2014 Chicago Match Cup - Starts tomorrow

by Dobbs Davis on 17 Sep 2014 2014 Chicago Match Cup - Tomorrow morning the world's top sailing talent will begin a five-day battle of high-intensity match racing for the right to claim the Chicago Match Cup, the only U.S. stop on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT). A total of $75,000 in prize money is at stake, as well as valuable points on the AWMRT World Championship year-long series.

The action will begin at 0930 CDT with the start of Round Robin competition among 12 teams from nine nations. From this stage four teams will advance to the Quarter-Finals, with the remaining two slots filled from the results of the Repechage held among the remaining eight teams. Race management is being led by PRO Darcy Cook of the Chicago Match Race Center (CMRC).

Courses will be set near the north entrance to Belmont Harbor, site of CMRC's operations base, and within easy shore side access for spectators. This morning CBS Chicago caught Tom Slingsby and his team from Australia and defending champion Taylor Canfield from the US Virgin Islands and his US One team practicing on the Lake:


Competing teams in the Chicago Match Cup include the following:

• Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
• Mathieu Richard (FRA) LunaJets
• Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone
• Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Sailing Team
• Keith Swinton (AUS) Team Alpari FX
• Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing
• Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Team Trifork
• Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team
• Eric Monnin (SUI) Team Sailbox
• Chris Steele (NZL) 36 Below
• Don Wilson (USA)
• Tom Slingsby (AUS)