen to a recap of Sunday's racing (including the quarter, semi and petit finals) from the encyclopedia of team racing: Ken Legler.


If you are interested in competing in the 2009 championship next year, here is a preview from Tom Dewayne.


Rip Hale comes from Martha's Vinyard, home of some of the finest sailors in the world (including Nevin Sayre).


Listen to Eric Stork talk about how he and his team did on Saturday



Matt Knowles is the youngest member of the US Sailing Racing Rules Committee. He was also an umpire at the Hinman. He was Harvard's #3 skipper for Team Racing Nationals when it was at Navy. Listen to the inside scoop on who knows the rules better: Dick Rose or Dave Dellenbaugh.


Amanda Callahan told me that Tom Brady was sailing this weekend at the Championship...I asked her who Tom Brady was and what kind of boat does he sail...


If you hiked as hard as Colin Merrick and Amanda Calahan, do you think you could beat them in a team race?



Is Adam Werblow, the head coach of St. Mary's College (aka Sail Maker's College) a turkey? Let's hear what John Vandemoer, new head coach of the Stanford Sailing Team, has to say on the subject.


The lovely colors of pink and blue.


Stanford Alum, former 470 sailor and current College of Charleston head honcho, Alice Maynard joined the umpire team this weekend. Listen to what her thoughts are on getting more women team racing as well as match racing in the USA.


John and his little sis' Katie Stork hiking hard...


An awkward moment where Amanda Callahan wanted to play with my balls...I gave her my juggling clubs instead :-)


Colin Merrick & Amanda Callahan and Pete Levesque & Liz Hall going fast while leading 1, 2 in the finals.


Bruce Hebbert, a premiere umpire from the UK was part of our umpire team. As a former Navy man whose favorite color is Oxford blue, learn the proper way to say 'leeward' in the UK.


Check out Clay Johnson surfing in the light stuff.


Clay Bischoff/Lisa Keith and Colin Merrick/Amanda Callahan lead Tannery Loungers in the Semi-Finals


Colin Merrick feels the racing rules of sailing don't clearly define when a tack is complete. In fact, the racing rules of sailing don't appear to have a definition of tacking at all. Why is this a problem? The ISAF Rule 42 interpretations rely on a notion of when a tack is complete. If tack is not defined, how can one define when it's complete? If one reads between the lines of rule 13 and the ISAF rule 42 interpretations (specifically ISAF Rule 42 Basic 6), one can guess that a tack is complete when a boat is on her new close hauled course...but there is not case or appeal that specifically states this that I'm aware of.


Listen to Amanda Callahan talk about the racing.


If you tacked as well as Adam Roberts, do you think you could help your team win the ICSA Team Racing National Championship in Team Racing?


A brief panoramic of the racing scene at Erie YC. I found Erie to be a very low stress place to host a regatta. The Hinman is a major event of dramatic proportions (arguably the largest US Sailing National Championship) that had to house 18 umpires! That's a lot of umpires! 17 teams (17 x 6 people = 102) camped or found lodging near by. With all these people, as well as a world class PRO and announcer, clubs can be nightmares to park, feed or provide hot showers. Erie YC, in my opinion, did not miss a beat and provided warm hospitality to all. A venue I highly recommend if people are looking for hosts of other events.


Listen while Charlie Enright explain his hail of alley-oop.


Words from the Commodore of Erie YC, Dave Arthurs.


The lovely conditions off Erie YC provided for some speedy reaching on legs 2 and 4 of the course.

Watch how NYYC Silver Panda rounds the leeward mark.



Gavin O'Hare, Hinman regatta Chairman, talks to us about the historic aspect of our sailing venue and the etymology of the name "Misery Bay" and the origins of the term "Don't give up the ship".


Bruce Hebbert, world famous umpire and one of the original authors of the Team Race Call Book has always said the WORST thing an umpire can do is drive through the finish line. Listen to Bruce's wife, Amanda, set us straight on this topic.


Gybe like a girl...check out how 470 world champion Erin Maxwell gybes.


Here is Erin Tacking.


Yes, it was windy enough to flip...


Erie YC has some beautiful wooden boats.


John Pratt does not do 'stinkin' podcasts...except for me...check this podcast out as it's definitely one of my favorites!


The author enjoying a relaxing juggle of machetes between races...

If you are interested in last year's coverage of this event, you are welcome to check out:
2007 Championship Coverage

more podcasts will be posted as time permits...