Class titlists to race for Championship of Champions in Sonars

by US Sailing on 5 Oct 2017 US Sailing’s Championship of Champions is recognized as one of the more unique adult racing events in the country.

All sailors have qualified for this event by winning a one-design class National, North American, or World Championship in the qualifying years (2016 – 2017). These champions will be tested this Friday through Sunday, October 6-8, in the Sonar to see if they can hold their own against a strong fleet of class titlists.

Thirteen sailors have been selected to race for the Jack Brown Trophy while representing their respective classes at the 2017 Championship of Champions, raced at The Waterfront Center in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Racing will be preceded by a special Sonar boat clinic and local knowledge briefing on Thursday, October 5.

The competition will be challenging with many decorated sailors competing on the same course. Every year, US Sailing invites one special guest to join the competition. Invited helms have included winners of the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year, Olympians, and other sailing greats. Steve Benjamin (Miami, Fla.) is this year’s Championship of Champions special guest.

Benjamin was named US Sailing’s 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for his win at the 2015 Etchells North American Championship and runner-up performance at the Etchells World Championship. Benjamin may have bested his 2015 results in 2017 following his win at the Etchells World Championship last week in San Francisco.

Benjamin is not the only World Champion competing this week. The 2016 J/22 World Champion, Mike Marshall (Jamestown, R.I.), has also joined the fleet and his team will try their hand at Sonar sailing this week.