Thrilling Big-Breeze Start to Regatta Series in Chicago

J/88s battle big gusts as the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper PRELIMINARY RESULTS PHOTO GALLERY

Cliché as it may sound, the Windy City indeed lived up to its reputation on the opening day of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in Chicago, hosted by Chicago Yacht Club with more than 150 race teams participating. The warm bright morning sunshine and the blocking of the architectural giants of the lake front may have duped many of the competitors into thinking conditions were benign as they slipped their lines this morning. But out on the open water, northwesterly gusts peaked into the high 20s, catching many teams off guard. The day was good fast sailing for some, while for many others today’s races were all about the preservation of gear, sails and crew. 

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Those who were willing and able excelled in the gusty conditions, however, including Richard Stearns’ team on the J/105 Five. They won the day’s only race for the 105s, and while others in their fleet played it safe by sailing runs under main and jib only, Stearns’ crew had no trepidations in setting the spinnaker. “There were four strong women keeping everything going at the front,” said crewmember Lindsey Hernandez. “We didn’t wipe out once, and the driving was perfect.”

Spinnaker sets at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper

Stearns, a veteran helmsman, has plenty of experience in all conditions and was happy with the team’s performance. “It was all having them pulling the sails around perfectly timed,” he said. “I’m just following what they’re doing.” 

The J/105 class shared the White Circle with the Beneteau 36.7s and J/88 fleets. The J/88s were the first fleet start of the morning and as they were rounding their first weather mark, the forecasted wind increase came on fast, and quickly built into the high 20s. As soon as their spinnakers were full, boats were simultaneously wiping out. Daniel Burns, bowman on John and Jordan Leahey’s Dutch, confessed to three broaches for his time in one race—a personal record for him. “They were fun though,” he said. “We did it in style. We were surprised by the first one, but the next two we were like, ‘let’s just get this over with.’”

Beneteau 40.7 start at the pin at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper

Using a smaller spinnaker for the day, Grace and Michael Gillian’s Julia won the J/88’s only race, finishing ahead of Andy Graff’s team on Exile. Dave Dennison’s Pirahna was third. 

Robert Nelson’s Beneteau 36.7 Free Radical beat Silviu and Cristina Petrea’s Nomad in their fleet’s only race. Earle Atwater and Chris Metcalf’s Program were third and happy to have survived the day with sails and boat intact. 

Atwater’s advice once ashore and safely in their slip at CYC, was to “remember to ease the lazy guy in the jibe,” to avoid the broach. That didn’t happen once, so for the remainder of the race, they sailed the runs under jib and main only. “We were safely in third so we figured,” Atwater said. “So, why blow it?”

J/88s power through a gusty northwesterly at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper

The big boats of the Division 3 racecourse, set straight east of host Chicago Yacht Club, were fortunate to get in two races. Scot and Yvonne Ruhlander’s crew  on the Beneteau 40.7 Mojo, racked up wins in both races and begin the series with a 3-point lead over Thomas Weber’s La Tempete. Mojo was quick upwind and clean on the runs by eventually leaving the spinnaker in its bag. Weber’s team was equally quick upwind, but could not match Mojo’s pace. 

“We’ve been doing it a long time,” said Tempete, nonplussed with the wild conditions. “We kept it together, but we got it rocking pretty good in the waves at times. Upwind, once we got it in the groove and everything tuned well, it was pretty easy. On the first upwind leg I had some trouble on port tack, but on the next three upwind legs we got it dialed in really well. The main trimmer gave me more play on the main and we were able to keep our speed up.”

Earle Atwater and Chris Metcalf’s Beneteau 36.7 Program carves around the offset mark at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper

Raymond Douglas and Kristine Maybach’s crew on the J/109 Courageous also won both races and have a 3-point lead over Jim Caesar’s crew on Liquid Lounge II. Both teams managed their spinnakers well enough to capitalize on good starts. 

The collective experience of Shawn and Jerry O’Neill’s crew on the Sydney 38 Eagle had them confidently guiding their boat around the course. Careful sail handling and clean starts got them two wins on the day to lead the ORC division. The disappointing news from the ORC division was the dismasting of Phil Dowd’s Farr 40 Inferno. They’d finished second in the day’s first race, but halfway down the first downwind leg of the second race, while leading the fleet, the mast broke and had to be cut away and scuttled to prevent damage to the boat. 

Tod and Heidi Patton’s J/112e Blondie also went two-for-two in the PHRF spinnaker division and have a 3-point lead over Jim Banovitz and Gary Feracota’s Aria, a Beneteau Figaro 3 that was quite quick on under jib and main only. 

Waves and gusts make the upwind work challenging at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, Chicago Walter Cooper

Only one race was sailed on the One-Design circle with Brian Kaczor’s Erica winning the Tartan 10 race, ahead of Adam Prettyman’s Two Trailer Park Girls and Amy Cermak’s Diamond Girl. Jim Murray’s Hestia was the top J/70, edging out Laura Sigmond’s Norboy and James Prendergast’s USA167. 

Phil Dowd’s Farr 40 Inferno charges upwind at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in Chicago. On the next leg, the team suffered a dismasting. Walter Cooper

The Laser divisions did not complete races due to the high-wind conditions, but will be on the water tomorrow along with the Distance Race divisions, with more than 30 teams getting underway in the early morning for what promises to be another challenging day on Lake Michigan.

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