Sailor · 2010–2025

Mark Backman

nyc PHRF handicap IRC handicap ORC handicap

Search sailors · About these ratings

Events: 17
Win rate: 18%
Podium rate: 41%
Typically beats: 56%

Most successful partnership: Neil Watson
Best trio: Neil Watson & Andy Smith
Biggest lift: Neil Watson
Longest-running crew: Michael Cullen
Signature result: 1st of 8

Partnerships · 36 sailors

Most successful partnership: Neil Watson — 3 wins · 4 podiums in 4 events together

Michael Cullen · ACE, Sassafras, SASSAFRAS, Zamboni · Handicap, IRC handicap, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 13events 1 wins together · 4 podiums · 8% win rate · 1 of 13 races won Beat 42% of the fleet together(−37 vs. without) · best 1st · May 2014 – Jul 2025
Kris Davis · ACE, Sassafras, Zamboni · IRC handicap, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 11events 1 wins together · 4 podiums · 9% win rate · 1 of 11 races won Beat 39% of the fleet together(−35 vs. without) · best 1st · May 2014 – Jul 2025
Bart Bies · ACE, Sassafras, Zamboni · IRC handicap, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 10events 1 wins together · 4 podiums · 10% win rate · 1 of 10 races won Beat 39% of the fleet together(−30 vs. without) · best 1st · May 2014 – Aug 2023
Jennifer Bird · ACE, Sassafras, Zamboni · IRC handicap, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 9events 1 wins together · 4 podiums · 11% win rate · 1 of 9 races won Beat 39% of the fleet together(−25 vs. without) · best 1st · May 2014 – Aug 2023
Ashley Curran · ACE, Sassafras, Zamboni · IRC handicap, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 8events 1 wins together · 3 podiums · 13% win rate · 1 of 8 races won Beat 40% of the fleet together(−19 vs. without) · best 1st · Jun 2016 – Aug 2023
Philip Playfair · Sassafras, Zamboni · ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 6events 1 wins together · 3 podiums · 17% win rate · 1 of 6 races won Beat 44% of the fleet together(−11 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2021 – Aug 2023
Peter Smith · ACE, sumac, Sumac · IRC handicap, PHRF handicap 5events 2 wins together · 4 podiums · 40% win rate · 2 of 5 races won Beat 70% of the fleet together(+28 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2013 – Jul 2015
Neil Watson · Sassafras, sumac, Sumac · PHRF handicap 4events 3 wins together · 4 podiums · 4 events · 3 of 4 races won Beat 97% of the fleet together(+61 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2013 – Aug 2023
Andy Smith · sumac, Sumac · PHRF handicap 3events 2 wins together · 3 podiums · 3 events · 2 of 3 races won Beat 96% of the fleet together(+55 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2013 – Jul 2015
Michael Ahearn · ACE · IRC handicap 3events 0 wins together · 1 podiums · 3 events · 0 of 3 races won Beat 28% of the fleet together(−28 vs. without) · best 3rd · May 2014 – Jun 2016

Lift shows how much better this sailor finishes with that partner aboard.

Rating history

Event history · 17

Date	Event	Boat	Class	Role	Finish
6 Jul 2025	2025 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race	Sassafras	ORC handicap	Main Trimmer	6th / 9
24 Feb 2025	RORC Caribbean 600 Race	SASSAFRAS	Handicap	Crew	14th / 31
24 Feb 2025	RORC Caribbean 600 Race	SASSAFRAS	IRC handicap	Crew	19th / 53
12 Aug 2023	2023 Race To Kingston	Sassafras	PHRF handicap	Other	1st / 6
15 Jul 2023	2023 Lake Ontario 300 / 600 Challenge Presented by driveHG	Sassafras	PHRF handicap	Stunt Owner	3rd / 7
2 Jun 2023	2023 Susan Hood Trophy Race Presented by driveHG	Zamboni	PHRF handicap	Stunt Owner	8th / 11
16 Jul 2022	2022 Lake Ontario 300 Challenge Race Presented by driveHG	Zamboni	PHRF handicap	Stunt Owner	3rd / 4
3 Jun 2022	2022 Susan Hood Trophy Race Presented by driveHG	Zamboni	ORC handicap	Main Trimmer	5th / 5
30 Jul 2021	2021 Susan Hood Trophy Race	Zamboni	PHRF handicap	Main Trimmer	5th / 7
16 Jul 2016	2016 Lake Ontario 300/600 Challenge	ACE	IRC handicap	Grinder	4th / 6
3 Jun 2016	2016 Susan Hood Trophy Race	ACE	IRC handicap	Main Trimmer	5th / 6
11 Jul 2015	2015 Lake Ontario 300 Challenge	Sumac	PHRF handicap	Grinder	1st / 8
29 May 2015	2015 Susan Hood Trophy Race	ACE	IRC handicap	Grinder	8th / 9
12 Jul 2014	2014 Lake Ontario 300 Challenge	Sumac	PHRF handicap	Headsail Trimmer	1st / 6
30 May 2014	2014 Susan Hood Trophy Race	ACE	IRC handicap	Grinder	3rd / 5
13 Jul 2013	2013 Lake Ontario 300 Challenge	sumac	PHRF handicap	Grinder	2nd / 10
24 Jul 2010	2010 Youngstown Level Regatta	Bananas	Handicap	Main Trimmer	6th / 8

Ratings

Class	Rating	Rank	Impact
Full-size sailing Crew	-106 provisional	#57670 band 45705–63465	—

Rank among sailors with a substantial record, all time. In brackets, the ranks this rating cannot be told apart from. Impact is the points of fleet beaten that this sailor adds.

Helm and crew

As helm	0 events	0 wins	beats —
As crew	17 events	3 wins	beats 51%

Positions: Main Trimmer (5) · Grinder (5) · Stunt Owner (3) · Headsail Trimmer (1)

How they race

Closer	+47 pts	last race of an event vs. the rest
Comeback	−38 pts	the race after a bottom-half finish
Consistency	39%	100% = the same result every event
Small fleets	49%	of the fleet beaten

Seasons

Year	Events	Wins	Beat
2025	3	0	53%
2023	3	1	66%
2022	2	0	17%
2021	1	0	33%
2016	2	0	30%
2015	2	1	56%
2014	2	1	75%
2013	1	0	89%
2010	1	0	29%

Boats

Sassafras · ORC handicap, Handicap, IRC handicap, PHRF handicap · 5 events · 2023–2025
Zamboni · PHRF handicap, ORC handicap · 4 events · 2021–2023
ACE · IRC handicap · 4 events · 2014–2016
Sumac · PHRF handicap · 3 events · 2013–2015
Bananas · Handicap · 1 events · 2010

Where they race

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada · 12 events
Marblehead, MA, USA · 1 events
Etobicoke, Ontario, CA · 1 events
Youngstown, NY, USA · 1 events
Unknown · 1 events

Is this you?

Claim it to merge duplicates and remove results that aren’t yours. Changes apply at the nightly rebuild.

Crew rating, Full-size sailing: -106, #57,670. Compiled from public results; not an official ranking.