Zim 15 debuts at U.S. Team Racing Championship

Marblehead, MA (September 26, 2014) – The first day of the three day U.S. Team Racing Championship featured sunny skies and a light 5-7 knot southeasterly breeze. With tremendous teamwork from the Race Committee and Umpires the competitors were able to complete 58 races. Susie Schnieder, PRO, commented, “We got in as many races as we possibly could get. I had a great Race Committee. We moved the whole course, I think four times. We hit every corner of the outer harbor. I thought 58 was pretty good.”

Most of the competitors have been pleasantly surprised with the performance of the new Zim 15 which is making its debut at the U.S. Team Racing Championship. Many have particularly liked the Zim 15′s handling and acceleration in light air, including Colin Smith (Fort Lauderdale, FL) from Team Do Less who commented, “They are really awesome for team racing. They’re really maneuverable and really easy to sail in sub 5 knot breeze, which is what we had for most of the day”.

Defending champions, Ladies and Gentlemen, sit at the top of the leader board posting a 7-2 record, but have two teams right on their tails, Kirkwood Ticklers and Hoodrat S.W.O.F., both with 7-3 records. See the full results here.

The U.S. Team Racing Championship remains one of the hottest events in the country for the post-collegiate group of sailors. The premier team racing event in the United States is an invitational event. Interested teams applied by resume. The championship will be raced in three-boat/six-person teams. Each competing team consists of three skippers and three crews. Teams will be racing the new Zim 15, a doublehanded, monohull dinghy designed by Steve Clark. The Zim 15 is very maneuverable which will make for some terrific team racing.

Team racing is one of the fastest growing disciplines in sailing. Over 100 races are sailed in just a few days. Races, or flights, are shorter than traditional race courses. Three flights are racing simultaneously with teams swapping out after each race.

Report by US Sailing media.

Event website – Results – Competitors