A six-sailor team, most with East Bay ties, won a second straight ISAF Team Racing World Championship on Feb. 8 in Perth, Australia.

Competing for the New York Yacht Club, the Silver Panda three-boat team dominated the international field that included teams from Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan.

Racing for the USA ‘A’ team were the six-some of Amanda Callahan and Colin Merrick (Roger Williams University head and assistant coaches), Clay Bischoff, Lisa Keith, and Pete Levesque and Liz Hall (both of Tiverton). The USA ‘B’ team included Bristol’s Charles Enright.

Although they’d be sailing Pacer dinghies, a design that’s popular Down Under but with which they had little experience, the team set out with high hopes of defending the title they had won two years ago in Spain.

“It’s one of those things you don’t like to say before the regatta begins, but we didn’t bring the trophy case with us to Australia because we were really hoping to bring the trophy back home with us,” Ms. Callahan said.

The Silver Panda team (Ms. Callahan said she’s not clear where the name came from) stormed out to a strong start, with a perfect 13-0 record over the first two days of racing and entering the final day of racing having won 92 percent of their races.

On the last day, Silver Panda qualified for the championship round after compiling a 12-1 record in the Round Robin 4. En route to securing the championship, the team had to get past unfamiliar foes in the host Australian team and the New Zealand team.

Although the scores were lopsided, there was some tight racing.

“In the first race of the finals against Australia 1, the finish was so close that we weren’t sure who won until the race committee flew our flag several minutes after all of the boats finished.”

Not only did the boats take some getting used to but conditions varied dramatically. For the first days of racing, breezes were gentle but for the second half racers were greeted by near gales with gusts into the mid-thirties.

“It was wicked, wicked breezy,” Ms Callahan said. “At one point, they brought all the boats in and reefed the sails.”

In the end, Silver Panda cruised to victory after winning all three races in the final round.

“The two host clubs, the South of Perth Yacht Club and the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, did a first-class job running the event, and between the two venues, we experienced some great and varied sailing conditions,” said Callahan. “All told it was a great event and a wonderful trip.”

2nd-ranked Hawks

Coaches Callahan and Merrick now turn their attention to their Roger Williams University sailing team which completed the fall season ranked second in the nation in co-ed dinghy racing.

The boats were launched this week with but a few days of bitter cold practice before RWU hosts a six-school regatta on March 7-8.

Nowhere in sight on the sailing map a few short years ago, RWU has become a national powerhouse in short order.

Ms. Callahan credits the school’s sailing facility, superb sailing conditions on Mt. Hope Bay just east of the bridge, and a reputation that grows with each winning season.

“Our first class of recruited sailors graduated last year and really helped get us get going,” the coach said. “You win some regattas and then qualify to get into more competitive races. It just builds.”

She said she thinks the team has a “great shot” at making the co-ed nationals this spring in San Francisco and she also has hopes for being among the three team-racing squads to emerge from this region.

Talented sailors who work hard — they can be seen out practicing in the worst of weather — are the basis for her confidence.

The starting rotation includes:

• Skipper Matt Duggan (senior), crew Maria Petrillo (senior)

• Skipper Cy Thompson (sophomore), crew Kaytlin Hall (senior) or Kelly Stannard (freshman)

• Skipper Jon Enright (senior), crew Kelly Gorman (senior)

Graduation will hit the team hard this year, with three top crew and two skippers leaving but the coach said that a talented group of underclassmen and recruits waits in the wings.

Sale loft opens in Newport

North Atlantic Sails announces the opening of a full service sail loft at 11F Bowler Lane in Newport.

Launched in Canada in 2001, North Atlantic Sails moved to Newport in 2008.

The loft is owned by M. Chris Pitts and Jay Everson.

Mr. Pitts contributes almost two decades of experience in the custom sail design, production and service industry. His experience includes managing lofts and creating custom sail designs in England, New York, and Canada.

Mr. Everson brings over a decade of experience in both the commercial and private marine industry as a licensed captain and manager of both private and racing yachts, as well as commercial tugboats.

North Atlantic Sails designs and builds custom sails using the latest design programs. The firm also does sail modification, repair and service, sail washing, rigging and splicing, canvas production and repair, custom leatherwork, production of fender covers, boat covers, gear bags and drogues.

More information is available at www.northatlanticsails.com.