Sailing For Ireland, Olympian Places Fifth At World Championship

Andy Beadsworth and co-skipper Dave Dwyer recovered from a slow start to secure a fifth-place finish at the Etchells World Championship last week on Lake Michigan.

After a 40th-place finish on the first day of competition, Beadsworth and his crew vaulted up the leaderboard, finishing in the top five in the last three races.

Beadsworth, the 2007 Etchells World Champion, lives in Southampton, sails for Ireland out of Cowes and has established himself as one of the world's premier skippers. Dwyer is from Cork, Ireland.

For Beadsworth, last year's World Championship was simply another accomplishment in a storied sailing career that began in 1985, when, at 18-years-old, he became the World Youth Laser Champion.

Sailing for Great Britain in the Soiling class, he finished fourth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and competed in the 2000 Sydney games.

The World Championship came only weeks after Chicago was named one of the four finalists for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

One of the most prestigious international sailing competitions, the event was presented by World Sport Chicago, the "living legacy" organization of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid focused on promoting the growth of Olympic sport in Chicago.

It was hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club, one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,500 boating enthusiasts and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and predicted-log events in the United States.

The club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.