ICOYC President Leif Sigmond was the principal race officer for the J/88 North American Championships in late September at Chicago Yacht Club, at which John and Jordan Leahey’s Dutch won overall honors. Sailing in the Corinthian Division, Dutch also took home the prize for the top Corinthian boat, winning in convincing fashion, scoring four bullets in the twelve race series. “Sailing with nearly two dozen other J/88’s in a championship regatta was an awesome experience,” commented John Leahey, Dutch’s skipper. “We saw a little bit of everything in this regatta, and the competition was outstanding. It was great to see so many teams doing well at various points this weekend,” Leahey added.

The fleet did see a little bit of everything, as conditions varied dramatically during the four-day regatta. Thursday featured northerly winds over 20 knots for much of the day, with five to seven-foot waves. Friday’s conditions offered light and lumpy conditions, with southeast winds in the six to eight knot range for much of the day. Saturday brought lighter southwesterlies and a smoother sea state. And the finale on Sunday, west to northwest winds were in the 10-15 knot range, with gusts of over 20 knots.

The differing conditions gave many teams opportunities to excel. Lindsey Duda’s Sin Duda!, Ben Marden’s Banter, and Iris Vogel’s Deviation scored two wins apiece in the twelve race series. Michael and Grace Gillian’s Julia won Saturday’s contests with a 1-2-3 performance in the three races that day. The top five overall finishers in the regatta received half-hull awards at the prize giving hosted at Chicago Yacht Club on Sunday afternoon:

First Place: Dutch (John and Jordan Leahey)

Second Place: Deviation (Iris Vogel)

Third Place: Exile (Andy Graff)

Fourth Place: Gaucho (Dave Tufts)

Fifth Place: Piranha (Dave Dennison)

ABOUT CHICAGO YACHT CLUB: Founded in 1875, the Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Its mission is to encourage, promote, and develop knowledge, participation, and enjoyment of all aspects of yachting. To that end, the Club hosts many world class competitions and Predicted-Log events, including its signature Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac and numerous North American and World Championships. The Club is also recognized as a leader in sailing education, with one of the largest junior sailing programs in the United States. The Club is home to nearly 1500 members, including winning America’s Cup skippers, Olympic medalists and hopefuls, and outstanding boaters of all types, from ages 4 to 104. The Club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining, full-service catering, and year-round activities for its diverse membership at two locations on the city’s shoreline, at Monroe and Belmont Harbors.