A Swede takes the lead in Vannes
– Kjellberg has 7 wins – 1 loss, followed by Le Berre with 8 – 2
Another calm and sunny morning at the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan in Vannes, France, was followed by a day of intense and action-packed match racing, enjoyed by the crowds on the beach. Swedish World Champion Anna Kjellberg grabbed the lead with a 7 – 1 score, after beating French runner-up Anne-Claire Le Berre (8 – 2) in their battle:
“We’ve just lost one match so far, and that gives us great confidence approaching the weekend” Kjellberg smiles, just before going for a cooling and refreshing swim.
“It was a difficult day with a lot of shifts in both direction and strength of the wind. Our results weren’t as good as the first day, but good enough” Le Berre comments.
The match between the two top sailors of this second stage of the 2014 Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) was a really eventful one. Due to strong current that pushed both over the starting line, they had to hoist their asymmetric spinnakers to get down to the start. Kjellberg made that call a little bit earlier than Le Berre, then leading all the way to the top mark and stretching even further on the downwind.
But when the Swedes didn’t manage to get their kite down in time, and had to begin the second upwind with a fully hoisted kite considerably slowing them down, the French took the opportunity and passed. However, Kjellberg & Co. didn’t give in, found more pressure on the last downwind and passed Le Berre just before the finishing line:
“It was a dramatic match full of stress, but we decided to hang in there and do everything we could to come back. And this race showed us that you should never give up” Kjellberg laughs.
“Anna is the World Champion and we had a close race, so I’m not too concerned” Le Berre says, shrugging.
Young and talented British skipper Annabel Vose and her team came to Vannes after their recent victory in the World University Championship in Italy. With a 4 – 1 score today, including the defeat of the World Champion Kjellberg, Vose now finds herself in a three-way tie for third place:
“We had a close start against Anna and rounded the top mark together, but then we speeded away on the downwind and extended further throughout the race. The crew work was fabulous!” Vose comments with a smile all over her face.
Danish world #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm and home sailor Morgane Fountaine are the other two parties tied on third place. Yesterday’s shared leader, Klaartje Zuiderbaan, lost four matches but managed to beat Ulrikkeholm with just a meter in the last match for her only victory of the day. The bad Friday results makes the Dutch fall back to sixth place on 5 – 4.
Standings in the round-robin of the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan, the second stage of the 2014 WIM Series (name/nationality/wins – losses):
1. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 7 – 1
2. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 8 – 2
3. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 6 – 3
3. Annabel Vose, GBR, 6 – 3
3. Morgane Fountaine, FRA, 6 – 3
6. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 5 – 4
7. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 4 – 4
8. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 4 – 5
8. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 4 – 5
10. Lucie Scheiwiller, FRA, 2 – 6
11. Anastasia Guseva, RUS, 0 – 8
12. Rajaa Al Owaisi, OMA, 0 – 9
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The 2014 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 two by two in exciting duels that can easily be followed and understood by the spectators.
An overall prize purse of 50 000 USD will be distributed by the WIM Series at the final event in Busan, Korea, in addition to the prize money at each of the five events included in the WIM Series (date, event name, location, boat type, prize money):
* June 3-8, ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, Cork, Ireland, J/80, 17 000 USD.
* July 24-27, Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan, Vannes, France, Beneteau 7.5, 14 000 USD.
* August 4-9, Lysekil Women’s Match, Lysekil, Sweden, DS 37, 50 000 USD.
* September 23-28, Buddy Melges Challenge, Sheboygan, USA, Elliott 6, 10 000 USD.
* October 11-16, Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, Busan, Korea, K 30, 100 000 USD.
The WIM Series is hosted by WIMRA. Sebago is clothing partner. Official suppliers are Sailnet, 1080 Media, MILK, Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan, Adstream and Match Racing Results Service.
Images: A number of hi-res images are available for download on www.wimseries.com/media/
More information about the Women’s International Match Racing Series:
WIM Series Press Officer Joakim Hermansson, , +46 70 604 25 04
WIM Series Manager Liz Baylis, , +1 415 691 6202
www.wimseries.com
www.facebook.com/WIMSeries
www.twitter.com/WIMSeries
www.youtube.com/WIMRSeries
www.instagram.com/WIMSeries
The Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan is sponsored by Vannes Agglo, Conseil Général du Morbihan, Région Bretagne and Habitat et Humanisme. Official Suppliers are Volvo Pemzec, Tropicana and Pro Marine. Regatta Partners are La Trinitaine, Ker Ronan, Office du Tourisme de Vannes and Vannes.
More information about the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan:
Press Officer Brice Menay, , +33 643 40 72 09
http://evenements.ffvoile.fr/cfemrf/
