Don Wilson founded the Chicago Match Race Center this spring which has been great oppurtunity to improve my match racing skills and keep sharp when I haven't been able to sail the Star.  I am signed on to crew for Nathan Hollerbach in hopes of being able to race as many grade 3 and 2 events as possible and eventually get a high enough ranking to sail grade 1 events.  It is a long road to qualify for Grade 1 events but it is a great challenge and the CMRC has provided a wonderful opportunity only 15 minutes away from my front door.  Bill Hardesty is running the center and sailing with Don's match race team.  We have been training on Tuesdays and Fridays in the Tom 28's.  The Center is currently taking delivery of 8 additional Tom 28's so the center will continue to grow and provide more teams the opportunity to train and sail.  Our first grade 3 event is June 6 and 7.  The sailing area will be to the north of the Belmont harbor entrance and about 300 yards off shore.  So hopefully we get good conditions and some spectators from shore.  Here is a link to Chicago Match Race Center web site to learn more about the program. 

In other news I have been staying busy with Quantum sails during may it has been Melges 20 and 32 sailing.  First in Macatawa Bay I ran races for a training day with 8 Melges 20s and 3 Melges 32's.  The conditions were less then perfect with a real shifty wind, cold and rain.  Then this past weekend I finally got to sail one of the new Melges 20's in Muskegon.  On Saturday we sailed in big breeze only 4 of the 5 boats went out and only 2 of the 4 that were sailing set the A-sail on the runs.  We were one of the boats to put up the kite and it was fun.  In 25 knots of wind the boat is very under control and really doesn't load up at all.  We did manage to capsize which cost us winning a race.  Our smallest crew member Ian Hollerbach had to climb over onto the keel to right the boat while the rest of us hung on.  Day 2 we had worked most of the kinks out and we were ready to sail well.  With moderate conditions everyone in the class was ready to use the chute and we sailed 3 races in picture perfect 8 to 12 knots of wind.  The racing was close between the top three boats but we were able to win all 3 races on Sunday.  Fun little boats to sail very skiff like so the tacking angles are wide and sailing fast all the time is key.  I think the class will catch on and keep growing.  Its fun to sail on a new one design everyone is trying to figure out the best way to tune the rig, trim the sails adjust the crew weight, etc.  With no set tuning guide each boat is trying different settings and adjustments for the conditions and comparing notes afterwards which is a good way to keep the racing close and everyone learns more when the information gets passed around.