FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 October 2010

U.S. WINS 2010 CANADA’S CUP

Last match hard-fought, but U.S. comes out ahead 5-2; MBYC challenge issued now for 2011

Media Inquiries:
Beth Paul
312-542-1505 or beth@chicagomatchrace.com

Chicago, IL – In one fantastic finale to a hard-fought series, where both teams traded the lead and the tension was always high, Don Wilson’s Team Chicago Match Race Center has successfully defended the 2010 Canada’s Cup for the U.S. in a three-day challenge made by Grant Hood’s Vincere team from the Port Credit YC. The winning team, which besides Wilson included Brent Ruhne, Mory Matias, Payson Infelise, Caroline Young, Zach Hurst, Michael Bradley, Jennifer Wilson, Mal Parker, and Eric Doyle, prevailed on a final score of 5-2 in the series sailed at CMRC.

“This was a great three days of match racing,” said Wilson. “Grant and his team put up a real fight, especially yesterday, but we are so pleased they came here to challenge for this prestigious trophy. Like I said on Friday, I have never entered a race where I didn’t know how the other boat would sail. Grant sailed an amazing race and credit goes to him and his team, for helping make this event happen, and to make it such an exciting event.”

But today’s final race in the series was never certain until the end, and momentum could very well have tipped the other way, as it did yesterday when the Canadians won two races to the American’s one. But down by 4-2, the Canadians knew they were in a must-win situation to stay alive in the series, and so when Wilson took the start it was looking grim for Hood, as Wilson took the early lead and extended it to the favored left side in the first beat to get around the top mark by 2 lengths.

But in the 12-18 knot northerlies reminiscent of the first day of competition, this was not a safe margin at all, and the Canadians rolled over the Americans on the last starboard gybe into the bottom mark rounding, taking the lead. “We knew we had a fast boat going downwind,” said Hood, “so we wanted to make it close to get around the bottom mark ahead and try to stay ahead on the next beat.”

On that second beat, Hood and team did put a loose cover on the U.S., keeping the action very close, but the U.S. was able to get up close enough to leebow tack under the Canadians in the final exchange at the top, leaving just enough room to complete their tack across Hood’s bow, and take the match lead back to the U.S. team again rounding the second windward mark.

From here it was just one downwind leg remaining, which Wilson and team were able to fend off attacks and successfully defend and win the match by a 1.5-length margin at the finish.

“It was an epic match,” claimed commentator Scott Dickson, “Because with any small shift or any wave, the advantage could shift to the other team. It was all very exciting to watch, and the U.S. coach Ian Williams (2-time match race World Champion) said he too was on edge the entire match.”

One feature of the Canada’s Cup courses set by Principal Race Officer Bill Canfield was their length: at 60-75 minutes, the goal was to give the trailing team an opportunity to put their boat speed and sail handling skills to the test, rather than just a pure test of typical short-course match race positioning. This was an effective strategy, as most matches in the series were hard-fought and had many lead changes.

The successful U.S. defense of the Canada’s Cup matched a formal announcement made today by Commodore Bob DeJong of CMRC’s co-defending Macatawa Bay YC (MBYC) that his club has issued a call to challenge for the 2011 Canada’s Cup. The format will be to have a Defender Series amongst any entries put forth from U.S. clubs on the Great Lakes over 25-27 August 2011 to select the representing team for the US, then after a two day break conduct the racing for the Canada’s Cup over 30 August – 1 September. All racing will be at MBYC in Holland, MI, and the competition will once again by in Farr 40 Class yachts.

Photos and videos of the all the action in the 2010 Canada’s Cup are available on the CMRC website: www.chicagomatchrace.com.

Official Partners of the CMRC include CME Group and the City Inns family of hotels, and NYSE LIFFE is CMRC’s official Boat Sponsor and Line Honors is the Official Clothing Supplier to CMRC.

For more information about the 2010 Canada’s Cup, stop by CMRC or contact CMRC Director of Marketing and Programming Beth Paul on 312-542-1505 or visit www.chicagomatchrace.com.

About CMRC: The Chicago Match Race Center was founded to promote and grow the sport of match race sailing. Besides being used in the America’s Cup, match race sailing has recently also been adapted as a Women’s discipline in the 2012 Olympic Games. As part of its mission to provide the highest-level match racing training facility for professional and amateur sailors in the US, CMRC has procured a fleet of Elliott 6M class boats, the type that will be used in the Games, and will use them to train and race teams with Olympic aspirations. Additionally, the CMRC retains a full fleet of TOM 28 class boats and all umpire and support boats needed to run international-caliber regattas. For the complete list of events and results from the 2010 season schedule, and events for the 2011 season, please visit www.ChicagoMatchRace.com.

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