by Coley

photo courtesy Tim Wilkes Photography

By far, my favorite emotion is pride. It will make a person work harder, lift your spirits and, if only for a short time, it will cure bad posture! It is best experienced on a national scale during sporting events, such as the Olympics or the World cup. Who could forget the feeling when the U.S. women's team claimed the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics? Names such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Brandi Chastain became household words and instant heroes to a sector of the American population that had very few heroes, young, athletic girls. That team was responsible for my own daughter getting involved in soccer and she still wears her Mia Hamm jersey to this day.

Having said that, I was a bit nervous when asked to interview one of the teams representing Ireland in this years Etchells World Championship Race.

I suppose Cliff, the editor, thought that because I was a member of the St. Barbara crew that sailed to Ireland from Chicago, that I may possess enough nautical acumen to be able to converse intelligently with world class sailors. This however is not the case, by far! I did, however jump at the chance because of pride. Here was a chance to chat with a few of the men representing Ireland in a world Championship race! I was going to chance my arm for that opportunity. The reason I was nervous, was that once these lads figured me out, they would turn their back on me and clam up. The two lads I spoke to though could not have been nicer and filled me in on the finer points of Championship sailing. The first man I spoke with was Andy Beadworth. Andy is from Southampton and is sailing for Ireland in this race. Although he doesn't look old enough, he has been in five Olympics in various capacities, was the world youth laser champion at the age of 18, and has won many sailing events worldwide If he were to retire tomorrow, he will have achieved more in the sailing world than many of his peers. By the way, He is also last years Etchells World Champion!

The second gentleman I spoke with was David Dwyer form Cork. Dave owns the boat and is co-skipper. A successful businessman, Dave was ahead of the curve in Ireland three years ago by watching the American economy very closely and speaking with various friends here, trying to get a feel of what lay ahead for Irelands own economy. After all, one of the first sayings I remember hearing here is, "When America sneezes, Ireland gets the flu" Dave took heed and now flies around the world, proudly competing in various sailing competitions.

The Etchells World Championships attracts the planets finest sailors for a number of reasons. It is competitive sailing in its purest form. With no back-up engine to help you out in an emergency, the crew must relay on keen senses, knowledge of their surroundings and ability to adapt to any weather conditions that may arise. Cutting seconds off a team's time is critical and could be the difference between success and failure. Dave and his crew have been training for this race in Miami for a good portion of the winter and arrived in Chicago two weeks early to prepare for the conditions that are unique to Chicago and Lake Michigan. The Etchell class is a 30 foot sailboat that is manned by a crew of three to four sailors. It's fast but sturdy and in a race of this magnitude the sails must be constantly tended to, especially in lake Michigan off the coast of Chicago.

One of the factors that make Chicago especially challenging for these sailors, is one of our city's greatest features, our skyline. The wind sheer from the skyscrapers is very significant, even a mile or two out in the lake where they are competing. Another factor that they have to deal with is the heat that the city's concrete gives off in the summertime. As the lake stays relatively cool throughout the summer, the heat from the city and the coolness of the lake come into play and affect our local climate.

It's all weather related and must be taken into account When I met the lads before breakfast, they were studying weather forecasts for the day and are updated regularly right up to the time the starters gun is fired signaling the commencement of the days race. After that they are left to their own instincts and intuitions. That's the part that separates the men from the boys. I say that figuratively as there are a few female crews in this race including a very capable Irish team. Dave and his crew, after finishing around the middle of the pack on the first day, has rebounded brilliantly. Out of 87 entries, they finished 24th on day two, 22nd on day three and 4th on day four. With any luck, the rest of the race favors them well. After meeting with Dave and the crew though, I have a funny feeling that he's done his homework and luck will not even figure into the equation. I know one thing that will though….Pride. Good luck lads!

The Etchells world championships are co-sponsored by the Chicago Yacht Club and World Sport Chicago, an arm of the Chicago Olympic committee.

For more information on this and future event, please visit www.worldsportchicago.org