Australian Team entering Rolex Women's Match Racing Worlds.

by News Editor on 18 Nov 2000 Australia's Katie Spithill will compete in Rolex 2000 ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championship

The most important event in women's international match racing -- the Rolex 2000 ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championship - will be held at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on foggy Tampa Bay Florida from November 25 to December 2, 2000.

Twenty-four of the world's top-ranked women skippers, and their crews, including the Australian team of Katie Spithill, Jeni Whalen, Emma Bullough and Sarah Robert-Thompson will compete in club-supplied Sonar keelboats. These boats were sailed as three crewed boats used during the Sydney Paralympics.

There will be a a round-robin series of racing with 'knockout' rounds for quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

In spite of the fact that the November ISAF Annual meeting did not endorse a Womens Match Racing event for the Athens Olympics in 2004, the Rolex 2000 ISAF Women's World Match Race
Championship is very important on the women's sailing calendar.

The Rolex 2000 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Women's World Match Racing
Championship is a Grade WC (world championship) event, the highest ISAF
ranking for match racing events.

Skippers skippers registered to date (listed with international rankings as of
October 31st 2000) include Dorte Jensen(ranked #1 Denmark, Betsey Alison (ranked #2, USA,Klaartje Zuiderbaan (ranked #3, NED), Cordelia Eglin (4, GBR), Malin Kallstrom (5, SWE), Shirley Robertson (11, GBR), Paula Lewin (6, BER), Christine Briand (8, FRA), Malin Millbourn (9, SWE), Dru
Slattery (13, USA), Marie Klok (14, DEN), Nadine Stegenwalner (10, GER),
Kristine Roug (18, DEN), and Australia's Katie Spithill who is currently ranked 24th,
having only competed in 6 of the 8 events used in the World Rankings.