It was a real community effort last weekend, as Bristol hosted the U.S. Sailing Team Racing National Championship. Over three days, 144 sailors on 24 teams battled for the Hinman Cup, sailing in 204 races.

The U.S. Team Racing Championship, first held in 1981, remains one of the most anticipated annual sailing championships of the season. Initiated by Sailing World magazine, the event was adopted by U.S. Sailing and became known as the U.S. Team Racing Championship for the George R. Hinman Trophy, so named in recognition of Hinman’s many years of service and contributions to sailing.

“It’s a big deal to have the opportunity to host a national level event like this, and it could not have been done without the volunteers from the Bristol Yacht Club and harbormaster Gregg Marsili and his staff,” said regatta co-chairman and Bristol resident Nick Cromwell. “Racing was held in the water off the maritime center, and it was great to be able to use that facility. It made for a really nice event.

“Working around the ferry schedule got a little tricky, but we did it.”

The regatta was sailed in a fleet of Zim 420Es provided by local company Zim Sailing, Z420s from Roger Williams University, and club 420s from Bristol Yacht Club, with sails supplied by New Bedford Community Boating.

Team Holiday Sideshow, including Colin Merrick, David Thompson, Rachel Holick, Christopher Klevan, Greiner Hobbs, and Miranda Bakos, took top honors. “We tried to keep it simple, just kept it going fast,” says Merrick, now a six-time Hinman champion. “We were a little slower upwind, so getting off the line clean was big for us,” added Hobbs. “We just kept pushing the race forward.” After this weekend, Hobbs, Bakos, and Klevan have now won the trophy three times.

Team Bulldawgs, who hail from St. Thomas Yacht Club, Coral Reef Yacht Club, and Hyannis Yacht Club, finished the three-day regatta in second overall, closely followed by Team Jet Lag, from St. Francis Yacht Club, in third.

Who would take the top spot came down to the final leg of the final race, but the entire weekend was a test of skill and adaptability. “The winner was a master of all kinds of conditions,” says Shannon Bush, spokeswoman for the U.S. Team Racing Championship. “The boat handling skills were unreal … These guys and gals make it a pleasure to watch.”

Beyond the racing, competitors and organizers repeatedly remarked on the camaraderie both on and off the water.

“This regatta is the best. You get to see all your old friends you went to school with,” said Hobbs, who along with many of his teammates attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Bristol rolled out the red carpet for the competitors. While racing took place directly off the docks downtown,  ocial events were hosted at the Bristol Yacht Club, rebuilt just last year after a 2018 fire. “Bristol generally has some pretty great conditions and a lot of history of sailing,” says Kate Bjerregaard, who represented Bristol Yacht Club on Team Natty Nice. “It’s a fun place to sail.”

Regatta co-chairman Cromwell was awarded the Gay Lynn Award for Team Racing at Saturday evening’s dinner. The award is given at the discretion of the U.S. Sailing Team Racing Committee in recognition of extraordinary contribution to the sport of Team Racing. It was last presented in 2017 to John Pratt.

“We pulled off a big event,” said Cromwell, “and the town put on a good show.”