U.S. Match Racing Championship - All set for San Francisco Bay action
by Jake Fish on 3 Oct 2014
U.S. Match Racing Championship 2012 Leighton O'Connor
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Match Racing takes center stage on one of America’s most exciting and challenging sailing venues on San Francisco Bay. Eight talented teams have qualified to represent their home sailing organization this week as they go one-on-one for the Prince of Wales Bowl at the U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.
This US Sailing National Championship begins Friday, October 3 and concludes Sunday, October 5. This championship is an open event with women and men helming the J/22, with up to four crewmates per team including the skipper.
In what may be a repeat of the 2013 Finals, this week’s competitors include a pair of former multi-time U.S. Match Racing Champions, each representing Pequot Yacht Club. Defending titlist Dave Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.), who had his name engraved on the Prince of Wales Bowl on three occasions (2013, 2002, 1984), has returned to defend the championship. He will be sailing this week with his daughter Rebecca Dellenbaugh, a 2010 ICSA All-American at Dartmouth (Easton, Conn.), Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.), who won the championship in 2012 as crew for Taylor Canfield, and Dan Litchfield (New York, N.Y.).
Four-time (2011, 2008, 2006, 1982) U.S. Match Racing Champion Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.) will once again be representing the Pequot Yacht Club. Crewing for Perry this week are Marcus Eagan (Mandeville, La.), Chris Museler (Portsmouth, R.I.), and Andrea Cabito (Alameda, Calif.). Museler crewed for Perry in his last three U.S. Match Racing titles.
Don Wilson (Chicago, Ill.), representing the Chicago Match Race Center, takes aim at his first Prince of Wales Bowl. Wilson is the top ranked U.S. match racer in the country (ISAF World Ranking – #18). His crew includes Jordan Reece (Chicago, Ill.), Josh McCaffery (Chicago, Ill.), and Katie Pettibone (West Sacramento, Calif.). The Chicago Match Race Center won this championship in 2012 with Taylor Canfield and 2009 with Bill Hardesty.
Teams qualified for this national championship through a series of events run throughout the country. In 2014, this championship serves as the regional qualifier for the Nations Cup and the 2015 Ficker
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