Chicago line-up revealed for World Match Racing Tour

The top eight skippers on the World Match Racing Tour will be among the 18-team field to compete September 26 to October 1 alongside Navy Pier in Chicago, IL. This will be the fifth championship level event on the 2017 circuit, after which the top 18 teams on the season leaderboard will advance to China to battle for the title of Match Racing World Champion. Competing from North America are Sally Barkow (USA), Andrew Campbell (USA), Taylor Canfield (ISV), Markus Edegran (USA), and Nevin Snow (USA).

Tour details – Event details – Leaderboard – Facebook

Event Format
Day One and Two – Fleet race qualifying in Groups. Each Group sails 6-8 races.
Day Three – Bottom two from each Group compete in a sail-off to decide who moves on to the Super 16 knockout. Top three from each Group join the sail-off winners in a 16 team, first to three-point, knockout. 1v16, 2v15, 3v14 etc.
Day Four – Sponsor day and remaining races from the Super 16 Knockout.
Day five – Quarter-Finals and start of Semi-Finals (knockout format).
Day six – Finish Semi-Finals and complete Final/Petit-Final (knockout format).

2017 World Championship Level Events:
WMRT Match Cup Australia, March 20-25
WMRT Congressional Cup, March 29-April 2
WMRT Match Cup Sweden, July 3-8
WMRT Match Cup Russia, August 1-6
WMRT Match Cup Chicago, September 26-October 1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
WMRT Match Cup China, October 24-29

Background: In 2013, Swedish company Aston Harald AB acquired the design and production rights to the one-design M32 catamarans. In July 2015, Aston Harald AB acquired the World Match Racing Tour, which then began the use of the M32 during the 2016 Tour. Launched in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour is the leading professional match racing series sanctioned by World Sailing.

Source: WMRT