> US SAILING Media > Latest News > 2009 > Team Hardesty and Chicago Match Race Center Capture 2009 U.S. Match Racing Championship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jake Fish, US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (November 22, 2009) – On behalf of the Chicago Match Race Center, Bill Hardesty (San Diego, Calif.) and crew, Dave Gerber and Jack Jennings, won US SAILING’s 2009 U.S. Match Racing Championship on Sunday. Team Hardesty won the Prince of Wales Bowl by defeating the Pequot Yacht Club’s team represented by three-time winner, Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.) and crew, Chris Museler and Doug Clark, 3-2, in a best of five series.
“Every race came down to the wire today,” said Hardesty. “This means a lot to our team and the Chicago Match Race Center. We’ve been training hard for this event.”
The series was locked at 2-2 going into the final match to decide the championship. Perry was flagged early and did his turn near the weather mark, while in the lead. However, he fouled Hardesty at the mark and received another double flag penalty, and Hardesty surged ahead for the exciting win.
“Our final windward move really made the difference in the final race,” said Hardesty. “This was something we’ve worked on as a team.”
In what was described by many on-site as probably the most exciting match of the week, Perry pushed the series to a fifth and final match by winning a thrilling race four. Hardesty lead the first time around, but Perry kept it close. Hardesty was double flagged at the leeward mark. A tacking duel ensued all the way up the leg allowing Perry to extend his lead. Near the top they started splitting tacks which ended with the two boats neck and neck at the weather mark and Hardesty rounding ahead. They were close enough that neither set their spinnakers until a quarter of the way down the leg. While trailing in the race, Perry set his spinnaker first and passed Hardesty downwind to win.The ten elite teams representing the skippers' home yacht clubs started the semifinal and petit rounds this afternoon on Tampa Bay. Hardesty advanced to the finals by defeating Russ Silvestri’s team (St. Francis YC), 2-0, in a best of three series. Perry earned his trip to the finals by defeating Taylor Canfield’s team (St. Thomas YC), 2-0. Hardesty finished Saturday’s racing in first, while Perry was third. Russ Silvestri defeated Canfield, 2-0, in the petit round. Teams finishing 5-10 following Saturday's racing competed in today’s consolation round.
This year's USMRC was hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club (Fla.). Teams raced this year in Sonars. Complete results, daily reports, photos, Twitter updates, live race tracking by Kattack and video highlights by Sailgroove are available on the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMRC.htm.
This event is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard, PredictWind, SailProud and Kattack. The U.S. Match Racing Championship for the Prince of Wales Bowl is part of US SAILING’s National Championships series. For more information about these events, visit www.ussailing.org/championships.
Final Standings
1. Bill Hardesty – Chicago Match Race Center
2. Dave Perry – Pequot Yacht Club
3. Russ Silvestri – St. Francis Yacht Club
4. Taylor Canfield – St. Thomas Yacht Club
5. David Dellenbaugh – Pequot Yacht Club
6. Chris Nesbitt – Balboa Yacht Club
7. Anna Tunnicliffe – North Cape YC / Lauderdale YC
8. Brian Angel – King Harbor Yacht Club
9. Maegan Ruhlman – Pymatuning Yacht Club
10. Mark Johnson – Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America's Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, offshore, one-design and women's events. Please visit us at http://www.rolex.com/.
About Dry Creek Vineyard
Recognized in sailing circles and known for its sailboat labels. The Dry Creek Vineyard family has expressed its passion for sailing since the early 1980s by designing wine labels featuring classic sailing yachts. Founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, Dry Creek Vineyard is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, Calif. For more information on Dry Creek Vineyard please visit www.drycreekvineyard.com.
About SailProud
SailProud is a lifestyle apparel company focused on a dedication to transitional performance and stylish, nautical design. The brand is now focused on growing to become a passionate community of sailors, yachters, and maritime enthusiasts worldwide. At SailProud we pride ourselves on a relentless focus on quality, performance, and comfort - all while remaining passionate about growing the sport and giving back to worthy causes. Please visit us at http://sailproud.com/.
About PredictWind
PredictWind provides professional subscriptions giving participants access to a revolutionary set of tools to pre-empt weather conditions. PredictWind combines sophisticated wind prediction technology with local topography maps to create the highest resolution marine forecast available. Used by the winner of the last two Americas Cups, PredictWind is the choice of experts and boasts outstanding feedback from some of the world’s best sailors. www.predictwind.com.