[1] Growing up in Florida, Baird raced in the Optimist class at junior level, before moving onto other dinghies.

[3] In 1999, he skippered Young America in the Louis Vuitton series to determine the challenger for the following year's America's Cup, but the syndicate's challenge faltered when one of its two yachts nearly sank in a race against a Japanese team.

[6] Later in 2007, he was named the International Sailing Federation's male World Sailor of the Year.

He then coached team owner, Ernesto Bertarelli, who helmed the massive catamaran, Alinghi 5 in the 2010 America's Cup.

Baird has worked with ESPN, Outdoor Life Network, Versus, and Television New Zealand as an expert commentator for shows about sailboat racing.