MISSA CENTRAL BAKER QUALIFIER

MISSA Mallory Central Baker qualifier day one began a bit cold; most of the 10 teams had to brush snow or scrape ice off their cars before showing up at the host Chicago Yacht Club. The wind played havoc on racers and race committee alike as the day heated up to a balmy 42 degrees. During the day, there was a steady 8 to 10-knot breeze, but the shifts fluctuated anywhere from a few degrees to 25 degrees, and every few races that oscillation would turn into a persistent shift, and the race committee would have to square the course. Race committee members were able to complete 36 races despite the challenges as the breeze died in the late afternoon. Lake Forest, St. Ignatius, and Latin were the leading teams at the end of the day.

Because of the conditions at the end of Saturday and the forecast for Sunday, the original double round-robin plan had to be modified. After round one finished, teams 4, 5, 6, and 7 sailed a Knock-out Series for the fourth and fifth spot to MISSA Baker Championships to be held in Pontiac, MI. With Lake Forest, St. Ignatius, and Latin locking up the top three qualifying spots, the sail-off was between Evanston, New Trier, Latin and Lab school, with the top two teams advancing to the Championships. There were some intense team races among these four teams as the breeze settled in from 10 to 13 knots from the Southeast. Chicago University Lab School and Walter Payton college prep finished 4th and 5th at the qualifier, respectively. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the race committee and the umpire crew, as well as all the coaches who pitched in to make this event successful. Congratulations and good luck to the top five schools, Lake Forest High School, St. Ignatius College Prep, Latin School of Chicago, Chicago University Lab School, and Walter Payton College Prep, who advanced to the MISSA Baker Finals.