High stakes at 2018 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship at St. Francis Yacht Club

by US Sailing 23 Aug 2018 04:43 BST 23-26 August 2018

Nicole Breault - 2016 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship © US Sailing http://www.ussailing.org

Talented and accomplished sailors, a spectacular picturesque venue, skill development and coaching, networking, music, food and fun – all represent the positive attributes associated with the 2018 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco on August 23-26, 2018. This US Sailing National Championship is an exciting celebration of both match racing and women's sailing featuring eight teams of four competing over three days on San Francisco Bay in J/22 boats.

Teams will be racing with high stakes on the line this week. Due to a change in dates for the Nations Cup Grand Final from October, 2018 to April, 2019, US Sailing can nominate the skipper of the 2018 U.S. Women's National Champion Match Racing team to represent the U.S. at this elite international match racing event.

The top placing eligible skipper will also be invited to compete at the 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club on October 19-21, 2018.

A number of familiar faces in the women's match racing circuit will be on hand this week, including defending two-time Champion (2016, 2015), Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.). She returns with the same crew from her winning 2016 team, composed of Molly Carapiet (San Francisco, Calif.), Karen Loutzenheiser (Santa Cruz, Calif.), and Hannah Burroughs (San Francisco, Calif.). Carapiet and Loutzenheiser also raced with Breault on her winning 2015 team. Breault is the #1 ranked women's match racer in the country and #8 in the world.

After taking second place honors in 2016 and 2015, Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.) makes a return to this Championship to take another shot at the title. Zarkowsky won as crew with Stephanie Roble in 2014.

"We are really looking forward to this year's Championship on San Francisco Bay, especially since the list of highly-skilled and experienced teams racing this week is deep," said Betsy Alison, Adult Sailing Director at US Sailing. "This year's Championship offers these women sailors an opportunity to qualify for the 2019 Nations Cup Grand Final and the 2018 U.S. Match Racing Championship. I expect the competition to be fierce as the competitors hone their skills by taking part in the additional opportunities for quality coaching and a clinic preceding the event. The St. Francis Yacht Club will undoubtedly create a first-class experience for everyone involved."

Randy Smith will be conducting a match racing clinic with the participating sailors on Thursday, August 23.

Previous winners of the U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship include an impressive list of the top women's sailors in recent U.S. history. Cory Sertl, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Anna Tunnicliffe, Stephanie Roble, Genny Tulloch, Liz Baylis, and Debbie Cappozi have all won this US Sailing National Championship.

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