Sheboygan Press Media

A sailing competition open to blind sailors from around the world will be held in Lake Michigan off the shores of Sheboygan this September.

Sixteen teams from Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Israel, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States are expected to compete in the Blind Match Racing World Championship to be held Sept. 9-14 in Sheboygan.

The event is hosted by the International Association for Disabled Sailing, in conjunction with Sail Sheboygan and the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan. Sponsors include the Wisconsin Lions Club, Lions Club International and RCS Empowers Inc. of Sheboygan.

Each team will consist of three crew members, each of whom are classified by the International Blind Sports Federation as B1 or B2 blind, meaning they are completely blind or nearly so.

With restricted vision, sailors must rely on acoustic buoys, and a sound system that changes signals when on starboard or port tack.

A match race is a race between two competitors going head-to-head.

This is only the second such championship ever held without a sighted coach and the first time the event has been held in Sheboygan, according to a press release from organizers.

SEAS and Blue Harbor Resort & Spa will host spectator stations for the public with a clear view of the race course. The public also can view the race on the water.

Sail Sheboygan is the Organizing Authority of this race. Net proceeds from the race will be used to benefit an Adaptive Sailing program, which benefits sailors with disabilities.

Online

For more information:

• seasheboygan.org/blindmatchracing

• SailSheboygan.org

• sailing.org