Chicago Match Cup - Taylor Canfield leads

4:30 AM Thu 29 Sep 2011 GMT

'Canfield downwind' CMRC - Chicago Match Race Center

Intermittent rain squalls did little to dampen the competition in today's start to the Chicago Match Race Center's ISAF Grade 1 Chicago Match Cup, where three teams have risen to the top of the pack after 12 completed flights of the Round Robin, with one leader emerging after a tie-break.

With eight matches sailed, 32nd-ranked Taylor Canfield from the US Virgin Islands has won six matches, among them his matches sailed against 10th-ranked Phil Robertson from New Zealand and20th-ranked Keith Swinton from Australia, who have also earned six points among the twelve teams from seven nations represented at this event.

Even though conditions were a near-perfect 7-14 knots throughout the day, it was hardly smooth sailing in most matches, with some very hotly contested. Even leader Canfield, who as Sailing Director at CMRC has spent more time than nearly everyone else in the TOM 28's used in the event, got in penalty trouble in his match against Olympic aspirant Genny Tulloch. At the bottom mark rounding, with Tulloch in a very narrow lead, Canfield pushed the rounding too hard, fouling Tulloch in the process and taking the lead.

Umpires Steve Wrigley and Peter Nielsen then awarded Canfield a red flag to accompany their yellow flag, requiring them to take their penalty immediately. But even after performing their turn, Canfield kept the pressure on, closing on Tulloch on the final run to the finish, and with only a few lengths left to the line he managed to get the overlap, double-gybe to acquire luffing rights, and beat Tulloch at the pin in one of the closest finishes of the day.

Round Robin racing resumes tomorrow at 9 AM at the east end of Navy Pier, where grandstands are set up for viewing the action, and live commentary is provided by veteran match race experts Geordie Shaver, Scott Dickson, Dobbs Davis and Nathan Hollerbach. Merchandise vendors and nearby refreshments in the nearby Oktoberfest tent will also keep the public entertained on site, while live streaming video coverage will entertain online spectators.

2nd Place Phil Robertson Waka Racing - CMRC - Chicago Match Race Center

Results:

1) Canfield 6-2
2) Robertson 6-2
3) Swinton 6-2
4) Ferrarese 5-3
5) Morvan 5-3
6) Marinho 5-3
7) Hardesty 4-4
8) Corbett 4-4
9) Wilson 3-5
10) Barkow 2-6
11) Tulloch 1-7
12) Perry 1-7

Chicago Match Race Center website

by CMCR

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Chicago Match Cup - Taylor Canfield leads

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