Potts to defend at U.S. Match Racing Championship

The 51st U.S. Match Racing Championship features ten teams comprised of both men and women skippers and crew that will race for the coveted Prince of Wales Bowl on October 19 to 21 in Chicago, IL.

Hosted by Chicago Yacht Club, teams will compete around a short two-lap windward/leeward course along the south section of Monroe Harbor or Lake Michigan, just outside of Belmont Harbor, in the Sonar keelboat.

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 in 2013 and as crew for Taylor Canfield 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.

The winner of the Prince of Wales Bowl will be offered an invitation to the 2019 U.S. Match Racing Championship. Additionally, if not already invited, the top finisher also earns an invitation to the 2019 Ficker Cup, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club (Calif.).

Racing Format (subject to change)
• First Stage – Round Robin
• Second Stage – Quarterfinals
• Third Stage – Semifinals
• Fourth Stage – Finals and Petite Finals

Event details – Entry list – Results – Facebook

Source: US Sailing