Championship of Champions Day 1 Report

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CofC D1 HPCLEVELAND, Ohio (October 10, 2014) – The Edgewater Yacht Club launched a successful start to the 2014 Championship of Champions on Friday. Lake Erie greeted the 20 teams with light breeze and a chill in the air.

The sailors and race committee waited patiently for sufficient wind this morning. Shortly after 2 pm EDT, Race 1 was underway. The race committee completed three races before calling it a day just before 6 pm.

Jack Parkin (Riverside, Conn.) got off to a super start and won the first race. The International 420 sailor is your leader after day one. Sonar sailor Eric Voss (Rochester, N.Y.) won Race 2 and is in second place, while Brent Barbehenn (Lumberton, N.J.), who is representing the Jet 14 class, won Race 3 and is in third overall.

Top 5 – Complete Standings
1. Jack Parkin, 1-3-5- ; 9
2. Eric Voss, 2-1-10- ; 13T
3. Brent Barbehenn, 8-4-1- ; 13T
4. Lloyd Kitchin, 3-7-6- ; 16
5. Doug Kaukeinen, 5-10-4- ; 19

Not only is this championship diverse in terms of the type of class sailors represented here in Cleveland, but sailors of all ages are here ready to race. Thirty-one year-old Mary Vorel of Grand Rapids, Mich. has a very special crewmate this week. Mary’s 81-year-old grandmother Patricia Vorel has taken up the challenge. “You have to keep yourself in shape. That is the main thing with older sailors. They realize their age and think they can’t do it anymore. You must keep moving,” said Patricia.

US Sailing’s Championship of Champions is recognized as one of the more unique adult racing events in the country. All helmsmen have qualified for this event by winning a 2013 or 2014 one-design class National, North American, or World Championship. Helmsmen and their crew are being tested in Thistles this year.

Media & Coverage

  • For results, standings, photos, Twitter updates, and more information on the 2014 U.S. Match Racing Championship, please visit the event website.
  • For breaking news and race results, follow us on Twitter @USSailing. Use Twitter hashtag – #USSCofC – to participate in the conversation throughout the championship.

Schedule & Race Course

  • The scheduled warning signal for the first race each race day is 9:30 am EDT. On Sunday, no Warning Signal will be made after 12:00 pm.
  • Racing area is in the open waters of Lake Erie, Northwest of the Cleveland Harbor entrance and North of the Edgewater Yacht Club.
  • Course configuration will be windward‐leeward, triangle or a combination of the two.

Scoring Format

  • A minimum of four completed races are necessary to constitute a series.
  • Twenty races are scheduled. Four races will constitute an official regatta.
  • If only five races are completed, no race scores will be excluded. If 6 – 11 races are completed, a boats worst race score will be excluded. If 12 to 20 races are completed, a boats two worst race scores will be excluded.

Prizes on the Line

  • US Sailing will provide medals for permanent possession to be awarded to the skipper and crew finishing in the top three positions in the championship.
  • The winning team shall receive the Jack Brown Trophy.

The Championship of Champions is sponsored by Gill North America and is a Sailors for the Sea – Clean Regattas certified event.

Check out the Twitter coverage from Friday:

 


Created with flickr slideshow.

US Sailing Media Contact: Jake Fish
jakefish@ussailing.org

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. 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 US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

About Gill North America
Gill NA, with headquarters near Atlanta, GA is the exclusive importer and distributor of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America including Caribbean, US and Canada. Gill is a worldwide apparel and accessories brand serving the marine industry with over three decades of experience. Gill specializes in high tech, breathable waterproof clothing. The company develops and markets a variety of performance-oriented, award-winning apparel and accessories for virtually every type of boating activity with product lines that include foul weather gear; interactive layering systems; footwear; gloves; bags; junior gear; scholastic gear and team wear. Gill products are available through hundreds of independent dealers and select West Marine Stores. For further information, please contact: Gary Barker at 941-505-2111 or gary.barker@gillna.com.