Chicago Match Race Center - World Champions to help train CMRC members

by CMRC Media on 6 May 2010 Starting tomorrow through May 9th, two former ISAF World Champions will be at the Chicago Match Race Center (CMRC) to train themselves and a select group of CMRC members in the techniques and tactics of match race sailing.

The 2007-2008 Match Race World Champion Ian Williams, from Great Britain, will be on hand to spar both with and against reigning US Match Race Champion Bill Hardesty, who was Williams' teammate in their 2007 World Championship victory and went on to win his own title in 2008 in the Etchells class.

Williams is training himself towards the next event on the World Match Racing Tour being held next week at Match Race Germany in Langenargen, where Hardesty will re-join him as a teammate. This will be Williams' first Tour event of the season since last December's Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

'This is a fantastic opportunity for me to have some time back on the helm as a skipper prior to going back into Tour battle next week,' said Williams.

'And the facilities at CMRC are ideal for this, with all the boats, people, and infrastructure in place. There just isn't anything else like this available for this level of training.'

Besides sparring against Hardesty, who has been more active recently having competed in the Grade one Congressional Cup in March, Williams' agenda will also include re-learning to sail with Hardesty in sparring sessions against CMRC members, such as Bacardi Cup winner and CMRC founder Don Wilson.

Wilson won last year's CMRC Grade three opener on his home turf, and has sailed most CMRC events since then, in the Center's TOM 28 class boats, so Hardesty thinks this will be a suitable and productive session.

'We are very lucky to have these resources available to do this kind of training, and it's precisely this kind of session that is needed to be competitive at the World Tour level,' says Hardesty, who is the Director of the CMRC.

'Hopefully the weather holds, but we expect to be very productive over the next several days.'

CMRC members will have a special opportunity to have an informal World Champion Q and A session with Williams after the Center's normal evening training on Friday, May 7th at 7:30pm.

Williams will be available to answer questions about his experience, tips on match race sailing, his World Tour title(s), and more.

For more information about the World Champion Q and A Session, contact Beth Paul of the CMRC at 312-542-1505 or visit: www.chicagomatchrace.com