Pearson Potts and his team of Bobby Savoie, Bryce Kopp, James Barry, Lucas Adams, and Abigail Preston (Newport, RI) claimed his fourth U.S. Match Racing Championship title on October 7-9 in Oyster Bay, NY. Sailing with an all-American crew in Match 40s, Potts also won the Prince of Wales Bowl for the 3rd time, symbolic of the first place team.
After crossing the line Potts paid tribute to David Storrs, the late US match racing legend who had won in 2017. “We all miss him terribly.” Potts won the USMRC title in 2017 when Storrs was sailing with an international team and won the Price of Wales Bowl. Storrs passed away in 2019.
“Winning my fourth US Match Racing Championship is amazing,” said Potts. “The fourth is just as special as the first. My team has been sailing together since our first U.S. Match Racing Championship title in 2017, so we have the benefit of lots of hours and lots of dial ups together.”
Chris Poole (Cold Spring Harbor, NY), currently ranked #1 in the world for match racing, settled for second after a shifty final. The puffy westerly saw the race committee scrambling with constant mark changes and two starts that were abandoned to keep the sailing fair.
Youth Match Race World Champion Jeffrey Petersen (Newport Beach, CA) pushed the established stars of US Match Racing to finish third. At 21 years old, this is Petersen’s second podium finish at the championship – an impressive feat.
Ten teams raced a single round robin to advance the top eight for a knock-out series and finals.
Source: scuttlebutt – https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2022/10/09/potts-on-top-at-match-racing-champs/
