J/105 and J/109 Fleets Ready for Verve Cup Offshore Regatta

(Chicago, IL)- One of the largest course-racing regattas in North America, Chicago Yacht Club’s Verve Cup is an annual world-class sailing event attracting many national and international sailors to sail on Lake Michigan. Both the Offshore Regatta and, later, the Inshore Regatta host well over 100 yachts to sail off the beautiful Chicago lakefront and skyline. The regatta features one-design fleets for J/105s, J/109s, as well as PHRF/ ORC offshore handicap racing.

J/105 Class
Thirteen J/105s will be vying for class honors over the three-day weekend. Many of the class veterans from around the Midwest will be participating. Those teams that should feature at the top of the leaderboard include Mark Fruin’s NYCTOSAUR, Steve Kindra’s PURA VIDA, Keith Krause’s VYTIS, Josh & Laura Lutton’s KINSHIP, Rich & Lori Stearns’s FIVE, Clark Pellet’s SEALARK, and Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM.

J/109 Class
A half-dozen J/109s are participating, and most of them are class veterans accustomed to the tightly-fought one-design battles around windward-leeward race tracks. Some of the teams that should feature at the top of the leaderboard include Jim Caesar’s LIQUID LOUNGE II, the quartet on SMEE AGAIN (Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Newman), Peter Priede’s FULL TILT, Mike Hendrie’s BULL, and Jack Toliver’s VANDA III. Betting any outcome on this cast of characters would most certainly be deemed “a fool’s errand”!! LOL! All of those teams have won a J/109 event at some point!

ORC Division
Racing in this fleet will be Kevin Saedi’s J/111 MOMENTUS from Columbia Yacht Club.

Chicago Tour PHRF Division
This random-leg fleet will be enjoying a “tour” of the spectacular Chicago waterfront. Sailing in this fleet are two J/88s (Lauren Holderman’s JUILIA and Brian Kaczzor’s ERICA) and Tom Dickson’s J/105 WARLOCK.

For more Verve Cup Offshore regatta sailing information
https://www.vervecup.com/