For the third consecutive year, the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy will be represented at the US Grand Slam, a three-event series of World Sailing Grade 2 match race events across the United States of America held in late August.
This year, Finn Tapper will be taking up the challenge, competing in the opening two events held in Chicago and Detroit. For the past two years, a CYCA team has won the overall series, with Harry Price taking out both titles after winning the Chicago Grand Slam (2016) and the Detroit Cup (2016 & 2017). Price this year will be handing the helming duties over to 18-year-old Tapper but will continue to sail in the series as tactician/mainsail trimmer in both events.
Tapper, who is currently ranked 55th in the world, will be competing in his first World Sailing Grade 2 events, with the Chicago Grand Slam opening the series from 17-19 August, hosted by Chicago Yacht Club. From here, the team will travel to Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI, for the Detroit Cup, racing from 23-26 August.
“We are really excited to compete in this year’s Grand Slam Series. It’s a fantastic series set up by Chicago Yacht Club/Chicago Match Race Center, Bayview Yacht Club and Oakcliff Sailing Center. It will be my first match race event in the United States of America and I’m really looking forward to racing against some new teams.” Commented Tapper after receiving his invitations.
The overall series winner will receive an invitation to Long Beach Yacht Club’s prestigious World Sailing Grade 1 event – The Congressional Cup in 2019.
