What is Team Racing?

Team Racing is a form of sailing where multiple boats form part of a team. In any given team race, two teams go head to head, using speed, tactics and the racing rules of sailing in order to come out on top. The most common format of team racing is 3 vs 3. In that case, a team must cross the finish line with a total of 10 or less points in order to win. We call this a winning combination. If a team crosses in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, their total points are 6 and they win. The losing team, with a 4th, 5th and 6th have a total score of 15 points.

Find a great intro video to team racing HERE

Find regularly uploaded content from George Potter HERE

What are the winning combinations in 3v3?

1, 2, anything

1, 3, anything

1, 4, 5

2, 3, 4

2, 3, 5

What about 2v2?

The 2 vs 2 format of team racing is increasing in popularity. The team racing world championships held in 2025 after a 10 year hiatus, took place in New York Yacht Club in Sonars, using a 2 v 2 format. In this case, the team with a 4th place finisher loses. This is commonly referred to as “last boat loses”. The winning combinations are therefore:

1, 2

1, 3

2, 3

What boats does team racing most often take place in?

In the UK and Ireland, team racing most commonly takes place in the Firefly - a 2 person, highly manoeuvrable dinghy - perfect for team racing.

2 vs 2 often takes place in larger keelboats such as J80s, Elliott 6ms and Sonars, requiring a larger crew of between 3 and 5 people.

How can I get involved?

Team racing is very much on the rise in Ireland, and is spreading to local sailing clubs around the country. Many clubs simply team race socially, and many have teams who compete at national and international events. In recent years, Irish Sailing have promoted team racing in smaller clubs, providing sets of fireflies and spreading the gospel! Contact your local sailing club to find out more.