RYA Olympic Classes Womens Match Racing Qualifier 1

First blood to Lucy in Olympic Classes Match Racing qualifiers

Lucy Macgregor carried on from where she left off following her recent Miami medal joy by claiming victory at the first RYA Olympic Classes Women’s Match Racing qualifier at Queen Mary SC last weekend (7-8 March).

Following the ratification of Women’s Match Racing as an Olympic Classes event for London 2012, the RYA invited teams keen on embarking on 2012 campaigns to take part in a series of qualifying events over the course of this season to identify boats to receive Skandia Team GBR support for forthcoming international Olympic Classes Regattas both this season and towards the London Games.

With Women’s Match Racing first introduced as an Olympic Classes discipline at January’s Rolex Miami Regatta, Macgregor, sailing with Annie Lush and Ally Martin, enjoyed a successful trip to the States returning home with a bronze medal and as the top ranked British outfit.

And the Poole-based skipper ensured she once again claimed the bragging rights over her fellow Brits by taking first spot at the first of the RYA’s seven qualifying events scheduled for this summer at Queen Mary.

With the qualifier being raced as an Open event in J80s, four teams – three women’s teams and one male – went head-to-head firstly in a quadruple round robin with Macgregor booking her place in the semi-final as the top ranked skipper, followed by Dave Newey, Mary Rook and Charlotte Lawrence.

Macgregor, racing with Ally Martin, Kate Macgregor, Jody Slater and Sue Monson, had no problem easing past Lawrence 2-0 in the semi but Rook, and her team of Nicky Macgregor, Lauren Martel, Jo Ryley and Alice Rook, overturned the round-robin formbook to see off Newey 2-1 and secure a Final berth versus Macgregor.

With a 30 knot squall putting pay to a full Final series of races, Macgregor sealed overall victory by taking a one race win over Rook while Newey repeated the same feat against Lawrence to take overall third.

Despite confirmation that next month’s ISAF Sailing World Cup events in Palma and Hyeres will now not include Women’s Match Racing events, the RYA is committed to continuing its talent identification through the scheduled qualifying series, with qualifier two taking place at QMSC on 28 - 29 March.

Entries are open for all the remaining qualifiers and full entry details can be found at www.skandiateamgbr.com/crew/Pages/WomensMatchRacing.aspx

RYA Olympic Classes Women’s Match Racing Qualifier One results:

1) Lucy Macgregor, Ally Martin, Kate Macgregor, Jody Slater, Sue Monson
2) Mary Rook, Nicky Macgregor, Lauren Martel, Jo Ryley, Alice Rook
3) David Newey, James Boyce, Luke McCarthy, Scott Millar
4) Charlotte Lawrence, Lavinia Paternoster, Lucy Burn, Bethan Carden, Jo Brigg

RYA Women's Olympic Classes Match Racing National Qualification Series dates:

Qualifier 2 – 28 - 29 March – QMSC
Qualifier 3 – 9 - 10 May – QMSC
Qualifier 4 – 17 – 19 July – WPNSA
Qualifier 5 – 5 – 8 September – WPNSA
Qualifier 6 – 3 – 4 October – WPNSA
Qualifier 7 – 17 – 18 October - WPNSA