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Sailor · 2014–2026

William Lawson

ssa PenguinThistleLaser Radial

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Events
130

716 races · 108 race wins

Win rate
17%

17% win rate · 22 of 130

Podium rate
45%

58 top-three finishes

Typically beats
60%

of boats faced (90%: 58%–61%, 2,333 boats)

Best class ranking
#2

Helm in Penguin · rating 452

Longest win streak
5

race wins in a row

Most successful partnership
Colette Preis

4 wins · 10 podiums in 14 events together · 29% win rate

Best trio
Sandy Westphal & Jonathan Phillips

1 wins · 1 podiums in 4 events, all three aboard

Biggest lift
Sandy Westphal

+6 points of fleet beaten when sailing together

Longest-running crew
Sandy Westphal

Jan 2019 – Jan 2025 · 13 events

Nemesis
Ken Swetka

14–66 head to head in 80 races

Rival
Charles Krafft

160–151 in 311 races

Best day
11 Aug 2023

1-1-1-5-1-3-1-2 · Oxford Regatta - Penguin Class · about 1 in 2,625 by chance

Signature result
1st of 23

TCPRF · Penguin · 28 Oct 2017

Partnerships · 22 sailors

Most successful partnership: Colette Preis — 4 wins · 10 podiums in 14 events together · 29% win rate
  • Colette Preis · Bailout, Blinky, Family Ties, Ohh Stanley!!! · Day Sailer, Handicap, Penguin, Penguins 14events 4 wins together · 10 podiums · 29% win rate · 13 of 73 races won Beat 71% of the fleet together(+3 vs. without) · best 1st · Jan 2023 – Aug 2026
  • Sandy Westphal · 3678, Oh Stanley!, Oh Stanley! B - Fleet, Oh Stanley!!! · Thistle 13events 2 wins together · 5 podiums · 15% win rate · 8 of 69 races won Beat 74% of the fleet together(+6 vs. without) · best 1st · Jan 2019 – Jan 2025
  • Bruce Empey · Ohh Stanley!, Ohh Stanley!!, Ohh Stanley!!! · Thistle 7events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 14% win rate · 4 of 35 races won Beat 72% of the fleet together(+4 vs. without) · best 1st · Jan 2021 – Mar 2026
  • Jonathan Phillips · 3678, Oh Stanley!, Oh Stanley! B - Fleet, Oh Stanley!!! · Thistle 4events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 4 events · 2 of 22 races won Beat 67% of the fleet together(−1 vs. without) · best 1st · Jan 2019 – Mar 2022
  • Mike Colbert · 3678, Ohh Stanley, Ohh Stanley!!! · Thistle 4events 0 wins together · 2 podiums · 4 events · 1 of 21 races won Beat 66% of the fleet together(−2 vs. without) · best 3rd · Jan 2024 – Jan 2025
  • Sandy Westphall · Ohh Stanley, Ohh Stanley!!! · Thistle 3events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 3 events · 4 of 12 races won Beat 65% of the fleet together(−3 vs. without) · best 1st · Jan 2025 – Mar 2026
  • Lorie Stout · Stoutgear.com · Melges 15 1events 0 wins together · 0 podiums · 1 events · 0 of 5 races won Beat 60% of the fleet together · best 5th · May 2023 – May 2023
  • Jennifer Sturmer · Ohh Stanley · Thistle 1events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 1 events · 4 of 4 races won Beat 100% of the fleet together · best 1st · Jan 2025 – Jan 2025
  • M.K. Fowler · Family Ties · Penguin 1events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 1 events · 5 of 8 races won Beat 100% of the fleet together · best 1st · Aug 2023 – Aug 2023
  • George Saunders · Osprey · J/70 1events 1 wins together · 1 podiums · 1 events · 1 of 4 races won Beat 100% of the fleet together · best 1st · Jun 2021 – Jun 2021

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

Rating history

0216431201520172019202120232025Helm rating, all classesCrew rating, all classes

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

Event history · 130

DateEventBoatClassRoleFinish
22 Aug 20262026 Myers Heritage Regatta - Penguin, Comets, Shields & Chesapeake 20'sFamily TiesHandicapSkipper2nd / 5
8 Aug 20262026 Oxford Regatta - Penguin & Adult ILCA 6/7Family TiesPenguinSkipper2nd / 6
3 Aug 2026Day Sailer North American ChampionshipBlinkyDay SailerSkipper9th / 22
18 Jul 20262026 Admiral Byrd RegattaFamily TiesPenguinsSkipper3rd / 4
25 Apr 20262026 ILCA Sunshine Open / District 11 ChampionshipsA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper11th / 23
21 Mar 2026Orange Peel 2026Ohh Stanley!!!ThistleSkipper10th / 25
4 Mar 20262026 THISTLE MIDWINTERS EASTOhh Stanley!!!ThistleSkipper11th / 29
3 Feb 20262026 ILCA Masters Midwinters EastA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper24th / 30
1 Jan 2026Day Sailer Spring Series 20264184Day SailerSkipper3rd / 8
4 Oct 202544th Chesapeake Bay ILCA Masters ChampionshipA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper2nd / 14
27 Sep 20252025 ILCA Crab ClawA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper9th / 24
13 Sep 2025International Penguin Class Dinghy Association 2025 International ChampionshipFamily TiesPenguinSkipper3rd / 6
9 Aug 20252025 Oxford Regatta - Penguin & Adult ILCA 6/7Family TiesPenguinSkipper1st / 11
3 Aug 20252025 AYC Two Bridge Fiasco RaceBlinkyPHRF handicapSkipper21st / 34
7 Jun 2025ILCA Fleet 10 Spring SeriesA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper2nd / 12
17 May 20252025 ILCA Atlantic Coast ChampionshipsA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper30th / 42
26 Apr 20252025 ILCA Sunshine Open / District 11 ChampionshipsA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper7th / 19
25 Feb 20252025 ILCA Masters Midwinters EastA Little More UnstableLaser RadialSkipper10th / 34
1 Jan 20252025 Day Sailer Chesapeake OpenBlinkyDay SailerSkipper7th / 11
1 Jan 20252025 Day Sailer Fall SeriesBlinkyDay SailerSkipper1st / 9
1 Jan 20252025 Thistle Atlantic Coast ChampionshipOhh StanleyThistleSkipper9th / 13
1 Jan 20252025 Thistle Blue CrabOhh Stanley!ThistleSkipper1st / 5
1 Jan 20252025 Thistle Fall SeriesOhh StanleyThistleSkipper1st / 5
1 Jan 20252025 Thistle Oyster Roast3678ThistleSkipper3rd / 11
5 Oct 202443rd Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters ChampionshipA little More UnstableLaserSkipper22nd / 39

Helm rating across all classes: 356 (±89), #6,780.Crew rating across all classes: 126 (±229), #23,530. Compiled from public results; not an official ranking.