Sailor · 2018–2025

James Esseks

shelter island yacht club Etchells ORC handicap PHRF handicap

Search sailors · About these ratings

Events: 7
Win rate: 14%
Podium rate: 43%
Typically beats: 41%

Most successful partnership: Marc Robert
Best trio: Will Esseks & Marc Robert
Biggest lift: Marc Robert
Longest-running crew: David Esseks
Nemesis: Don Brush
Signature result: 1st of 8

Partnerships · 7 sailors

Most successful partnership: Marc Robert — 1 wins · 2 podiums in 3 events together

David Esseks · 1198, David Esseks, Twiga, USA 1198 · Etchells, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 7events 1 wins together · 3 podiums · 14% win rate · 1 of 22 races won Beat 56% of the fleet together · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Oct 2025
Will Esseks · 1198, David Esseks, Twiga · Etchells, ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 6events 1 wins together · 3 podiums · 17% win rate · 1 of 18 races won Beat 58% of the fleet together · best 1st · Jul 2018 – Oct 2025
Marc Robert · Twiga · ORC handicap, PHRF handicap 3events 1 wins together · 2 podiums · 3 events · 1 of 3 races won Beat 74% of the fleet together(+32 vs. without) · best 1st · Jun 2021 – Jun 2025
Kathy Cooper · Twiga, USA 1198 · Etchells, PHRF handicap 2events 0 wins together · 1 podiums · 2 events · 0 of 5 races won Beat 66% of the fleet together · best 2nd · Jul 2018 – Oct 2024
Clayton Gates · Twiga · ORC handicap 2events 1 wins together · 2 podiums · 2 events · 1 of 2 races won Beat 80% of the fleet together · best 1st · Jul 2023 – Jun 2025
Tim House · Twiga · PHRF handicap 1events 0 wins together · 0 podiums · 1 events · 0 of 1 race won Beat 63% of the fleet together · best 4th · Jun 2021 – Jun 2021
Michael Califra · Twiga · PHRF handicap 1events 0 wins together · 1 podiums · 1 events · 0 of 1 race won Beat 89% of the fleet together · best 2nd · Jul 2018 – Jul 2018

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

Rating history

Event history · 7

Date	Event	Boat	Class	Role	Finish
10 Oct 2025	2025 Etchells New England Championship	David Esseks	Etchells	Crew	24th / 27
6 Jun 2025	2025 Annapolis - Newport Race	Twiga	ORC handicap	Watch Captain	1st / 8
11 Oct 2024	2024 Etchells North American Championship	USA 1198	Etchells	Other	18th / 31
9 Jul 2023	2023 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race	Twiga	ORC handicap	Watch Captain	3rd / 6
23 Jun 2022	2022 Etchells North American Championship	1198	Etchells	In the way	23rd / 30
4 Jun 2021	2021 Annapolis - Newport Race	Twiga	PHRF handicap	Navigator	4th / 9
26 Jul 2018	2018 Around Long Island Regatta (42nd Annual)	Twiga	PHRF handicap	Watch Captain	2nd / 10

Ratings

Class	Rating	Rank	Impact
Full-size sailing Crew	22 provisional	#41269 band 23835–56596	—

1 more class, not yet ranked

Etchells · Crew · 11 races, 2 events · rating -60

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	1 events	0 wins	beats 24%
As crew	6 events	1 wins	beats 61%

Positions: Watch Captain (3) · In the way (1) · Navigator (1)

How they race

Closer	+29 pts	last race of an event vs. the rest
Comeback	−8 pts	the race after a bottom-half finish
Big fleets	26%	of the fleet beaten
Small fleets	78%	of the fleet beaten

Head to head

Helm	Races	W–L
Don Brush	18	7–11

Seasons

Year	Events	Wins	Beat
2025	2	1	56%
2024	1	0	43%
2023	1	0	60%
2022	1	0	24%
2021	1	0	63%
2018	1	0	89%

Boats

Twiga · ORC handicap, PHRF handicap · 4 events · 2018–2025
David Esseks · Etchells · 1 events · 2025
USA 1198 · Etchells · 1 events · 2024
1198 · Etchells · 1 events · 2022

Where they race

Annapolis, MD, USA · 2 events
Marblehead, MA, USA · 2 events
Marblehead, MA · 1 events
Shelter Island, NY, USA · 1 events
Sea Cliff, NY, USA · 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: 22, #41,269. Compiled from public results; not an official ranking.