Published on July 17th, 2017

Pattaya, Thailand (July 17, 2017) – Team USA beat Team China in a dramatic, hard-won series in the team racing portion of the Optimist World Championship 2017, retaining its hold on the IODA Challenge Cup team racing trophy for the second year in a row.

The winning team included Stephan Baker, Justin Callahan, Mitchell Callahan, Charlotte Leigh, and Liam O’Keefe.

In high winds of 13-18 knots, huge swell, and choppy seas, the Americans set off in the morning alongside 15 other teams, each determined to do their best on the final day of the team racing championship.

“It was going to be challenging. All the teams are excellent. We knew that going into the day,” said Justin Callahan, Team USA’s sailor spokesman and the only remaining member of last year’s winning team.

The day opened with a series of flights which ensured each of the top 16 teams had a chance to race twice before being eliminated if they lost twice. Team USA skillfully bested Ireland, Germany, Thailand, and Singapore in turn to earn the first assured place in the Finals.

In contrast, the Chinese had to duel with six teams to secure their spot in the finals. Ironically, in their second match, they were beaten by the Malaysians, but, in the showdown for the second seat in the Finals, they found themselves up against Team Malaysia again, this time besting them and sending them to shore with bronze.

The Finals was a best-of-three race series, the first race won by Team USA, the second by Team China. This made the third race a ‘must win’. As the race committee, described it, the deciding race was a “great race”, the winner unclear until the very end.

“We were first, second and third at Mark 3 in the final race,” Justin explained. “But then things got a little messy.” After an incident with a Chinese sailor who pushed the limits of what is allowed in team racing, Justin found himself in sixth position. He managed to gain ground, and, as he put it, “somehow, right at the finish, we pinned them back and finished first, second and third. It was a very close finish.”

On the water observers described a lot of shouting by sailors and whistle blowing by umpires as rules were broken and sailors called each other out, all part of the drama of team racing, in which competitors may push or hold their opponents back in what might otherwise be considered unsportsmanlike behavior.

Team USA had no complaints about the high intensity of the action on the water. “The umpiring was amazing,” remarked Justin. “They were calling all the right calls. We got flags when we knew should have got flags.”

Asked what the team’s secret to success was, he did not hesitate. “Chemistry. Synergy on the team.”

“Training. Training in team racing,” answered USA team coach Lior Lavie, who credited silver medalists Team China as excellent in the event.

“Their devotion to excellence in sailing,” added Paul Callahan, country representative, president of the US Optimist Dinghy Association, a two time Paralympian, and, most importantly today, proud father to Justin and his twin brother Mitchell, who both qualified for Team USA on their own merits.

The individual world championships series, which has a record-breaking 281 sailors from 62 countries participating, continues July 18 to 20 with fleets split into four based on their rankings after six races earlier this week. The Americans can expect to do battle with the Chinese again in the coming days. Four members of Team USA and three of Team China are in the gold fleet.

Results: Qualifying A – Qualifying B – Finals

Event details – Entry list – Facebook

Source: Optimist Worlds 2017