U.S. Match Racing Championship Area K Elimination / 
UBS Challenge Chicago Regional Qualifier
May 4-5, 2002 

Final Results          Day 1 Results          Day 1 Report       Art of Sailing

Photos by UBS

Team B from Minnesota's WAYZATA YACHT CLUB wins the Chicago Regional Qualifier 

Skipper Lars Hansen Qualifies for the UBS Challenge U.S Championship    

The next stop for the UBS Challenge Regional Qualifiers is Detroit May 18 –19 at the Bayview Yacht Club.

TEAM B, FROM MINNESOTA’S WAYZATA YACHT CLUB, LEADS AFTER OPENING DAY OF UBS CHALLENGE REGIONAL QUALIFIER

Chicago, May 4, 2002 - After the first day of competition, Team B, led by Skipper Lars Hansen, leads the UBS Challenge Regional Qualifier at Chicago Yacht Club in Belmont Harbor.  

Team B is ahead with 5 wins and 1 loss and will face other top local sailors in the final day of racing tomorrow.  The UBS Challenge Chicago Qualifier is one of six regional regattas in the national UBS Challenge Sailing Championship. The winner of the Chicago regatta will advance to the UBS Challenge U.S. Championships held in Newport, Rhode Island, July 27 - 29.  Top finishers from that race will go on to compete against America’s Cup teams in the UBS Challenge Finals, July 31 – August 4 in Newport.  The teams will race for a purse of $100,000, one of the largest in sailing.

“We’re really glad to be part of the UBS Challenge and pleased that UBS has taken up the cause of match racing, which benefits sailors here in the Midwest,” said Lars Hansen, Skipper of Team B.  “The results today are directly related to the quality of our team, which includes Jon Noller and Rod Komis.  Sailing is about team effort.”

“I am very pleased with today’s competition and with the efforts of the race committee, umpires and support staff of the Chicago Yacht Club making it all possible,” said Cliff Black, umpire and regatta chair.

Today’s conditions presented 10-12 knots and 1-2 foot chops.  These conditions provided very competitive racing among the regional teams and included a close 5-1, 4-2 combination between the top two teams.  Lake Michigan weather conditions included a steady breeze from 1.25 – 1.35 degrees and clear blue skies. 

The competition will resume tomorrow, Sunday May 5, at 9:00 am with a second round robin.  Conditions for tomorrow’s races are forecast for partly cloudy conditions with a similar wind out of the east.

Art Of Sailing

On Wednesday, May 1, The Art of Sailing exhibit was launched.  This program invites local art students to submit sail designs representing their city. (Further Information on Art of Sailing - CLICK HERE) In Chicago, seven finalists were chosen to paint their designs on a 12-foot canvas sail. The results were displayed in a prominent public building atrium in downtown Chicago and a judged by a panel, led by UBS PaineWebber art collection curator, Matthew Armstrong, who selected the winning sail. 

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