Teams practice for the Chicago Match Cup under spectacular conditions

by Vsail.info · 11 July 2012

Reading about Chicago Match Cup is one thing. Witnessing it for yourself is a completely different experience! This is the first time ever I came to report on the top US match racing event and to be honest I was taking the press releases and PR material with a pinch of salt as they always have a tendency to exaggerate and beautify the reality. However, coming back ashore after a full day of watching the practice races there wasn’t the slightest doubt this could very well be the best sailing event in the US, even if it were just for the breeze we had on Tuesday.

Being used to the typical breeze patterns of the Mediterranean, it was a shock to see a nice and steady breeze early in the morning. The jet lag even gave me the opportunity to witness it from as early as 7am and it didn’t stop even when the boats were finally went back ashore at 5pm for the opening ceremony.

The venue itself is also spectacular, right at the end of the Navy Pier, in the middle of the city. Many events boast about their “stadium sailing” setup and I would be lying if I claimed Chicago Match Cup wasn’t one of them. Racing takes place literally a few meters from the pier and with the exception of a small corner reserved for the VIP tent, the general public has free access to watch the boats sailing past them.

We had the opportunity to be onboard a number of the practicing boats and as a result there is a very nice gallery of beautiful shots. Racing in full earnest starts on Wednesday, at 10am local time, with the first flights of the round robin. The weather forecast calls for a sunny and warm week and race organizers expect thousands of visitor, especially during the weekend. Let’s only hope the breeze doesn’t disappoint us.

Practice day on the eve of the Chicago Match Cup. Chicago, 10 July 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info