J88 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP BY GREG MIARECKI, CHAIR
SEPTEMEBER 21 - 25, 2022 This September, Chicago Yacht Club will host the J/88 North American Championship at its Monroe Station. The J/88 class is quickly emerging as one of the hottest classes in sailing. The J/88 is a 29-foot one-design sailboat that provides a fun, high-performance sailing experience. Boats generally compete in buoy racing with crews of six. The local J/88 fleet – known as “Fleet 4” – is the most active J/88 fleet in the world and is looking forward to welcoming teams from across North America for four days of buoy racing from September 21st through 25th. The Club is expecting 30 boats on the start line for the event, and more than 20 skippers and crews have already signed up. Wednesday evening of the regatta will feature a welcome event complete with an Irish bagpipe band. Thursday night will give skippers an opportunity to enjoy local Chicago cuisine with their crews and shore support teams. On Friday, the regatta will host a festive dock party featuring “Libido Funk Circus” – the Midwest’s
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Blinker ✶ Spring 2022
top regatta band. All Club members will be invited to join the fun. On Saturday, competitors will enjoy a semiformal regatta dinner and will finish up on Sunday with a final day of racing and a prize-giving ceremony. Watch for more details about this exciting event, and plan to join us for our Friday night dock party on September 23rd! ✶
