Chicago Match Race - CYC season off to a great start

by Chicago Match Race on 27 Jun 2016 Chicago Yacht Club has caught the match racing bug! Since partnering up with Chicago Match Race Center, participation in weeknight Sonar match racing practices has hit capacity every night and the excitement level is high.

CYC made its debut on the circuit with a highly competitive grade three this past weekend. CYC's General Manager, Dwight Jenson, excitedly wished the staff and volunteers good luck before the weekend, and said 'we are making history!'

The regatta featured ten skippers from four countries and spanned two days of racing. Don Wilson, with Tod Reynolds and Keith Swinton as crew, won the overall event and defended his Chicago Summer Invitational title. Wilson bested Steve Lowery in a sudden-death Final Series against rival local team Shadow Sailing, which included Lowery's regulars Rory Lewis and Maurin Lovera.

'Match racing is match racing, no matter what boat you're in. It was great to see familiar faces here this weekend along with many new folks learning the match racing game,' said Don Wilson commenting on the transition to Sonars and the expanded membership at Chicago Yacht Club.

In third place, defending US Women's Match Racing Champion, Nicole Breault, sailed with Molly Carapiet, Karen Loutzenheiser, and Nolan Van Dine. This event served as a qualifier for five events: Open and Women's US Match Racing Championships; the Richardson Trophy and two US Grand Slam Stops; Chicago and Detroit Cup. Wilson's victory also earned him the title of Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation Match Racing Champion.

The round robin was sailed on Day One in perfect match racing conditions, a 10-knot Southerly breeze with sunshine and stable wind. After twelve flights, the scores were tight at the top, with places first - third tied on seven points and fourth and fifth tied with six points.

Sailors were greeted on Day Two by thunderstorms and a dismal forecast for un-sailable conditions. Nonetheless, the RC made the best of the breeze in the morning and nearly completed the Quarter-Finals. After a large rain cell moved through, the RC rearranged the course several times and the breeze pulsed in and out. At 3 PM, race officials were forced to either squeeze in three abbreviated knock-out stages or terminate racing for the day and let the round robin stand as the final scores. They made the daring decision to shorten the races to one, single windward/leeward lap and push the time limit until the last 30 seconds.

'Hosting a two day match race regatta in unstable, variable conditions is one of the toughest challenges in race management, and the Chicago YC team of staff and volunteers stepped up and did a truly impressive job. We're excited to lay this first brick in the foundation of match racing at Chicago Yacht Club,' said Tod Reynolds, CMRC Program Director.

Final Results:

1. Don Wilson, Keith Swinton, Tod Reynolds
2. Steve Lowery, Rory Lewis, Maurin Lovera
3. Nicole Breault, Molly Carapiet, Karen Loutzenheiser, and Nolan Van Dine
4. Marc Hollerbach, Nathan Hollerbach and Nico Marcolini
5. Peter Holz, Mike Whitford and Tim Siemers
6. Connor Miller, Ray Groble and Eileen O'Neill
7. David Storrs, Matt Clark and Will Holz
8. Matt Hughes, Alex Burrow and Christopher Weis
9. Landon Gardner, Brandon Townsend, Alex Byczko
10. Mark Davies, Will Davies and Ray Groble

For more information visit event website.