| Rival sailing clubs have probably been sending teams to race each other from the earliest days of recreational sailing. The first major international event started in 1921 with the first of the British-American Cup series sailed in Six metre yachts, four a side; in 1933 the International 14's began multi-nation series that continues to this day. In the 1940's and 1950's the growth of the one-design dinghy classes helped team racing to spread as an affordable and entertaining way to enjoy sailing.
If the popularity of team racing at club level faltered it remained the bedrock of collegiate sailing with very competitive university circuits in most of the world's leading sailing nations. Former students continued to sail together independently or under Club burgees and many armed services teams also became supporters of local events and national championships such as the Hinmon Trophy in the USA.
In 1994 West Kirby Sailing Club made a successful application to the IYRU to run a first team racing World Championship in 1995. WKSC has been the home of the Wilson Trophy, latterly the British Open Championship, since 1949, earning itself the title of the Wimbledon of Team Racing, and had pioneered innovations such as on the water umpiring and the use of colour coded boats and sails. The event lived up to expectations and provided a vital catalyst for the acceptance of Team Racing as the third recognised discipline of sailing alongside Fleet and Match racing.
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