Lysekil Women's Match

Lysekil Women's Match - Day 3

by Joakim Hermansson 8 Aug 2013 23:46 BST 5-10 August

Ulrikkeholm undefeated so far in Lysekil quarterfinals

Macgregor and Le Berre sharing runner-up position on a 2 - 1 score

Reigning Lysekil Women's Match champion Camilla Ulrikkeholm of Denmark showed in Thursday's tricky conditions on the Swedish west coast waters why she is the ISAF world-ranking number one. By winning both her two matches in the quarterfinal round-robin, she is now alone at the top of the score board so far: "We are very pleased to get two victories today. We sailed two really tight quarterfinal matches where we had to constantly keep looking for the puffs, and take care of the shifts" the Royal Danish Yacht Club member Ulrikkeholm explains.

In one of the Dane's matches she met local sailor Caroline Sylvan, who entered the starting box too late and was penalized for that mistake: "Caroline stayed on our back for most of the race, giving us a hard time. When approaching the finishing line we were really grateful that she had to make a penalty turn" said Ulrikkeholm, hoping for more stable conditions during the Friday races. "Well, to be honest it was kind of a lottery today, with racing close to shore and a lot of unpredictable puffs coming down the cliffs".

Anne-Claire Le Berre is sharing the runner-up position so far with Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain, both on two victories and one loss. The French skipper also sighed a little over the weather conditions, including a rare portion of pouring rain, but was more disappointed with her own starts: "We missed two out of three, and that's certainly not good enough in such a competitive field" she analysed. "Only my crew's ability to find the shifts and to do perfect manoeuvres saved us today" she admitted.

Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club sailor Anna Kjellberg is doing best among the three local skippers, sharing fourth position with French Claire Leroy on one victory and one loss each.

"That result is OK but not more" said Marie Björling Duell, ISAF former world ranking number one for several years, but now tactician in the Kjellberg crew. "Defeating Lucy Macgregor can prove important later, since she is a highly ranked sailor. In that match we saw several lead shifts, and it wasn't until the last downwind we were capable of getting a gap and stretching it" explained Björling Duell.

The quarterfinal round-robin of Lysekil Women's Match is to be concluded Friday morning. Semi finals will then be sailed Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon will see the grand finale.

Quarterfinals Standings:

1. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 2 - 0
2. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 2 - 1
2. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 2 - 1
4. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 1 - 1
4. Claire Leroy, FRA, 1 - 1
4. Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 1 - 1
7. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 0 - 2
7. Johanna Larsson, SWE, 0 - 2

Round-robin Results:

1. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 8 - 2
2. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 7 - 3
3. Claire Leroy, FRA, 7 - 3
4. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 6 - 4
5. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 6 - 4
6. Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 5 - 5
7. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 5 - 5
8. Johanna Larsson, SWE, 5 - 5
9. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 3 - 7
10. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 3 - 7
11. Anna Kjellgren, SWE, 0 - 10

2013 Women's International Match Racing Series Standings: (after four events)

1. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 66pts
2. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 61pts
3. Stephanie Roble, USA, 47pts
4. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 44pts
4. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 44pts
6. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 26pts
7. Tamara Echegoyen, ESP, 25pts
7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 25pts
7. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 25pts
10. Julie Bossard, FRA, 22pts
11. Katie Spithill, AUS, 19pts
12. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 17pts
13. Merel Witteveen, NED, 15pts
13. Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 15pts
15. Nicole Breault, USA, 10pts
16. Susannah Pyatt, NZL, 9pts
17. Milly Bennett, AUS, 8pts
18. Anna Kjellgren, SWE, 7pts
19. Madeline Gill, USA, 6pts
20. Anne Marit Hansen, NOR, 4pts
20. Sung-Eun Choi, KOR, 4pts
20. Morgane Dréau, FRA, 4pts

The inaugural 2013 Women's International Match Racing Series is a professional sailing circuit, hosted by the Women's International Match Racing Association for the world's leading women match racing sailors. In match racing the crews meet one on one in exciting duels that can easily be followed and understood by the spectators.

An overall prize purse of 50 000 USD, as well as the Terry J Kohler perpetual trophy, will be distributed by the WIMR Series at the final event in Lysekil, Sweden, in addition to the prize money at each of the five events included in the WIMR Series:

May 15-19 - Saint Quay Women's Match Racing - St Quay-Portrieux, France - Elliott 6m
June 5-9 - Busan Cup International Women's Match Race - Busan, Korea - K 30
June 20-23 - Danish Open Ladies Cup - Copenhagen, Denmark - J/80
July 11-14 - New York Women's Invitational - Oakcliff, New York, USA - SM 40
August 5-10 - Lysekil Women's Match - Lysekil, Sweden - DS 37

Lysekil Women's Match is with a 300 000 SEK (50 000 USD) prize purse the largest yearly event for women match racing sailors, concerning the mix of spectators, publicity and prize money. The world's leading women match racing sailors participate in the eighth issue of Lysekil Women's Match, August 5-10 2013, arranged by Sailnet Lysekil AB in cooperation with Lysekils SS Gullmar. Main sponsor for Lysekil Women's Match is Preem and Thun Tankers, with the municipality of Lysekil as host city.

More information on www.wimrs.com and www.lysekilwomensmatch.com