# Chip Merlin

Chip Merlin (born March 19, 1959), is an American attorney, author, and professional 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." In 2018, Merlin purchased the S/V Merlin and became a professional boat racer, successfully participating in numerous races and regattas. Merlin's transition from attorney to professional sailor was the subject of an autobiography, Mavericks and Merlins, self-published through 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 races, but ultimately decided to pursue a legal career instead.

## Legal career

Merlin founded his firm in Tampa in 1985. He initially rose to national prominence when his firm took on numerous cases related to Hurricane Katrina, including successfully representing the Port of New Orleans in a $150 million claim against Factory Mutual Insurance.
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. In 2016, the firm expanded to include 41 attorneys representing clients in Chicago, Phoenix, and West Palm Beach, making it the second-largest law firm in the United States specializing in insurance claims for natural disasters. In addition to his legal career, Merlin is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing about insurance law.

## 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-32 he christened the "Chip's All In" to add to the team.
His first race was the 2018 Race to Habana, for which Merlin received line honors. 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. Following the race, Merlin began extensive renovations on the yacht under the supervision of United States Navy architect Alan Andrews ahead of future races. 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. In the 2019 Transpacific Race, Merlin again placed third in his division. 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. The same year he competed in the Tampa Bay to Ft. Meyers race with the Chip's All In, finishing third.
In 2020, Merlin competed in the St. Pete's National Offshore One Design with the Chip's All In, placing seventh in his division.
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. As of 2024, Merlin has participated in nine races with the SV Merlin.
As of late 2021, Merlin is making plans to begin racing alongside the West Coast of the United States. The same year, he competed in the 2021 Davis Island Halloween Regatta with the Chip's All In, placing second in his division.
In 2023, Merlin competed in the Tampa Bay Hospice Cup with the Chip's All In, placing second.

## Other work

Merlin contributed content to Winds over Bolivar, a self-published 2010 book documenting the impact of Hurricane Ike on Bolivar, Texas.