Rolex 2000 ISAF Womens World Match Racing - Day 3

Defending champion Dorte Jensen got off to a solid start in the Rolex 2000 ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championship today in St Petersburg, Florida. The Dane beat the American Hannah Swett, crewed by Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Dawn Riley, despite incurring a penalty before the start, in the first match of Round 2.

"We had a collision before the start," said Jensen. "But luckily Hannah had to tack away, and we got a better start. We took our penalty a few minutes later when it was safe."

Meanwhile the other Danish team, skippered by Marie Klok, was eliminated from the event after a disappointing series of races for the highly-rated team. Klok was caught in a three-way tie in her first-round group with equal scores with New Zealand's Amy Waring and the Netherlands team led by 1999 World Sailor of the Year Carolijn Brouwer. But the split for the tie went against Klok, with Waring and Brouwer progressing through to the next stage.

"I can't believe we've come this far," said Brouwer, a novice in match racing despite her pedigree. But in her first race in the shifty, light airs of the next round robin, she threw away her early advantage off the start line to let the highly experienced Paula Lewin from Bermuda slip through and take the lead. "I still think I'm fleet racing," admitted Brouwer with a shrug and a smile.

Last-minute entry to the regatta, Marie Bjorling from Sweden continued her winning ways with a victory over second seed Betsy Alison from the USA. So far she has not dropped a race but the game is going to get much tougher from here on.

Cordelia Eglin of Great Britain was another high seed, No. 4, to fall to one of the qualifiers from round one, the young Australian team. "We had Katie Spithill shut out before the start and we turned back to lead her off the line," said Eglin. "But she picked up a zephyr that accelerated her back to the line in time and they took control from there."

Move of the day, according to the umpires, came from Cristiana Monina who followed American Dru Slattery all the way round the course, until she threw some gybes at her opponents just before the finish. "We were very fast at the end, and we did just enough," grinned the Italian, who qualified from the first round robin with four wins from seven.

Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson eased her way back into match racing with a solid win over the young French team headed by Gwen Joulie. With light Floridian winds causing a premature end to competition today, there is a lot of racing for the remaining crews before the championship concludes with the finals this Saturday, 2nd December.

Results after Day Two:

Round Robin 2A

Skipper             Country    Races won
Dorte Jensen        Denmark       1
Paula Lewin         Bermuda       1
Cristiana Monina    Italy         1
Katie Spithill      Australia     1
Carolijn Brouwer    Netherlands   0
Cordelia Eglin      Great Britain 0
Dru Slattery        USA           0
Hannah Swett        USA           0

Round Robin 2B

Skipper             Country    Races won
Marie Bjorling      Sweden        1
Christine Briand    France        1
Shirley Robertson   Great Britain 1
Klaartje Zuiderbaan Netherlands   1
Betsy Alison        USA           0
Gwen Joulie         France        0
Malin Milbourn      Sweden        0
Amy Waring          New Zealand   0

Eight skippers eliminated from Round Robin 1

Mar Castanedo       Spain
Karen Johnson       Canada
Marie Klok          Denmark
Catharina Gylling   Finland
Nadine Stegenwalner Germany
Maria Coleman       Ireland
Cristina Pereira    Portugal
Catherine Ranke     Norway

More Information:

• St Petersburg Yacht Club Website