Team Racing Excitement (courtesy of Gavin O'Hare)

So you watched the match races between Prada and AmericaOne and thought it was pretty exciting?  Well, imagine the three European America 's Cup challengers teamed up to race against three American syndicates. Six boats dog fighting up and down the legs of the race course, with one team of three boats victorious across the finish line. Because the combinations may change often in the team race, it is very eventful from start to finish. If this sounds pretty exciting and more like three on three basketball than sailboat racing, you're catching the team race fever!  

Team racing represents sailing's ultimate teamwork challenge and is an exciting sport for both the competitor as well as the spectator. Team racing represents a complete paradigm shift from conventional fleet sailboat racing. The name itself inherently tells the difference. Unlike fleet racing, where a boat is pitted against all others on the racecourse, team racing relies on a concerted effort by teammates. Victory is accomplished in team racing when the majority of one team crosses the finish line ahead of the other team. 

For more information on team racing, check out the USTRA web site.