America's Cup Launches Races Off Navy Pier This Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- They will be making waves off the shores of Lake Michigan this weekend for a world-class competition.
Navy Pier will serve as the launch site as Chicago hosts the America's Cup races, CBS 2's Vince Gerasole reports.
The skippers checked out the waters today for something they have never done before.
"It's the first time we have ever raced these boats on fresh water," said Dean Barker, of Team Japan. "I'm really not sure what to expect.
The boats arrived here in giant 40-foot containers.
"We don't sail the boats from Point A to Point B," said Matt Cassidy of Team Oracle USA.
"The boat breaks down into pieces, and it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle everything fits in the containers perfectly."
The containers house crucial storage and even double as offices. The boats are all being assembled inside the massive convention hall at the Pier.
Cassidy trained in Chicago for seven years. The boats can hit speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour and can literally rise out of the water.
If you haven;t seen sailing in the last five or six years and then you are looking at these boats, you will have no idea what you are looking at," Cassidy said.
