June 28, 2008 (CHICAGO) – Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt, and Jennifer Wilson of San Diego take their first Etchells World Championship title after ending the regatta with a strong 12 place finish in race 6. After dropping a 39 point finish from their score, the team secures first place overall with a total of 30. Hardesty was the pre-event favorite having won both the Midwinters East and West.

Chris Busch, Chad Hough, Chuck Sinks, and Peter Burton, also of San Diego, came in second with 38 points followed by Jud Smith, Henry Frazer, and James Porter with 41. After protest and redress hearings at the end of today, Peter Duncan moved from 16th to tie Beadsworth/Dwyer at 56 points for 4th. Duncan won with tie breaker with his 2nd place win in today’s race.

The 6th and final race of the regatta was run today in beautiful conditions with 10-20 knot westerly winds, waves, and warm sunny weather. Bush, Hough, Sinks, and Burton took the lead on the first downwind leg, and from there they proceeded to walk away from the fleet on every leg and capture first place by a substantial margin.

“We went right on the first beat while most of our competitors went left,” Busch explained. “We were pretty behind after a bad start at the right end of the line, but we found better velocity and some good shifts on our side and we were able to work out way back through the fleet. Once you’re out front, it’s a lot easier to stay there It’s the races where you’re deep and have to fight your way back that really make the difference.”

Busch, Hough, Sinks, and Burton definitely take the role of the stealthy stars of the regatta. After a disappointing 49th finish on the first day, the team moved to 8th with a 2nd and a 4th on the second day of racing. They continued their climb up the score board with respectable finishes in races 4 and 5 which brought them up to 6th and then into the top three. With a decisive win today, the San Diego team ultimately captured 2nd place by three points from Smith, Frazer, and Porter.

Winners Hardesty, Shampain, Hunt and Wilson sailed an impressive regatta. “Our two firsts on the second day really helped. We’ve been training hard, and it paid off.” Hardesty said. With the exclusion of their 39 point drop race, the team never scored below 13th in the racing this week. On how the team managed to stay consistent in the tricky conditions Hardesty explained, “We sailed conservatively. Once we figured out what was working for us, we stuck with that strategy.”

Remarkably, with the exception of one drop race apiece, Hardesty, Busch, and Smith all posted top 20 finishes in the five races counting toward their final score. It is undoubtedly this impressive consistency, despite challenging conditions, that places these three boats on the Etchells Worlds podium this year.

The next Etchells World Championship will be held in March 2009 on Port Philip Bay, Melbourne with the host club being Royal Brighton Yacht Club. For a complete list of the final results link to event photos log on to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds or www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board and Scott Myers serves as the executive director.

             

June 27, 2008 (CHICAGO) – After a late start, day 5 of Etchells Worlds produced an exciting nail-biter race among the afternoon’s top competitors. The first three boats established a significant lead over the rest of the fleet early in the race. Through many lead changes, the three race leaders duked it out at the top of the fleet. Ultimately, Jud Smith, Henry Frazer, and James Porter of the U.S. crossed the finish in a decisive first place after rounding the last leeward mark behind the race’s 2nd place finishers Hank Lammens, Dirk Kneulman, and Dwayne Smithers of Canada and 3rd place finishers Dave Dwyer, Andy Beadsworth and Simon Fry of Ireland.

“We sailed an aggressive race,” Smith, the 2006 Etchells World Champion remarked. “We started close at the pin and sailed hard out to the left.” Though Smith led around the first windward and leeward marks of the race, they lost the lead and fell to 3rd on the second upwind beat, while the team of Dwyer, Beadsworth, and Fry came out on top by a comfortable gap followed by Canadian boat Lammens, Kneulman, and Smithers. Lammens placed

Smith explained that they were counting on a righty, but on the second upwind beat the wind died on the right side before the shift filled, and Dwyer/Beadsworth and Lammens were able to slip by from the left. Smith gained back much of the lost ground on the downwind leg and rounded the last leeward mark almost even with Lammens, where they made a bold decision to split with the two leaders and round the right gate.

With the large gap between the three leaders and the rest of the fleet, “we had nothing to loose,” Smith explained. “We were confident the right would come in, so we made the decision to split with Hank at the gate and go right.” The strategy paid off. With today’s first place, Smith’s team moves from 6th to 2nd in the overall standings.

Over the past few days, many of the teams struggled with the long onshore postponements and extended delays on the water as the Race Committee reset the course numerous times to accommodate the shifting winds. As many sailors have experienced, these kinds of delays pose a challenge for competitors, making it difficult to maintain focus, energy, and the “competitive edge” all racers value. “Our coach helps a lot,” Smith said. “He keeps us focused and makes sure we know what’s going on with the conditions. We knew to keep an eye on the clouds and to look for the right to fill.”

Despite strong finishes by Smith, Lammens, and Dwyer/Beadsworth in race 5, Hardesty still holds the overall lead by 12 points with a respectable 8th place finish today. His team is in a good position to take the World Championship title if they pull out one more solid finish in tomorrow's final race. Currently he is followed in the standings by Jud Smith, Henry Frazer, and James Porter with 68 points and Chris Busch, Chad Hough, Chuck Sinks, and Peter Burton with 86 points.

Tomorrow the Race Committee plans to run one long quality race to finish off the 6 races necessary to complete the regatta. This 6th race will allow the competitors a “drop race,” which could have a meaningful effect on the scores. With the worst finishes of each boat excluded from the scores, we can expect to see some shuffling in the places. Most of the regatta leaders have one deeper race, so it will be important for them to do well in tomorrow. This should mean some heavy competition for the last day of Worlds here in Chicago.

The Etchells World Championship is held at Chicago Yacht Club and presented by World Sport Chicago. The regatta runs June 23-28, with the 29th as a reserve day. For a listing of the current standings and a link to event photos log on to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds or www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

1
49
USA979
Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt & Jennifer Wilson
7
1
1
39
8
56

2
20
USA102
Judson Smith, Henry Frazer & James Porter
15
9
41
2
1
68

3
47
USA969
Chris Busch, Chad Hough, Chuck Sinks & Peter Burton
49
2
4
19
12
86

4
33
USA1227
Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell & Jeff Pape
4
5
5
51
25
90

5
19
USA1310
Robert Wray, Scott Nixon & Mike Wolfs
37
4
9
34
6
90

6
46
IRL1375
Dave Dwyer, Andy Beadsworth & Simon Fry
40
24
22
4
3
93

7
66
USA1238
Gary Gilbert, Mark Mendelblatt, Stu Argo & Mark Strube
27
23
33
10
4
97

8
80
GBR1329
Julia Bailey, Dylan Potter, Anna Bailey & Pedro Rebelo de Andra
28
18
25
20
11
102

9
81
GBR1352
Graham Bailey, Stephen Bailey & David Heritage
24
7
3
64
7
105

10
56
USA1327
Peter Duncan, Thomas Blackwell & William Barton
17
22
10
5
52
106

11
2
USA701
Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers & John Harford
3
30
12
21
46
112

12
41
CAN1349
Hank Lammens, Dirk Kneulman & Dwayne Smithers
35
27
43
11
2
118






ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board and Scott Myers serves as the executive director.

             

June 26, 2008 (CHICAGO) No races were held on Day 4 of the Etchells Worlds, while a large high pressure system sitting over Lake Michigan brings calm winds, blue skies, and sunshine to Chicago’s lakefront. With little chance of cooperative weather for the rest of the day, the Race Committee called the day at 13:30 and pushed tomorrow’s start time forward to 10:30 in anticipation of nice winds in the morning and storms later in the day. The race committee hopes to run two solid races tomorrow while the weather holds.

“It’s a classic battle between good and evil,” PRO Tom Duggan said in reference to today’s westerly and easterly winds. “Neither of them won out, so we decided to walk away and we’ll try to get two races in tomorrow.”

The Etchells World Championship is held at Chicago Yacht Club and presented by World Sport Chicago. The regatta runs June 23-28, with the 29th as a reserve day. For a listing of the current standings and a link to event photos log on to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds or www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board and Scott Myers serves as the executive director.

             

June 25, 2008 (CHICAGO) – Race 4 of the Etchells Worlds brought tricky conditions and a tough day for many of the regatta’s leading boats, though yesterday’s top two contenders still remain in the top three overall after today’s race. The lead established by San Diego boat Bill Hardesty and crew in Monday and Tuesday’s racing has kept them in first place even after a 39th place finish today. Peter Duncan, Thomas Blackwell, and William Barton of Biscayne Bay grabbed third place in the overall standings after starting at the right end and tacking out onto port immediately to lock in a 5th place finish in the race.

Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell, and Jeff Pape of San Diego suffered a 51 point finish and slipped from second to third, with 65 points, while fourth place boat of locals Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers, and John Harford and fifth place boat Jud Smith, Henry Frazer, and James Poter nip at their heels with 66 points and 67 points respectively. With a tight point spread, large fleet size, and tricky conditions producing inconsistent scores, no teams have established a decisive lead and the World Championship title is still very much up for grabs.

After an onshore postponement until noon, competitors headed out under overcast skies and scattered showers in a moderate SSE breeze. However early into the first beat Race 4 began to look a lot like Race 1; a continuous right shift filled in as a large portion of the fleet worked their way out to the left side of the course.

The substantial righty paid off enormously for the small number of boats that tacked out onto port immediately after the start, but it became a game of catch-up for many of the regatta’s leaders stranded out on the left. Yesterday’s top three boats, Bill Hardesty (USA 979), Vincent Brun (USA 1227) and Graham Bailey (GBR 1352), found themselves below mid-fleet at the first windward mark. With the separation established by the shift, they had to fight hard for every point as they attempted to battle their way back up through the fleet.

The race ended with the wind building and moving even further right. A large number of boats significantly overstood the starboard layline to the finish after many had played the right side in anticipation of the consistent right shifts.

A few of teams favored before the start of the event were happier with today’s scores including 2007 World’s runner-up Jud Smith and crew Henry Frazer, and James Poter who locked in a 2nd and Dave Dwyer, Andy Beadsworth, and Simon Fry who took a 4th. “That’s more like it,” 2007 World’s champion Beadsworth commented upon returning to the dock.

Meanwhile, the separation proved a benefit for the winning team of Race 4, Senet Bischoff, Colin Gordon, and Ben Kinney out of New York Yacht Club in Newport, RI. The team led the fleet around every mark and gave a hearty cheer as their boat, KGB, crossed the finish line for their first bullet of the regatta. Today’s win bumps this team up to 7th in the overall standings.

The Etchells World Championship runs June 23-28, with the 29th as a reserve day. For a listing of full results, mark roundings, and links to photos log on to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds or www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. Michael Conley, Sr., an Olympic medalist in the triple jump, serves as president; William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board; Scott Myers serves as the executive director; and Jessica Judge is the director of operations.

             

June 24, 2008 (CHICAGO) -- Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt and Jennifer Wilson dominate the day with bullets in both of today’s races. The San Diego team’s 7th yesterday combined with their two wins today places them in 1st overall after Day 2 of the 2008 Etchells World Championships, hosted by Chicago Yacht Club and presented by World Sport Chicago. Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell and Jeff Pape follow close behind in 2nd overall with an impressively consistent 4, 5, 5 despite the often tricky conditions in the event so far.

Today’s racing started at 13:00 in light ESE winds following an onshore postponement as the race committee waited for the breeze to fill. Two races of roughly two hours each were sailed in 5-10 knot winds.

Consistency paid off for the events two leading boats, while all those in the standings behind them have at least one finish in the 20s or deeper. Today’s racing led to considerable changes in places for many of the teams. Only four of yesterday’s top ten boats remain in the top ten places today, and most of the other six have fallen back significantly in the standings.

Artie Means, Will Stout, and Chuck Skewes have also put together some consistently solid races this event that would have set them in 3rd in the current standings if not for an OCS they picked up in the last start today that replaces their 10th place finish in that race. This addition to their score puts them in what must be a frustrating 30th for this team overall.

Bill Hardesty, skipper on the leading boat, comments, “It’s tricky out there. We just kept it simple, work to keep the boat speed up, and then you just have to hope that your side works out.”

Their boat started near the pin and played the left side of the course upwind in both races, which paid off for them in the oscillating ESE to SE winds today. Hardesty, 33, enters the Worlds after back to back wins in both the Mid-winters East and Mid-winters West for 2008. In December, Hardesty and his team won the 73-boat Piana Cup and in February, it was Bill Hardesty and his team’s turn again as they sailed with spectacular consistency in the 87 boat Florida State Championship.

The team of Graham Bailey and Steven Bailey, sailing with David Heritage, secured third place in the event so far with a solid 7, 3 in today’s races. There is a close battle behind this team with only 15 points separating 4th from 11th place. Yesterday’s third place boat, Housten and team, is holding on to 4th place, while yesterday’s leaders, Justin Palm, Erik Garr and Hans Pusch, have slipped to 6th.

The Aussi team of Peter McNeill, David Gleadhill, and Tom Woods added excitement to the last race of today in a fight for the lead with Hardesty’s team. McNeill, the 2004 World Champion, rounded the 1st windward mark in the lead with Hardesty close off their hip. They established a significant gap over the rest of the fleet during the course of the race and the tight battle at the front became a match race between the two boats. It was a close fight downwind, but McNeill maintained the lead and rounded the right gate mark in first while Hardesty split and rounded the left gate. Hardesty was able to pass McNeill with a well sailed 2nd upwind beat, and though the two remained close together out in front of the pack, the San Diego team maintained their lead to the finish locking their second bullet of the day.

Hardesty attributes the team’s training to their win over McNeill and their success in both of today’s races. “We’ve been out here a few weeks training hard, getting to know the area, and making sure everyone on the boat is working hard in all conditions.”

The Etchells World Championship runs June 23-28, with the 29th as a reserve day. For a listing of full results, mark roundings, and links to photos logon to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds.




Pl B# Sail # Crew 1 2 3 Tot
1 49 USA979 Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt & Jennifer Wilson 7 1 1 9
2 33 USA1227 Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell & Jeff Pape 4 5 5 14
3 81 GBR1352 Graham Bailey, Stephen Bailey & David Heritage 24 7 3 34
4 2 USA701 Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers & John Harford 3 30 12 45
5 56 USA1327 Peter Duncan, Thomas Blackwell & William Barton 17 22 10 49
6 28 USA1363 Justin Palm, John Erik Garr & Hans Pusc Pusch 1 17 32 50
7 19 USA1310 Robert Wray, Scott Nixon & Mike Wolfs 37 4 9 50
8 47 USA969 Chris Busch, Chad Hough, Chuck Sinks & Peter Burton 49 2 4 55
9 34 USA1228 Brian Camet, Eric Doyle & Brian Terhaar 22 6 31 59
10 4 NZL1058 Andrew Wills, Anatole Masfen & Alastair Gair 14 8 37 59

ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. Michael Conley, Sr., an Olympic medalist in the triple jump, serves as president; William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board; Scott Myers serves as the executive director; and Jessica Judge is the director of operations.

             

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Christie Kirchner
kirchner@chicagoyachtclub.org
773-320-3642

High resolution images are available

Chicago Sailors Top Race 1 of Etchells Worlds

June 23, 2008 (CHICAGO YACHT CLUB) -- Chicago boats claimed two of the top three finishes in today's first race of the Etchells World Championships, with local favorites Justin Palm, Erik Garr, and Hans Pusch pulling out a first place finish. They were followed by Kurt Winkelmann, Laurence Ledgerwood, and Brad Boston, hailing from New York in 2nd, and the Chicago team of Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers, and John Harford in 3rd.

Competitors arrived to a brisk 15-18 knot NNW wind this morning for the 5 mile upwind sail out to the race course. The wind gradually lightened, clocked right over 85 degrees throughout the day and eventually died shortly after the finish of the first race. With no hope of fresh wind in the forecast, the race committee cancelled the second race of the day and the fleet was towed back to the harbor. Tom Duggan, PRO explains, "We had 4-6 knots, which is enough to start a race, but with such light wind, and the fog starting to fill in from the city, it didn't look good. With five days more to complete the necessary five additional races to complete the event, we decided it wasn't worth sitting out there waiting for wind that was not going to fill."

Today's race was started on time in an 8-12 knot breeze. A large right shift in the first beat proved to be the race determining factor for many of the boats locked out to the left side after the start. The first three boats to the windward mark all started at the right end of the line and were the first to tack out onto port after the start. Chicago sailor Fred Joosten's boat was first around the windward mark in a comfortable lead after starting late at the boat, tacking out immediately, and patiently riding port tack to the far right side of the course where he established the decisive leverage on the fleet in the significant right shift.

The fleet established significant lateral spread in the battle downwind, which led to a good deal of place shuffling as the fleet converged again at the leeward mark. The lead shifted to Winkelmann's team after a well sailed downwind leg playing course left of Joosten's team as the breeze continued to clock right. Joosten ended the race with a solid 10th place finish.

Race winners Palm, Garr, and Pusch steadily picked off boats with their team's consistent sharp sailing throughout the race. After scraping into the top 10 at the leeward mark, a solid upwind beat paid off with a 5th place rounding at the windward mark. A superbly played final downwind leg allowed the Chicago crew to clinch the win from Winkelmann's team as Palm and crew pulled-off a port tack crossing in a right phase shift at the finish.

The anticipated battle between two of the top teams, 2007 World Champion Andy Beadsworth and Dave Dwyer of the U.K. and 2007 Worlds runner-up Jud Smith of Marblehead, Mass. and crew from did not play out in this first race of the event. Beadsworth's team ground back from deep in the fleet to a 40th place finish while Smith's boat came in with a less damaging 15th. However, with only one race down of the 9 ideally planned for the event, it is far too early to count either of these two boats out of the running for the podium.

The Etchells World Championship is hosted by Chicago Yacht Club and presented by World Sport Chicago. The event continues throughout the week and for more information log on to www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds.

Pl B# Sail # Crew 1 Tot
1 28 USA1363 Justin Palm, John Erik Garr & Hans Pusch 1 1
2 37 USA1224 Kurt Winkelmann, Larry Ledgerwood & Brad Boston 2 2
3 2 USA701 Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers & John Harford 3 3
4 33 USA1227 Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell & Jeff Pape 4 4
5 8 NZL1127 Gavin Gerrard, Richard Bouzaid & John Baxter 5 5
6 6 AUS1150 Terence Steele, Jameson Buxton & Bradley Moore 6 6
7 49 USA979 Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt & Jennifer Wilson 7 7
8 67 USA1308 Senet Bischoff, Colin Gordon & Ben Kinney 8 8
9 35 USA1229 Argyle Campbell, Jack Jakosky & Dwight Belden 9 9
10 27 USA822 Fred Joosten, David Williams & Niels Heemskerk 10 10

ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

ABOUT WORLD SPORT CHICAGO
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago's international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area's youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago's 2016's Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. Michael Conley, Sr., an Olympic medalist in the triple jump, serves as president; William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board; Scott Myers serves as the executive director; and Jessica Judge is the director of operations.

             

CHICAGO — June 17, 2008 — Before the world’s premier skippers compete in one of the most prestigious international sailing competitions, they will first sail with students from Chicago’s Rickover Naval Academy in a harbor race at Belmont Harbor Station on June 20.

To kick off the 2008 Etchells World Championship, hosted by World Sport Chicago and the Chicago Yacht Club, the harbor race will introduce 32 students to the thrill of sailing. The students and sailors will depart the harbor for the race at 1:30 p.m. and return at 3 p.m. to tour the yacht club and socialize.

In July about 16 Rickover students will begin a sailing training program with the Chicago Yacht Club in hopes of launching an academy team. If successful, Rickover will be one of only two Chicago public schools involved in competitive sailing.

“We want to stretch our students’ horizons and encourage them to learn from the experiences of others,” said Commandant Michael Tooker, military director of the academy.
Founded in 2005, Rickover Naval Academy is a college preparatory school that uses the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program to provide leadership training to 315 students in ninth to 11th grade. Next year the school will expand to include seniors.

“We are excited to introduce the students of Rickover Academy to competitive sailing with the generous support of the Chicago Yacht Club and some of the finest skippers from around the globe,” said William Scherr, chairman of the board of World Sport Chicago. “Along with the Etchells World Championship, this event will help demonstrate that Chicago and Lake Michigan are world-class venues for Olympic sport.”

The 2008 Etchells World Championship will run from June 21 through June 28, bringing top international skippers, such as defending World Champion Andy Beadsworth and 2006 Champion Jud Smith, to Lake Michigan.

The World Championship comes only weeks after the city was named one of the four finalists for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. World Sport Chicago is the “living legacy” organization of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid focused on promoting the growth of Olympic sport in Chicago. The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the world.

Opening ceremonies take place on June 21, and the first race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on June 23.

             

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World Sailing Championship Comes to Chicago

(Chicago Yacht Club) Some of the best sailors from around the globe will compete in the 2008 International Etchells World Championship, held this year at Chicago Yacht Club’s Belmont Harbor Station. This prestigious event is rotated between continents annually and will run in Chicago from June 19- June 29, 2008. Sponsored by World Sport Chicago, the Etchells Worlds brings a spotlight on Chicago sailing, showcasing the Windy City as a powerhouse for the highest level of international sailing competition.

This regatta is sailed in the Etchells, a fast, stable 30 foot racing sloop that can be raced competitively and safely by three or four sailors. Her sail plan includes a main, jib, and spinnaker. Past Etchells World Champions include Jud Smith, 2006 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and 2006 Etchells World Champion, Dennis Connor, Dave Curtis, Vince Bruin and Ken Read. The International Etchells Class attracts many talented sailors including former Olympians and America’s Cup Veterans. Russel Couts, John Bertrand, Gary Jobson and Craig Healy all race their own Etchells.

To be eligible to race in the Etchells World Championship, each skipper must qualify in his or her home fleet. For the 2008 Worlds, the top 23% in each fleet are eligible to enter and race in the championship. There are more than 50 Etchells Fleets around the world, countries include Australia, Bermuda, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Italy, France and the United States. Chicago Yacht Club has an extremely active Etchells Fleet (Etchells Fleet 11) that has been competing since 1973.

In June the excitement comes to Chicago. To learn more, please visit the event web site at www.etchellsfleet11.org/2008worlds.

About The Chicago Yacht Club
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world.Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1500 boating enthusiasts, and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.

             

Greetings to All

It is my honor to welcome you all to our great city and our Club as we prepare to host the Etchells World Championship in the summer of 2008.

Our Club celebrates a “Tradition of Yachting Excellence”, accomplished only with the help and dedication of our members and staff alike. We work hard at meeting our goals of excellence in all that we do, including this event. I would like to thank our 2008 Etchells Regatta Committee, led by Chair Rick Kaiser and our Fleet Captain, Ted Jones for their tireless efforts, which have already begun in preparing this event.

While you are here, I also hope you have the time to discover what makes Chicago a great place to live, work and visit. Whether it is our world renowned museums, restaurants, neighborhoods, or architecture; our city offers something for everyone.

I look forward to meeting all of you!

Sincerely,

John Regan
Commodore


Welcome to Chicago, Chicago Yacht Club and Belmont Harbor Station. We are glad you are coming to race with us. Fleet 11 has put much effort into this championship, and we are hoping you come away with many good memories of the regatta, the parties and the City of Chicago. We are dedicated to making your trip here as easy as possible and providing quality racing.

Our PRO will be Tom Duggan. A lot of you know him and the quality of races he has produced. We have the Chicago Yacht Club race committee supporting his efforts. Chief judge of the international jury will be Lisa Bettcher of Australia. Chicago Yacht Club is our host.

As you are entering, traveling, shipping, setting-up, launching and racing, please let us know what we can do to help you. Rick Kaiser, Regatta Chair and I will do all we can to answer your questions.

Welcome to Chicago and good sailing to you all,

Ted Jones
USA 1103
Brazen Hussy
Fleet 11 Fleet Captain