Danish days in Women’s International MR Series
– nine of the worlds’ most competitive sailors to race in beautiful Skovshoved
Beginning Thursday this week the Danish Open Ladies Cup, hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club, will be the third event on the inaugural 2013 Women’s International Match Racing Series. Nine of the world’s foremost women match racing sailors gather in Skovshoved, just north from capital Copenhagen, to fight for precious WIMRS-points and a prize purse of 12 500 USD.
Only ten days after the completion of the second event on the 2013 Women’s International Match Racing Series, the Busan Cup and the 2013 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, time has come for the next stop. Following some excellent results lately, with her silver medal in the Busan Worlds as the most important, Camilla Ulrikkeholm has just today reached the position as ISAF World Ranking number one! She is now looking very much forward to some great racing on her home waters.
Fellow Royal Danish YC club member Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen is not only Technical Manager of the Women’s International Match Racing Series, but more than that a very experienced match racing sailor herself. Since participating in the London Olympics she has continued developing her skills, but due to not having raced too much she has fallen back to 45th place on the world ranking. Don’t count her out on her home waters!
Anna Kjellberg of Sweden and 2010 World Champion Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain also both sailed the London Olympics, and will now race in Denmark. They are sharing the top position on the Women’s International Match Racing Series with World and Olympic Champion Tamara Echegoyen from Spain, who couldn’t fit the Danish Open Ladies Cup into her busy schedule this year.
Stephanie Roble from the USA and Dutch Klaartje Zuiderbaan are coming back to race on the WIMR Series here in Denmark, after not having attended the event in Busan. Series’ newcomers are Anna Kjellgren, Sweden, Anne Marit Hansen, Norway and Merel Witteveen, the Netherlands. The races will be sailed in J/80:s with asymmetrical spinnakers on bowsprit, a somewhat demanding setup for some of the girls that are more used to symmetrical spinnakers.
Competitors in the Danish Open 2013 Ladies Cup, the third event on the 2013 Women’s International Match Racing Series (skipper/nationality/WIMRS points/ISAF World Ranking):
Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 25, 2
Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 25, 9
Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 22, 1
Stephanie Roble, USA, 20, 15
Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 16, 48
Anna Kjellgren, SWE, 0, 42
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 0, 45
Anne Marit Hansen, NOR, 0, 83
Merel Witteveen, NED, 0, –
Standings in the 2013 Women’s International Match Racing Series after two events, in France and in Korea (skipper/nationality/WIMRS points):
1. Tamara Echegoyen, ESP, 25
1. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 25
1. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 25
4. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 22
4. Julie Bossard, FRA, 22
6. Stephanie Roble, USA, 20
7. Katie Spithill, AUS, 19
8. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 17
8. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 17
9. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 16
11. Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 15
12. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 14
13. Susannah Pyatt, NZL, 9
14. Milly Bennett, AUS, 8
15. Sung-Eun Choi, KOR, 4
15. Morgane Dréau, FRA, 4
The inaugural 2013 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 WIMRSeries at the final event in Lysekil, Sweden, in addition to the prize money at each of the five events included in the WIMRSeries (date, event name, location, boat type):
* May 15-19 – Saint Quay Women’s Match Racing – St Quay-Portrieux, France – Elliott 6m.
* June 5-9 – Busan Cup International Women’s Match Race – Busan, Korea – K 30.
* June 20-23 – Danish Open Ladies Cup – Copenhagen, Denmark – J/80.
* July 11-14 – New York Women’s Invitational – Oakcliff, New York, USA – SM 40.
* August 5-10 – Lysekil Women’s Match – Lysekil, Sweden – DS 37.
