North Sails
  • Instructor Bio
    Dobbs Davis

    Dobbs Davis



    As a sail trimmer, tactician, and navigator with over 20 years' experience and many championship titles to his credit, Dobbs has competed in nearly every major offshore race and inshore regatta in the US and around the world on everything from small keelboats to offshore one-designs to America’s Cup yachts to Maxis.

    These include class and/or overall wins in the following major inshore events:


        - Key West Race Week
        - SORC/Miami Race Week
        - Jaguar Cup Series (Etchells)
        - St Pete, Annapolis, Chicago, & Larchmont NOOD’s
        - Block Island Race Week
        - Cowes Week (UK)
        - Kieler Woche (Germany)
        - New York YC Race Week
        - Copa del Rey (Spain)
        - Verve Cup
        - America’s Cup Jubilee (UK)
        - IRC National Championships
        - IMS/ORC Europeans (Sweden, Italy, & Croatia)

    And US, UK, and/or World championships in the following classes: J/22, Melges 24, Etchells, 6-Metre, Mumm 30, Melges 32, 1D 35, Sydney 38, Farr 40, GP 42, Swan 45, and 1D 48.

    Dobbs also has been active in offshore racing, with podium finishes in the following offshore races:
        - Block Island & Vineyard Races
        - Newport-Bermuda Race/Onion Patch Series
        - Bermuda 1-2 (doublehanded)
        - Volvo Baltic Series (Sweden)
        - Giraglia Race (France/Italy)
        - Gotland Runt (Sweden)
        - Transpac & Pacific Cups
        - Nordsee Woche (Germany)
        - Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta & Manzanillo Races (Mexico)
        - Chicago & Bayview Mackinac Races
        - Fastnet Race (UK)
        - Kenwood Cup
        - Sardinia Cup
        - European Sailing Ryder Cup (UK, France, Spain)

    His more recent focus on match racing and umpiring has brought him into a close working knowledge of the racing rules, and he has taught numerous seminars and clinics on the rules and their practical use in tactics. With this knowledge he was an intramural umpire and coach for the K-Challenge America’s Cup team in 2005-06, and has been also umpiring for the past two years at events on the World Match Racing Tour and several Grade 1 Women’s events, including this year’s Women’s Match Race World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

    Besides having been an instructor and coach for North U for over a decade, Dobbs has also written extensively about the sport as US Editor for Seahorse Magazine and is a regular contributor to Sailing World and several other magazines and web sites.