Friday, August 3

US SAILING’s Independence Cup and Chicago Yacht Club’s North American Challenge Cup opened at host Chicago Yacht Club’s Belmont facility on Chicago’s north side in high heat and fair breeze.  On this the first day of the event, Rolex Watch U.S.A., one of the event’s sponsors, provided for a clinic for the visiting sailors with five-time Rolex yachtswoman of the year and current full-time coach of the U.S. Disabled Sailing Team, Betsy Alison.  Amanda Callahan, U.S. Team Racing Champion and Head Coach at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, also provided expertise.

After a short talk ashore about the format of the morning’s activities, the sailors headed out of the harbor onto the open waters of Lake Michigan.  Light but steady winds from the North provided excellent conditions for some practice starts and upwind legs.  A 20 degree right shift kept the sailors on their toes and served as an example of Lake Michigan’s sometimes fickle winds.

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Saturday, August 4

On this the first official race day of the Independence Cup/NACC winds were light with barely 6mph. softening to 4mph.   The early easterly shifted through fifty degrees before shifting back, again in slow motion. The overcast shielded all from the sun’s fury and provided cool temperatures throughout the day.

Five races were sailed in the Sonar and 2.4 Metre fleets and four in the Freedoms.

After breaking for lunch and to rotate boats, the Freedoms returned to the race course with renewed energy and 6 to 7 knots of breeze. In the first race of the afternoon with a pin end favored Mike Jaffe was sitting pretty at the pin as the gun went off. However, Mike was over by a nose and had to return. As he watched the fleet head out on starboard, he restarted on port and kept going right.

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Sunday, August 5

The storms of the night before scudded off to the East.  The skies began to clear and the cool temperatures from the previous night kept the conditions moderate.  The breeze was from the South, rarely dropping below 8 and gusting to 12 in the first race.  The gusts favored the starboard tack.  By afternoon the heat was full on and the gusts were pumping to 15.  The skies cleared completely to intensify the sunlight.  And the racing continued.

By day’s end an additional five races were sailed in all divisions.  Preliminarily (pending protests) Karen Mitchell has taken the lead in the Freedoms with a point total of 15, enhanced by today’s straight bullets. LeBlanc held on to first in the 2.4mRs with 15 points.  The next closest competitor is Rosenfield with 22.  Hot on his heels with 23 points is John Ruf.  In the Sonars, Albert Foster was able to put some distance between him and his nearest competition.  Foster’s 20 points gives him some breathing room over both Ken Kelly and Paul Callahan, each with 28 points.

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The last day of racing in the 2007 Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup (IC/NACC) began with a thin fog shrouding the skyline in shades of gray.  Scattered clouds kept temperatures comfortable.   Light winds from the east contributed to the cool temps.  The winds while appearing streaky settled to steady by the time the racing began.

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