Björling takes final ISAF Womens Match Racing Worlds spot

Marie Björling takes the twelfth and final spot to the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship in Lysekil, Sweden, this summer.

The last spot to the 2009 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship was determined in a Swedish qualifier during the Nordic Women’s Match Racing Tour in Skovshoved in Denmark. The former world-ranked number one skipper Marie Björling, took the spot.

Marie Björling is one of the world’s most successful match racers. For three years she was ranked number one on the Women’s ISAF World Match Race Ranking list. She has four world championship silver medals and one bronze medal.

She is nowadays a mother of three and therefore had a two-year break from match racing. The regatta last weekend was the first race the team has competed since the break. With many of the world’s top skippers attending, Björling and her team took an impressive fourth place and won the Swedish qualifier for the last spot to the world championships.

The opposition was tough with many of the top ranked skippers taking part. As it was our first regatta we are very happy with our fourth place. We see that we are close to the very best. With a bit of training we will be fit for fight for the world championships this summer. We have a lot of experience, we work well together and are extremely motivated to sail again, said Marie Björling.

The top teams are sailing evenly with very tight regattas. Never before has the standard been as high as for the coming world championships in Lysekil, with only the very best teams participating. With Marie Björling’s comeback, there will be one more fierce challenger for the gold medal.

It is really the top elite that will come to Lysekil for the world championships this summer. The level is getting higher and higher. Everyone is training very hard for the event, especially now that match racing for women is on the Olympic programme for London 2012, said project manager Anna Holmdal White, who is also part of Marie Björling’s crew.

12 skippers to the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship: (with ranking number)

Claire Leroy (FRA) - 1
Linda Rahm (SWE) - 2
Lucy MacGregor (GBR) - 3
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN ) - 4
Silke Hahlbrock (GBR) - 5
Sally Barkow (USA) - 8
Katie Spithill (AUS) - 9
Anna Kjellberg (SWE) - 10
Christelle Philippe (FRA) - 11
Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) - 12
Nicole Souter (AUS) - 15
Marie Björling (SWE) - 101