Lake Superior Yachting Association
Lars Hansen (USA) Wayzata Yacht Club
Lars Hansen and teammates Jon Noller and Rod Komis representing the Wayzata Yacht club have been sailing J22’s together for 16 years. They have participated in multiple Richardson Cup regattas, POW regattas and other US Sailing Championship regattas.
We have finished in the top 5 in the J22 at multiple national championships as well as a second at a J22 World Championship.
Lars is also an active Laser sailor having won numerous regattas including US Masters National Championship.
The team also sails on a J105 Placing in the top five at National championships and KWRW. Last year the team took second at the Jackson Park Match Race as well as winning multiple NOOD, Verve and a Chicago Mac. Lars and his team took second place in the 2008 Richardson event. Lars is currently ranked ISAF 353.
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John Peterson (USA) Wayzata Yacht Club
John started match racing in the 1990’s as a member of many teams from the Bayfield Yacht Club, the Minnetonka Yacht Club, and the Wayzata Yacht club. These efforts included some POW area events, several local qualifying matches and numerous LSYA Richardson Cup runoffs. These efforts resulted in a runoff victory and the right to represent the LSYA. In more recent years John has been racing with Lars Hanson and Jon Noller, and racing his J-22 and high performance scows like the E and A scow.. This team has represented the LSYA at a number of events. John's team includes Jesse Cote and Jon Monson. This will be John’s second year skippering the team at the Richardson.
Lake Michigan Sail Racing Association
Steve Lowery (USA) Highland Park Yacht Club
Steve Lowery is a graduate of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and has won US Sailing’s Single Handed Championship, the Beneteau 40.7 North Americans and finished second in the U.S. Laser Nationals. He competed in the Olympic Trials in Atlanta in Lasers in 1996 and raced on the Mumm30 circuit nationally afterwards. His recent focus has been on the match race format with a record of improving results. In addition to his modesty with his match racing bio, including several past Richardsons, Steve has list of sailing accomplishments too long to list here. Steve lives in Highland Park, Il near Chicago, and is married with two young boys to keep him busy on weekends. Steve is the 2008 Richardson Champion.
Mark Johnson (USA) Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club
Racing for 19 years, starting with Flying Juniors and Lasers, and for the past 7 years, in J/24s. Started match racing in earnest last year, qualifying for the Richardson Trophy Regatta, and finishing 7th in New York. Qualified this year for the US Match Racing Championships. Continuing to race J/24s, Lasers, and match race this year, with more emphasis on match racing. Coaching youth racers in 420s.
Detroit Regional Yacht Racing Association
Chris Vantol (USA) Bayview Yacht Club
Chris, John and Mike have competed in match racing over the 2008-2009 season in the Congressional Cup, Bermuda Gold Cup, Knickbocker Cup, Chicago Match Race Cup, and the Detroit Cup. This team of three has sailed together extensively since 2005.
Interlake Yachting Association
Josh Kerst (USA) North Cape Yacht Club
Josh began his sailing career at the age of 6 within the junior sailing program in Fair Haven, New York. Through the program he sailed everything from Sunfish, Lasers, Flying Juniors, Club 420s to Thistles. Josh continued his passion for sailing while attending the University of Michigan from 1983-1987 and then transitioned to campaigning his J-24 around the world. Josh discovered match racing in 2007 and a career in engineering consulting has allowed his team to put together an aggressive racing schedule that has allowed their match race ranking to steadily increase. Current ISAF Ranking: 286
Keith Ziegler (USA) Bayview Yacht Club
Has been sailing in the great lakes area for the past twenty years. He is relatively new and just started match racing over the last three years. He has competed in all the match racing events at Bayview Yacht Club for that period of time. This includes the Dynamite Cup and three area E qualifiers, the last where he took a second.
Lake Yacht Racing Association
Sarah Bury (CAN) Royal Canadian Yacht Club
Sarah is representing the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and LYRA at the 2009 Richardson Cup. She had been sailing for the past three years in the Yngling class, training and competing for a spot on Canada’s Olympic team. Sarah began match racing just last year in Sonars, with the start of a match racing program at the RCYC, and very much enjoys the new challenges that match racing brings. Her team consists of Jen Aprile, Ali Beck and Dave Provan. All of these sailors have competed provincially and nationally in dinghies and keelboats. The whole team is excited to come back and compete for the Richardson Trophy again this year.