Winners confirmed at US Match Racing Championship

Oyster Bay, NY (October 15, 2017) – David Storrs and his international team overcame a field of ten teams to win the Prince of Wales Bowl but it was second-place finisher Pearson Potts and the Yankee Creole Race team who walked away with the title of US Match Racing Champion.

Ten teams competed in Match 40s, with the winning team comprised of 100 percent U.S. citizens earning the title of U.S. Match Racing National Champion and qualifying to represent the United States in the Open Division at World Sailing’s 2018 Nations Cup Regional Qualifier, an international match racing championship.

The overall winning team, regardless of team members’ nationality, earn the Prince of Wales Bowl and automatically qualify for next year’s U.S. Match Racing Championship.

Storrs went 3-0 against Janel Zarkowsky in the Semi Finals, with Potts also notching a shutout against Chris Kennedy. Storrs remained hot in the Finals to blank Potts 3-0 for the win.

The deciding race of the Finals saw an exhausting back-and-forth between Potts and Storrs. They split at the leeward gate with Potts leading but Storrs came back on starboard to start a dial down and Potts reacted late.

Both boats ended up head to wind, bow to bow, with jibs down. Potts got a penalty and Storrs cleared ahead for the win. While Potts’ strategy going into the finals was to “keep his cool and focus on boat-handling” but Storrs’ crew-work was unbeatable.

Kennedy let loose a relentless spree of starboard attacks in the prestart with Zarkowsky in their Petite Final. He forced her out beyond the pin and tacked back over to start with a two boat-length lead. She stayed hot on his heels for the rest of the race but couldn’t catch him, losing to Kennedy 2-0.

The 70-year old winner Storrs was sailing with Hayden Goodrick, Tom Powrie, Laurie Jury, and Sam Bell.

The 2017 edition of the U.S. Match Racing Championship for the Prince of Wales Bowl was held October 13 to 15.

Event details – Competitor list – Results

Source: Francis K. George, Oakcliff Sailing