Chicago Match Race Center Spring Invitational day 1

by Stephanie Roble on 19 May 2013 Light and fluky air prevailed in today's season opener at the Chicago Match Race Center's Spring Invitational, allowing only three flights of racing among the ten teams assembled here for this ISAF Grade 3 event.

Crews saw wind speeds that varied immensely: at times they were even hiked out on the CMRC's TOM 28 class boats used in the competition, but then the wind would shut off, leaving them with collapsed sails and sinking hearts as they struggling to get to the finish line in their matches.

Nevertheless, the frustrating conditions have at least produced some results, with Clinton Hayes and Ryan Davidson currently on top of the leaderboard with each having earned 2-0 scores. Also with two wins, defending champion Don Wilson would be on top of the leaderboard were it not for a defeat suffered at the hands of Will Cyr, who is also 2-1 thusfar in the competition. Wilson's team had a timing-on-distance error at the start of their match, which gave Cyr the early advantage and the win in what may turn out to be a crucial match.

Race managers are hoping the more optimistic of two forecasts will prevail tomorrow, with 10-15 knots predicted to fill in from the Lake. There are eight and ¼ flights left to complete the Round Robin, and if the wind and time allows, a first-to-two point Semi-Final and first-to-two point Final remaining to complete the event.

Racing resumes tomorrow at Belmont Harbor at 9 AM CDT.

Round Robin												W	%
Don Wilson					1	1			0			2	67%
Nathan Hollerbach							1	0				1	50%
Clinton Hayes							1				1	2	100%
Hans Pusch		0							0			0	0%
Val Smith		0								1		1	50%
Lars Hansen			0	0							1	1	33%
Ryan Davidson			1								1	2	100%
Will Cyr		1			1					0		2	67%
Dierk Polzin						0			1			1	50%
Ned Turney				0			0	0				0	0%

http://chicagomatchrace.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Match Race Center