Local Ultimate 20 team seeks your support

Ultimate 20 - Photo from Ultimate 20 Class Association

Although I don't personally know him, Spencer reached out to SailMichigan yesterday to seek help in sponsoring a bid at the Ultimate 20 Nationals next month. Unfortunately the SailMichigan coffers are bare, however I told him that I would post his story to see if other private or corporate sponsors could step in. Please read on and see if you can help this young team.

 

Spencer's story: My team and I have been racing the Ultimate 20's for the better part of the past decade, in both One Design and International Match Racing events. We found out last minute that our schedules opened up and allowed us to take a chance at competing in this years North American Championship, something that we have been working towards winning since we have stepped foot in the boats years ago. The event will be held on September 17th-20th, 2015 on Lake St. Clair, out of Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit.  

 

Our team is made from three of the best young sailors in the Detroit area. Leading the team at the helm is Matt Graham. Matt is finishing his PhD in Naval Architecture and is returning from Bermuda, where he spent the summer working for Oracle Team USA designs team for the next Americas Cup. While studying at Michigan, Matt honed his skills at a helmsman both on the Collegiate Racing field and Match Racing against some of the best sailors from around the world. Spencer Colpaert takes on the role as trimmer and tactician while on the race course. Spencer has spent the past eight years focused on Match Racing to get a personal best ranking of #1 in the Country and #26 in the world. Apart from Match Racing Spencer has also raced in some of the top classes in the world such as Maxi's, TP52, Farr 40, Melges 32 and 24. Our bowman and forward trimmer is Alex Hume, Alex grew up racing in the Detroit area where he has spent the last seven years working on some of the greatest racing yachts on the lakes. Alex has also been racing in the 470 and 49er Olympic classes for the past six years on his quest for gold. He currently campaigns in the 49er class with our skipper Matt Graham towards reaching the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

To compete we need some assistance with our entry and charter fee totaling $560. It isn't an extraordinary amount, but we could use any help that we can get to not only make it to the starting line but across the finish in first. All of our hard work has been bringing us closer to our goal of winning our first major championship, and competing to win the trophy on our home waters of Lake St. Clair makes this year all the more reason to do everything we can to make it to the starting line. 

Anyone with interest in helping fund our campaign to win the 2015 Ultimate 20 North American Championship should contact Spencer Colpaert (313)4020527 or email scolpaert91@gmail.com.