16 Dec Oakcliff Sailing Partners with World Match Racing Tour
Oakcliff is excited to announce the Oakcliff Match Racing Academy in partnership with the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT). The two-week long intensive program, August 4-15 2021, will be coached by top match racers from the Tour and give trainees an in-depth education in one of the most exciting disciplines of sailing. Hayden Goodrick, member of team Oracle and World Match Racing Tour Champion, is slated as head coach for the Academy.
“We are delighted to work with Oakcliff Sailing to promote the 2021 Match Racing Academy,” said WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. “Oakcliff is a world-class training center and their facilities are second to none. The academy program is a fantastic opportunity for any aspiring match racer and I would encourage everyone to get involved next summer.”
Academy trainees will form teams and compete in Oakcliff hosted Grade 5 and Grade 3 regattas, giving multiple chances for racing experience on the course in addition to drills, two-boat testing, classroom sessions, debriefs, and boat shop lessons.
The Academy is immediately followed by 3 stops of the US Grand Slam Series; The Detroit Cup, Oakcliff International, and Thompson Cup. The winner of the Grand Slam Series, now in its 10th season, earns an invitation to the 2022 Congressional Cup hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club. All stops of the Grand Slam are also World Match Racing Tour level events, earning skippers points on the Tour ranking board.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the Tour bringing so much talent and match racing to the US next season,” said Patrick Burks, Oakcliff’s Race Program Director. “Oakcliff provides all match racers with a way to build their skills, no matter where they started. August in Oyster Bay really is the place to be if you’re a match racer.”
With this convenient timing as well as provided housing and easy transportation from three major airports, attending the Academy in conjunction with these high level regattas is more feasible than ever for international attendees.
The two week, jam-packed program costs $2,100. Need based scholarships are available.
Racers who can’t commit to the whole program but have their own teams can request an invite to just the Grade 3 Clinegatta. More information at oakcliffsailing.org/regattas.
About Oakcliff Sailing
Oakcliff Sailing was founded in 2010 as a not-for-profit sailing center by Hunt and Betsy Lawrence in order to raise the caliber of sailing in the United States. Managed by renowned America’s Cup and Whitbread Round the World Race sailor Dawn Riley, Oakcliff has become a world class training center that has graduated over 300 sailors. The center has a growing fleet of dinghies and yachts from Olympic classes to match racing keelboats and high performance maxi racing yachts. Alongside its educational, one-design, offshore and Olympic development programs, Oakcliff runs a robust program for its supporters with casual evening racing, coached evening match racing and weekend regattas. Oakcliff regularly hosts training camps and development regattas to assist the US Olympic sailing development. www.oakcliffsailing.org
About the World Match Racing Tour
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The World Tour represents a series of independently organised and officially sanctioned match racing events.
The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous Champions include Bertrand Pace (FRA), Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Jesper Radich (DEN), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Taylor Canfield (ISV), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS).
The WMRT is a match racing competition with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which change for each event and which place a firm focus on teamwork, strategy and skill. Racing takes place close to shore to create stadium-style viewing for spectators. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23 million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com