Big wind for Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta

Chicago, IL (September 21, 2019) – The 2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta kicked off with a 20 to 30 knot breeze out of the southwest, with some oscillation and puffs as high as 33 knots.

The race committee did not fly flag K (which indicates spinnakers not allowed) and instead left that decision up to crews and boat owners. This worked well as competitors worked with boat owners and learned about making decisions around how to use their boats during heavy winds.

“It was not only an exciting heavy breeze day on the water, but a big learning experience for all who many have never sailed in truly difficult offshore conditions,” said Regatta Co-Chairman Nick Zomer.

At the top of the leaderboard for the Tartan 10 fleet all day were Wisconsin-Madison and Miami University. Miami University came out of nowhere this year to lead the fleet for the first part of the day, Wisconsin-Madison took back the title of top boat in the last few races. Wisconsin and Miami ended the day with a tie at 8 points, Wisconsin winning the tie-breaker.

In the J/105 fleet, three teams dominated the leader position – Naval Academy, University of Notre Dame, and University of Michigan. By the end of the day, the Naval Academy led the pack with 9 points while Michigan and Notre Dame were in a tie at 11 points with Notre Dame winning the tie-breaker.

During the day boats suffered breakdowns, including two for which yachts retired. Both teams were moved to backup boats for tomorrow. Due to the heavy winds and crew illness, the team from Ohio State withdrew at the end of Day 1.

Twenty-two teams are competing in the 2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta, a record for the event being held September 21-22 in Chicago, IL.

Event information – Race details – Results

Source: Nick Zomer