World-class match racing continues in Chicago

Chicago, IL (February 5, 2015) – The seventh season of world-class match racing continues at the Chicago Match Race Center for 2015, with 6 regattas and a series of clinics planned for this year. These events offer a wide variety of options to the competitive sailor at all levels – beginner, intermediate or advanced – in a unique, full-service environment that offers complete support for all on-water activities, as well as logistical assistance for visiting teams.

All events will be held from the center’s base in Belmont Harbor and feature CMRC’s signature turn-key service, where the fleet of eight TOM 28 class keelboats are prepared and ready to race. The close proximity of the racecourse area means no time is wasted and lots of racing can be packed into the daily schedule.

The center’s two-story 70-foot houseboat provides on-water support while racing as a mobile regatta headquarters where teams can rest between rotations, get refueled with catered meals, entertain sponsors, guests and media, and watch the races firsthand from the upper deck.

The CMRC’s staff is also composed of competitive match racers, so needs are anticipated and met in a fast and responsive manner to keep competitors’ focus on sailing. It’s no wonder that since its founding in 2008, CMRC has produced the top-ranked talent in both Open and Women’s match racing for both the US and the world.

Over May 30-31st, CMRC’s first event of the season will be the Grade 3 Spring Invitational, with a total of 10 teams invited. The highest eligible finishers will be awarded invitations to the US Sailing Match Racing Championship in October; the US Sailing Women’s Match Racing Championship in August; the Oakcliff International Grand Slam Grade 2 in August; and two invitations to the 2015 Richardson Trophy.

Grade 2 match racing will be featured over June 19-21st at the Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam Qualifier, where 12 teams will compete for an invitation to two events in the US Grand Slam Series: the Knickerbocker Cup in early August and the Chicago Match Cup later in the same month. Qualifiers to this event include the winner from the California Dreamin’ Series and the Hardy Cup in Australia.

To help build the match racing talent of the future, Dave Perry will coach the North-U Youth Clinic co-hosted with Chicago Yacht Club over June 23-26, where 40 invitations are issued to sailors 15-22 years old.

In July CMRC will host the season’s only doubleheader Grade 3 event, with the two-day Summer Invitational A and B regattas held consecutively over July 23-26th. Each will have 10 teams invited, and the team with the best combined score from both will receive an invitation to the Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam in late August.

August will feature the Grade 2 Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam, where 12 international teams will square off against each other August 21-23rd to earn valuable points in the four-event Grand Slam series being held in New York, Detroit and Chicago. The team with the top points will receive an invitation to the oldest match racing event in the US, the 2016 Congressional Cup in Long Beach. Three invitations to the Chicago Grand Slam will come from winners of the Oakcliff Better Chip Match Grade 3 regatta in May, the CMRC Grand Slam Qualifier in June, and the CMRC Summer Double-header in July.

The final CMRC season event will be the Grade 3 Autumn Invitational, held over September 12-13th, with 10 teams invited based on ranking and resume.

A three-tier entry system will be used once again this year, where the entry levels and services provided vary according to the needs of the teams. Level A features the full-range of CMRC concierge services: CMRC out-of-town membership, pre-event boat charters and coaching, assistance with travel logistics and assistance arranging custom team gear and photos. Any team with paid crew members will be required to pay Level A entry fees.

Level B fees are discounted for Corinthian teams with a skipper over 28 years of age, and Level C fees are discounted even more to encourage the participation of Corinthian teams with skippers under age 28.

“We are excited to offer another great season of match racing to our CMRC Members and visiting teams,” said Maggie Shea, Sailing Director at CMRC. “We also want to encourage teams that are new to match racing or want to use match racing as a training tool for competitive fleet and team racing to come out and give this a try.”

For more information on entries, contact invites@chicagomatchrace.com, and Requests for Invitation can be found on the CMRC website at www.chicagomatchrace.com/events

Chicago Match Race Center 2015 Schedule

May 30-31: Grade 3 – Spring Invitational*
Entries: all invitations allocated by resume and ranking – 10 total
Prizes: the highest eligible finisher(s) will be awarded:

~ one invitation to 2015 US Sailing Match Racing Championship (Oct 10-12)
~ one invitation to 2015 US Sailing Women’s Match Racing Championship (August 14-16)
~  two invitations to 2015 Richardson Trophy (Lake MI-area skippers)
~ one invitation to the 2015 Oakcliff International Grand Slam Grade 2 (Aug 14-16)

*all competitors must be current US Sailing members

June 19-21: Grade 2 – Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam Qualifier
Entries: ten invitations allocated by resume and ranking, two by qualifiers – 12 total
Qualifiers:

California Dreamin’ Series 2014-2015 (3 events)
Hardy Cup Grade 3 (Feb 1-5)

Prizes: the highest eligible finisher will be awarded:

~ one invitation to the Knickerbocker Cup Grand Slam Grade 2 (Aug 6-9)
~ one invitation to the Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam Grade 2 (Aug 21-23)

June 23-26: North-U Youth Clinic co-hosted with Chicago YC, coached by Dave Perry
Entries: forty invitations issued to sailors 15-22 years old.
The clinic will be co-hosted with Chicago YC. Limited housing will be available.

Grade 3 – Summer Invitational A (July 23-24) and B (July 25-26)
Entries: all invitations allocated by resume and ranking- 10 total per event
Prizes for highest combined A & B score:

~ one invitation to 2014 Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam Grade 2 (Aug 21-23)

August 21-23: Grade 2 – Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam
Entries: nine invitations allocated by resume and ranking, three by qualifiers – 12 total
Qualifiers:

~ Oakcliff Better Chip Match Grade 3 (May 16-17, 2015)
~ CMRC Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam Qualifier Grade 2 (June 19-21)
~ CMRC Summer Invitational Grade 3 (July 23-26)

Prizes: all skippers earn points towards 2014 Grand Slam Series championship; the overall winner of the Grand Slam wins an invitation to the 2016 Congressional Cup.

September 12-13: Grade 3 – Autumn Invitational
Entries: ten invitations allocated by resume and ranking- 10 total

Report by CMRC.