April 9 - 11, 2010 NHYC will host 9 yacht clubs for the 3rd Annual Invitational Team Race for the Baldwin M. Baldwin Cup.  The regatta is a 4 versus 4 team race, sailed in Harbor 20's.  This email is part of 6 part series geared at informing the membership about this exciting event.  In just 2 years, this regatta has gained national prestige and put NHYC at the forefront of adult team race regattas. 

What is Team Racing?

Team racing, like most team sports, involves strategy, advanced skill, and teamwork. However, unlike other sports, team racing pits a team of four boats against another team of four. This added dimension forces players to have tremendous boat-handling ability and quick reactions. Being a good sailor is essential to becoming a team racer. A keen understanding of the rules, along with good speed and tactics are necessary to be competitive in this sport. Those sailors who have not yet reached this level strive to it. Team racing is the best place to test and improve your skills as a sailor.

The object of the game is to get your team’s boats across the finish line in better positions than the opposing team. The rules of racing remain constant. They are also the most important part of any team race. This importance is based on the fact that a good team will use the rules to its advantage to overcome the other team. By using the rules, a team may force control over another allowing its teammates to pass the opponents, leading to a winning combination.

The outcome of each race is simply decided: The team that finishes with the least number of points, wins. However, this can get fairly complicated as teams approach the finish line and the math begins. The “magic” number is 18. The team that has 18 points or less wins the race!  Simple math gets complicated quickly as the boats approach the finish and positions rapidly change with each wind shift.