(Chicago, IL)– The 2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was hosted by the Chicago Corinthian YC in Chicago, IL for a fleet of twenty-two college teams from across the Midwest. The fleet was treated to solid breezes for the two-day weekend regatta. The fleet was split into J/105s and T-10s.
On Saturday, the racing started off in 20-25 kts breezes from the southwest with a very shifty wind off the towering Chicago lakefront. On Sunday, the fleet endured another round of challenging conditions. With the wind out of the west, the breeze started in the 20-25 kts range, but by midday was gusting into the 35 kts range. As a result, only one race was sailed on Sunday.
For the racing on Saturday, the CCYC PRO did not fly flag “K” (which indicates spinnakers not allowed) and instead left that decision up to crews and boat owners. That decision worked well, as competitors collaborated with boat owners and learned about making decisions around how to sail their boats better and safely in strong breezes.
“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.
In the J/105 fleet, three teams dominated the leaderboard on the first day. Leading the way as the US Naval Academy Team with a 1-3-1-3-1 tally for just 9 pts total. Sailing very consistently with all podium finishes was the University of Michigan “Big Blue” Team with a 2-2-3-1-3 record for 11 pts. However, they were tied on points with the University of Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” Team. The Fighting Irish rallied the troops and posted a 4-1-2-2-2 tally for 11 pts; that meant they were behind on the countback tie-breaker.
With just one race sailed on Sunday, due to the near-gale weather conditions, the final standings were going to be determined by the final race. In the end, the USNA Midshipmen were unstoppable, posting yet another bullet to take the regatta win. By virtue of their second place, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame took the silver, while the Big Blue team of Michigan took home the bronze with their 3rd place finish. Follow the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on Facebook Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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