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Sailor · 2000–2026

Rick Merriman

nyyc sdyc EtchellsIC37C&C 30

Search sailors · About these ratings

Events
53

317 races · 42 race wins

Win rate
23%

23% win rate · 12 of 53

Podium rate
34%

18 top-three finishes

Typically beats
77%

of boats faced (range 75%–79%, 1,608 boats)

Best class ranking
#24

Helm in Etchells · rating 643

Longest win streak
6

race wins in a row

Most successful partnership
Bill Ruh

6 wins · 7 podiums in 7 events together · 86% win rate

Best trio
Drew Freides & Bill Ruh

6 wins · 7 podiums in 7 events, all three aboard

Biggest lift
Serena Vilage

+25 points of fleet beaten when sailing together

Longest-running crew
Al Pleskus

Jun 2016 – Aug 2023 · 5 events

Nemesis
Jim Cunningham

34–92 head to head in 126 races

Rival
Scott Kaufman

50–66 in 116 races

Best day
21 Aug 2000

5-1-2-2-3 · 2000 Etchells World Championship

Signature result
1st of 74

2000 Etchells World Championship · Etchells · 21 Aug 2000

Partnerships · 60+ sailors

Most successful partnership: Bill Ruh — 6 wins · 7 podiums in 7 events together · 86% win rate
  • Drew Freides · Pacific Yankee, PACIFIC YANKEE, Stark Raving Mad VII · Cape 31, Handicap, IC37, ORC handicap 9events 6 wins together · 8 podiums · 67% win rate · 25 of 58 races won Beat 84% of the fleet together(+8 vs. without) · best 1st · Mar 2018 – Jan 2024
  • David Dempsey · Pacific Yankee, SDYC · IC37 8events 5 wins together · 6 podiums · 63% win rate · 23 of 64 races won Beat 90% of the fleet together(+15 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Aug 2025
  • Charlie Smythe · Pacific Yankee, PACIFIC YANKEE · Cape 31, IC37 7events 5 wins together · 7 podiums · 71% win rate · 24 of 56 races won Beat 94% of the fleet together(+19 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Jan 2024
  • Bill Ruh · Pacific Yankee, Stark Raving Mad VII · IC37, ORC handicap 7events 6 wins together · 7 podiums · 86% win rate · 23 of 49 races won Beat 99% of the fleet together(+24 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Jul 2021
  • Marcus Eagan · Pacific Yankee, PACIFIC YANKEE · Cape 31, IC37 6events 5 wins together · 6 podiums · 83% win rate · 20 of 44 races won Beat 94% of the fleet together(+19 vs. without) · best 1st · Nov 2019 – Jan 2024
  • Max Hutcheson · Pacific Yankee, SDYC, Stark Raving Mad VII, TBD · IC37, ORC handicap 6events 3 wins together · 4 podiums · 50% win rate · 7 of 35 races won Beat 84% of the fleet together(+7 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2019 – Aug 2025
  • Al Pleskus · Stark Raving Mad VII, Stark Raving Mad VIII, TBD · C&C 30, Handicap, IC37, ORC handicap 5events 1 wins together · 4 podiums · 20% win rate · 2 of 19 races won Beat 66% of the fleet together(−13 vs. without) · best 1st · Jun 2016 – Aug 2023
  • Serena Vilage · Pacific Yankee · IC37 5events 5 wins together · 5 podiums · 100% win rate · 18 of 36 races won Beat 100% of the fleet together(+25 vs. without) · best 1st · Nov 2019 – Jul 2021
  • Will Stout · Big E · Etchells 5events 0 wins together · 0 podiums · 0% win rate · 0 of 27 races won Beat 79% of the fleet together(+1 vs. without) · best 5th · Dec 2025 – May 2026
  • Cameron Hutcheson · Pacific Yankee · IC37 5events 4 wins together · 5 podiums · 80% win rate · 17 of 40 races won Beat 98% of the fleet together(+23 vs. without) · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Jul 2021

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

Rating history

03517012001200520092013201720212025Helm rating, all classesCrew rating, all classes

— Helm rating, all classes · - - Crew rating, all classes

Event history · 53

DateEventBoatClassRoleFinish
12 Jun 2026172nd NYYC Annual RegattaArethusaIC37Medic/Doctor3rd / 22
11 May 20262026 Etchells World ChampionshipBig EEtchellsOwner30th / 76
25 Apr 20262026 Etchells West Coast Spring Series - Etchells Orca BowlBig EEtchellsSkipper12th / 63
27 Mar 20262026 Etchells West Coast Spring Series - Etchells Midwinters WestBig EEtchellsSkipper7th / 50
13 Feb 20262025/2026 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Midwinters EastBig EEtchellsSkipper6th / 31
30 Jan 20262025/2026 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Florida State ChampionshipBig EEtchellsSkipper16th / 39
10 Jan 20262025/2026 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Sid DoranBig EEtchellsSkipper10th / 36
13 Dec 20252025/2026 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Louis Piana CupBig EEtchellsSkipper5th / 38
8 Aug 20252025 Safe Harbor Race WeekendSDYCIC37Main Trimmer6th / 19
18 Jul 20252025 IC37 National ChampionshipSDYCIC37Main Trimmer11th / 26
14 Jun 2025171st NYYC Annual RegattaArethusaIC37Medic/Doctor6th / 23
16 May 20252025 Etchells North American ChampionshipBig EEtchellsSkipper10th / 38
26 Apr 20252025 Etchells West Coast Spring Series - Etchells Orca BowlBig EEtchellsSkipper5th / 33
21 Mar 20252025 Coral Reef Cup/ Etchells NationalsBig EEtchellsCrew9th / 35
13 Feb 20252024/2025 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - US Midwinters East RegattaBig EEtchellsSkipper7th / 47
1 Feb 20252024/2025 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Florida State ChampionshipBig EEtchellsSkipper1st / 41
11 Jan 20252024/2025 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Sidney Doren Memorial RegattaBig EEtchellsSkipper4th / 39
7 Dec 20242024/2025 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series - Louis Piana CupBig EEtchellsOther16th / 46
11 Oct 20242024 Etchells North American ChampionshipBig EEtchellsOther8th / 31
23 Aug 20242024 Etchells NationalsBig EEtchellsOther4th / 13
17 Jul 20242024 NYYC Race Week at Newport Presented by RolexNew WaveIC37Main Trimmer8th / 17
13 Jul 20242024 Newport RegattaNew WaveIC37Main Trimmer5th / 17
15 Jun 2024170th NYYC Annual RegattaNew WaveIC37Main Trimmer1st / 23
18 May 20242024 Etchells West Coast Spring Series - Etchells Orca BowlBig EEtchellsOther1st / 21
27 Apr 20242024 Etchells West Coast Spring Series - Etchells Pacific Coast ChampionshipBig EEtchellsOther5th / 20

Helm rating across all classes: 701, #374.Crew rating across all classes: 205, #14,705. Compiled from public results; not an official ranking.