As a sail trimmer, tactician, and navigator with over 20 years’ experience and many championship titles to his credit, Dobbs has competed in nearly every major offshore race and inshore regatta in the US and around the world on everything from small keelboats to offshore one-designs to America’s Cup yachts to Maxis.
His more recent focus on match racing and umpiring has brought him into a close working knowledge of the racing rules, and he has taught numerous seminars and clinics on the rules and their practical use in tactics. With this knowledge he was an intramural umpire and coach for the K-Challenge America’s Cup team in 2005-06, and has been also umpiring at events from the Chicago Match Race Center to the World Match Racing Tour.
Besides having been an instructor and coach for North U for over a decade, Dobbs has also written extensively about the sport as US Editor for Seahorse Magazine and is a regular contributor to Sailing World, SAIL and several other magazines and web sites.