US Sailing to stream 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship on Facebook Live

by US Sailing 19 Oct 2018 23:35 AEDT 19-21 October 2018

The 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship will be raced in Sonars at the Chicago Yacht Club © US Sailing

Sailing's version of "one-on-one" competition will seize the spotlight this week as the energy and passion of match racing takes center stage in Chicago.

The 51st U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club, features ten talented teams comprised of both men and women skippers and crew, who will race for the coveted Prince of Wales Bowl over three days. Racing gets underway at this US Sailing National Championship on Friday, October 19 and concludes on Sunday, October 21.

Made popular by the America's Cup, match racing pits one boat against another around a short two-lap windward/leeward course. This race format emphasizes the need for great boat speed, strong boat handling, teamwork and communication. The tournament-style format makes it fun by maximizing the number of races per day.

The intended course area will be the south section of Monroe Harbor or Lake Michigan, just outside of Belmont Harbor. Teams will be racing in the Sonar.

The 2017 U.S. Match Racing Champion, Pearson Potts (Newport, R.I.) has returned to this event with the goal of defending this title in Chicago after winning last year in Oyster Bay, New York. Potts will be joined by crewmates Robert Savoie (Bristol, R.I.), Bryce Kopp (Fairfield, Conn.), and Max Lopez (Red Bank, N.J.). Kopp and Savoie crewed for Potts in last year's triumphant U.S. Match Racing Championship. Potts is the #3 ranked match racer in the U.S.

Janel Zarkowsky is one of two female skippers competing this week. She won back-to-back U.S. Match Racing Championships as crew for Dave Dellenbaugh's Pequot Yacht Club team in 2013 and as crew for Taylor Canfield's Chicago Match Race Team in 2012. After placing fourth in last year' event as a skipper, she returns to take another shot at the Prince of Wales Bowl in the same role. Zarkowsky will be racing with Patrick Curran (Riverton, N.J.), AJ Reiter (San Diego, Calif.), and Tierney Driscoll (Virginia Beach, Va.).

Three-time U.S. Women's Match Racing Champion, Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.) will make a run at her first U.S. Match Racing title again in this year's event. Breault qualified for this event after winning her third straight U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship in August. She will be racing this week with Molly Carapiet (San Francisco, Calif.), Molly Vandemoer (Stanford, Calif.), and Yuri Namikawa (San Francisco, Calif.). Breault is the #5 ranked match racer in the U.S.

Potts and Breault are two of five nationally ranked match racers in the top six competing this week. Christopher Poole (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) is ranked #2; Peter Holz (Chicago, Ill.) is ranked #4; and David Hood (Long Beach, Calif.) is ranked #6.

Invitations to race at this Championship were delivered to the 2017 champion, the top ranked U.S. female match racer, and winners from U.S. Match Racing Championship Qualifier events at Oakcliff Sailing, St. Francis Yacht Club, Chicago Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, Bayview Yacht Club, Rochester Yacht Club, and Long Beach Yacht Club.

There is a lot riding on this year's Championship. The winner of the Prince of Wales Bowl will be offered an invitation to the 2019 U.S. Match Racing Championship. If not already invited, the top finisher also earns an invitation to the 2019 Ficker Cup, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club (Calif.). US Sailing Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded to the skippers and crews placing first through third.

Racing Format (subject to change)