Chicagoans will soon be getting an exclusive opportunity to experience two very famous International America’s Cup Class Yachts: the Dennis Conner's USA 34 Stars & Stripes and the Waikiki Yacht Club Challenge's USA 54 Abracadabra. As part of the Next Level Sailing Chicago hands-on program starting May 15, people will get the chance to compete in a sailing yacht race across Lake Michigan to prove their skills (of which, you don’t actually need any).
“This is an experience like no other in Chicago or even the United States,” says Paul D. Schulz, Managing Partner. “Both of these yachts raced in an America’s Cup event in the past, and now guests can experience the same exhilaration and thrill in their own backyard.”
According to Next Level Sailing Chicago, this is the only way people can currently enjoy racing the latest America’s Cup yachts in the US. The two 80-foot-long vessels (each with 114-foot masts and weighing in at 50,000 pounds) will be available to rent for up to 20 guests at a time. If you don’t have any racing skills and want to simply enjoy your rental with a relaxing day on the water, that’s totally fine. Or if you fancy yourself a champion, you can get a friend to rent the second yacht and embark on an epic race to see who wins eternal bragging rights.
For both vessels, a three-hour private rental for up to 20 guests costs a maximum $3,150 (plus gratuity for the four crew members and a per-person docking fee of $4).
