Last weekend, the New York Yacht Club team Silver Panda defended their title at the British Open Team Racing Championship for the Road Range Wilson Trophy at West Kirby Sailing Club in England, becoming the first-ever American team to repeat as winners. NYYC Silver Pandas Clay Bischoff and Martha Carleton, Colin Merrick and Amanda Callahan, Pete Levesque and Mandi Markee, defeated a talent-laden Larchmont Yacht Club team 3-0 in an exciting final series. This year, the finals were sailed in a fleet of red and green color coded boats sponsored by Carlsberg, Selden, Musto and Crewsaver just feet from the shore where a crowd filled the grandstands.

The Wilson Trophy lived up to its reputation as the most difficult team racing regatta to win. Video cameras were rolling for a spectacular final series that saw old friends and rivals meet again and where each of the 6 boats had a past or current Team Racing World Champion in it. NYYC Silver Panda jumped out to an early 1-0 lead winning the first race 1-2-4. Race 2 was one of the most exciting, interesting and classic 1-4-5 / 2-3-6 battles any of the competitors remember being part of. The final beat involved countless tacks, circles lead changes and combination changes. In race 3, the Pandas were able to hold off the attack from the Larchmont boats to win the race 2-3-4 and the series 3-0.