Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda PHOTO: gotobermuda.com
The Alpari World Match Racing Tour seventh stage landed in Bermuda this week as the Argo Group Gold Cup got underway at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in the Capital’s Hamilton Harbour.
Bermuda is an island situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 1070km from the coast of North Carolina, USA. The territory consists of 181 islands, with a total area of just over 50 square kilometres. It has a humid subtropical climate and is heated by the nearby Gulf Stream and westerly winds, which carry warm, humid air eastwards over the archipelago. The island is very susceptible to hurricanes with a climate that peaks in temperature at around 26 °C (86 °F) in October.
Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, blue waters are popular with tourists and there are a number of sightseeing attractions. Historic St George's is a designated World Heritage Site whilst scuba divers arrive from around the world arrive to explore numerous wrecks and coral reefs with virtually unlimited visibility.
Bermuda's most popular visitor attraction is the Royal Naval Dockyard, which includes the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Other attractions include the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, Botanical Gardens, lighthouses, and the Crystal Caves. For the competing sailors however, the focus remains solely on the water.
| F | SF | QF | QR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINAL | |||||
| Mathieu Richard |  |
2-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 7-4 |
| Taylor Canfield |  |
0-2 | 3-0 | 3-1 | 7-4 |
| PETIT FINAL | |||||
| Adam Minoprio |  |
1-0 | 0-3 | 3-0 | 5-6 |
| Ian Williams | .png&w=20) |
0-1 | 1-3 | 3-0 | 10-1 |
The Chicago Match Race Center was founded in 2009 to promote and grow the sport of match race sailing by WMRT champion Bill Hardesty & Chicago entrepreneur and sailor Don Wilson. As part of its mission to provide the highest-level match racing training facility for professional and amateur sailors in the US, CMRC has a fleet of Tom 28 MAX sailboats along with Elliott 6M class boats, the type that will be used in the 2012 Olympic Games.
Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, with around 2.7 million residents while it’s metropolitan area, “Chicagoland” is home to 9.8 million people. Incorporated as a town in 1833 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, today Chicago retains its status as a major hub for industry, telecommunications and infrastructure. Navy Pier, the venue for the Chicago Match Race Center premier events is the #1 tourist and leisure destination in the Midwest attracting more than 8.6 million visitors a year.
The Chicago Match Cup has evolved from a Grade 2 event in 2009 and 2010 won by Phil Robertson and Mike Buckley respectively, to a Grade 1 in 2011 won by Keith Swinton. Both Phil and Keith have gone on to become Tour Card holders after winning in Chicago. In 2012 the Chicago Match Cup was upgraded again to Grade WC as the only US stop of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour with a $100,000 prize fund.
Also on the schedule for 2012 at the Chicago Match Race Center are three Grade 2 events and four Grade 3 events including the 100th anniversary of the Richardson Trophy, the oldest match racing trophy in North America that is not a challenge cup.
.png)
