{{Short description|American attorney, author and professional sport sailor}}

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{{Infobox person

| name = Chip Merlin

| birth_name = William F. Merlin Jr.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|03|19}}

| nationality = American

| occupation = Attorney, professional sailor, author

| years_active = 1985-Present

| website = {{URL|https://www.merlinlawgroup.com}}

'''Chip Merlin''' (born March 19, 1959), is an American attorney, author, and professional [[sailing (sport)|sport sailor]]. His Merlin Law Group is the second-largest firm in the United States in the field of representing insurance claims for natural disaster victims, for which the ''Tampa Bay Times'' named him "The Master of Disaster."{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} In 2018, Merlin purchased the [[S/V Merlin]] and became a professional [[boat racing|boat racer]], successfully participating in numerous races and [[regatta]]s.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} Merlin's transition from attorney to professional sailor was the subject of an autobiography, ''Mavericks and Merlins,'' self-published through [[Forbes|ForbesBooks]].

==Early life==

Merlin was born in 1959. He is the son of retired U.S. Coast Guard admiral and sailor Bill Merlin, who had a brief career as a professional yacht racer in the 1950s. As a child, Merlin aspired to become a professional racer himself and won several titles in [[Flying Scot (dinghy)|Flying Scot]] races, but ultimately decided to pursue a legal career instead.<ref name="Museler">{{Cite web |last=Museler |first=Chris |title=Iconic Merlin in the Biennial Newport-Bermuda Race |url=https://www.sailmagazine.com/racing/iconic-merlin-in-the-biennial-newport-bermuda-race |website=Sail Magazine|date=16 January 2024 }}</ref>

==Legal career==

Merlin founded his firm in Tampa in 1985.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Harrington |first=Jeff |title=Tampa's Merlin Law Group expands nationwide footprint |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tampas-merlin-law-group-expands-nationwide-footprint/2281178/ |website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> He initially rose to national prominence when his firm took on numerous cases related to [[Hurricane Katrina]],<ref name="auto-1">{{Cite web |last=Harrison and Ponder |first=Bobby and Geoff |title=AG Lynn Fitch settled Katrina insurance cases for pennies on the dollar compared to others |url=https://mississippitoday.org/2022/10/03/lynn-fitch-katrina-insurance-cases/ |website=Mississippi Today|date=3 October 2022 }}</ref> including successfully representing the Port of New Orleans in a $150 million claim against Factory Mutual Insurance.<ref name="auto"/>

Beginning in 2012, Merlin expanded his firm to the Northeast to represent clients impacted by [[Hurricane Sandy]], representing over 400 people; Merlin advocated on behalf of his clients to the U.S. District Court of New Jersey asking for greater transparency from insurance companies in natural disaster cases.<ref name="auto-2">{{Cite web| last=Zimmer |first=Russ| title=Judge rips Sandy insurer over flood report change| url=https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2014/11/10/flood-insurance-engineering-reports-changed/18822017/| website=Asbury Park Press}}</ref> In 2016, the firm expanded to include 41 attorneys representing clients in [[Chicago]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], and [[West Palm Beach]], making it the second-largest law firm in the United States specializing in insurance claims for natural disasters.<ref name="auto"/> In addition to his legal career, Merlin is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing about insurance law.<ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |title=Articles by Chip Merlin|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/people/chipmerlin/?sh=76899f726c84| website=Forbes}}</ref>

==Sports career==

In 2017, Merlin purchased the SV Merlin. He had initially only intended to charter the boat as a present for his father to race in the 2017 [[Newport Bermuda Race]]. Merlin had been aware of the boat since 1977, when he read about its victory in the [[Transpacific Yacht Race]] in an issue of [[Sports Illustrated]]. Upon seeing the boat for the first time, Merlin instead opted to purchase it and embark upon a professional sailing career, forming the Merlin Yacht Racing Team. He additionally purchased a [[B Boats B-32|B-32]] he christened the "Chip's All In" to add to the team.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Truax|first=Greg|title=It's Now Chip's All In| url=https://alivetampabay.com/politics/its-now-chips-all-in/|website=Alive Tampa Bay|date=31 August 2017 }}</ref>

His first race was the 2018 Race to Habana, for which Merlin received [[line honors]].<ref name="Museler"/> He then participated in the Regatta del Sol al Sol to Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

In the 2017 Transpacific Race, Merlin placed third in his division and eighth overall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Ho competing aboard the legendary Merlin in the Transpac Sailing Race |url=https://www.lahainanews.com/news/local-news/2019/07/18/ho-competing-aboard-the-legendary-merlin-in-the-transpac-sailing-race/ |website=Lahaina news}}</ref> Following the race, Merlin began extensive renovations on the yacht under the supervision of [[United States Navy]] architect Alan Andrews ahead of future races.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{YouTube|H0_xFRAs96g|title=Chip Merlin and Bill Lee — Perspectives of the 50th Transpac}}</ref> In 2018, Merlin captained the boat alongside his father in the [[Newport Bermuda Race]], placing eighth overall but beating every other boat to begin the race departing [[St. David's Island, Bermuda|St. David's Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Museler |first=Chris|title=Merlin's Path: A Strong Grip on the Wheel|url=https://bermudarace.com/merlins-path-a-strong-grip-on-the-wheel/|website=bermudarace.com}}</ref> In the 2019 Transpacific Race, Merlin again placed third in his division.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=50th Annual Transpac Race Results |url=https://yachtscoring.com/event_results_detail.cfm?Race_Number=1&eID=4758 |website=Yachtscoring.com}}</ref> In 2019, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Transpac, Merlin and Merlin SV designer Bill Lee filmed a [[short film]] from aboard the ship documenting the boat's retrofitting under Andrews.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The same year he competed in the Tampa Bay to Ft. Meyers race with the Chip's All In, finishing third.<ref>{{Cite web|last= staff|title=2019 Tampa Bay to Ft. Myers Race|url=https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2019/05/25/2019-tampa-bay-to-ft-myers-race/|website=Sailing Scuttlebutt|date=26 May 2019 }}</ref>

In 2020, Merlin competed in the St. Pete's [[National Offshore One Design]] with the Chip's All In,<ref>{{cite web|last=Staff|title=Romance and Racing at the St. Pete's NOOD|url=https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2020/02/12/romance-and-racing-at-st-pete-nood/|website=Sailing Scuttlebutt|date=12 February 2020 }}</ref> placing seventh in his division.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|title=2020 St. Petersburg NOOD Results|website=Yacht Scoring}}</ref>

In 2021, he competed in the Rolex Big Boat Series. The same year he wrote ''Mavericks and Merlins,'' documenting the first four years of his yacht racing career.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Weaver| first= Chris| title= Chip Merlin on Finding His Perfect Match With Merlin|url=https://goodjibes.libsyn.com/chip-merlin-on-finding-his-perfect-match-with-merlin|website=Good Jibes with Latitude 38}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Nikki |title=Chip Merlin on Finding His Perfect Match With Merlin |url=https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/podcast/episode-14-chip-merlin-finding-perfect-match-merlin/ |website='Lectronic Latitude}}</ref> As of 2024, Merlin has participated in nine races with the SV Merlin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Chip Merlin SV Merlin Record |url=https://yachtscoring.com/yacht_results.cfm?Yacht_ID=140748 |website=Yachtscoring.com}}</ref>

As of late 2021, Merlin is making plans to begin racing alongside the [[West Coast of the United States]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Staff|title=Dramatic Finishes in Classic Bay Breeze Embody Day Two of Rolex Big Boat Series|url=https://rolexbigboatseries.com/news/article/dramatic-finishes-in-classic-bay-breeze|website=Rolexbigboatseries.com}}</ref> The same year, he competed in the 2021 Davis Island Halloween Regatta with the Chip's All In, placing second in his division.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff| title=2021 David Island Halloween Regatta Results|url=https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=23173&show_divisions=1&media_format=1|website=Regatta Network}}</ref>

In 2023, Merlin competed in the Tampa Bay Hospice Cup with the Chip's All In, placing second.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|title=2023 Tampa Bay Hospice Cup Results|url=https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=25904&show_manufacturer=1&show_crew=1|website=Regatta Network}}</ref>

==Other work==

Merlin contributed content to ''Winds over Bolivar,'' a self-published 2010 book documenting the impact of [[Hurricane Ike]] on [[Bolivar, Texas]].<ref>[ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13179848-winds-over-bolivar Winds Over Bolivar]</ref>

==Bibliography==

* Merlin, Chip. (2020) ''Pay Up!: Preventing A Disaster With Your Own Insurance Company'' {{ISBN|978-1946633828}}

* Merlin, Chip. (2021) ''Mavericks and Merlins'' {{ISBN|978-1642251227}}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://merlinyachtracing.com/] - Merlin Yacht Racing

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merlin, Chip}}

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:20th-century American lawyers]]

[[Category:21st-century American lawyers]]

[[Category:Florida lawyers]]

[[Category:Trial lawyers]]

[[Category:1959 births]]