America’s Cup: Wind concerns sink Chicago bid

The Windy City apparently isn’t windy enough.

That’s what the America’s Cup Event Authority told Chicago officials Tuesday (July 8, 2014) as its bid to host the world-class sailing race in 2017 was rejected.

Instead, San Diego and Bermuda are on the short list to have the race, organizers announced.

Cup officials met with the Chicago Match Race Center — which backed the bid — twice to scout Lake Michigan for a potential course. The city was named one of three finalists for the event in early June. The prospect of bringing America’s Cup to Chicago intrigued organizers, but one concern was whether the wind would hold up over the three weeks of the race.

“When we started this process it was my first concern,” Tod Reynolds, director of Chicago Match Race Center said. “We thought we could schedule around it, or be a little more creative around it. They didn’t feel confident they could get the races started every day. It’s tough.”

One proposed course in Chicago would have seen racers sail between Navy Pier and the Adler Planetarium, providing optimal exposure for fans along the shoreline, which, along with a time difference that favored prime-time viewing in Europe, attracted race organizers to the location.

Now it appears likely that Chicago will host an America’s Cup World Series race in 2015 and 2016, giving the city a chance to prove it’s capable of conducting a major sailing event.

“That’s originally what we thought would be best for Chicago,” Reynolds said. “Our downtown waterfront is perfectly suited for it.” – Chicago Tribune, read on