Exciting final on Korean waters of Busan
– five teams can still win the 2014 WIM Series
It’s time for the exciting finale of the 2014 WIM Series, the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race. A dozen of the world’s best women match racing skippers will, beginning Sunday, compete on the waters just off the Haeundae Beach. Anna Kjellberg holds the top spot of the WIM Series standings, with four more skippers still having the chance to challenge her for the coveted Terry J Kohler Perpetual Trophy:
“With one discard to effect the final standings after the Busan event, our situation is not as good as it may seem. We will focus on racing rather than on counting, and we will give everything we have to defend our position” the Swedish reigning World Champion declares.
Just one point behind the Swedes on the WIM Series standings are fellow Scandinavians, Team Ulrikkeholm. The Danes won the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race in 2011, and finished runner-up when the event had World Championship status last year. For this year’s event former Yngling World Champion Trine Palludan will be helming:
“We’re definitely aiming for a top-five-result. We have a really good crew, but I know the conditions can be shifty and challenging” says Trine, who has twice before been calling the tactics in Busan for regular skipper Camilla Ulrikkeholm.
Third on the WIM Series standings going in to the fifth and final event in Busan is Anne-Claire Le Berre of France, just eight points behind the Swedish leader. She has been on the Korean waters once before:
“We know there will be good competition, but we really want to perform. We wish to finish at the top of the WIM Series, and to do that we’ll at least have to reach the semi finals” says Anne-Claire, hoping to recover quickly from her 24-hour flight to get to the event.
One of the most well known names among the 2014 Busan skippers is British Lucy Macgregor, who won the event as crew for American Sally Barkow in 2008. The year after that she helmed herself, and beat Barkow for the title. Macgregor took the WIM Series title last year, but has for this season had her focus on her Olympic Campaign. Katie Spithill of Australia is another interesting skipper to look out for, back on the match racing scene after a maternity leave.
With the rich prize pool of USD 100 000 for the event and USD 50 000 for the WIM Series, there is a lot for the sailors to be fighting for. WIM Series Manager Liz Baylis is pleased to be back in Korea for this year’s finale:
“The Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race has the great support of the Metropolitan City of Busan, which has allowed it to have the richest prize purse and attract the best talent in women’s match racing for many years” she says, adding:
“We’re excited to see two new teams from Asia making their debut on the WIM Series; Team Lim skippered by Denise Lim from Singapore, and Team Kanaloa skippered by Urara Fujii from Japan.”
The seventh edition of the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race will be raced October 12 – 16 on historic sailing waters, with the torch from the 1988 Olympics still to be seen close to the Haeundae Beach. The boats supplied by event organizer Busan Sailing Federation are very well maintained K30.s, all with brand new jibs for this year:
“I’m certain the boats will put the competitors to a test, with their big mainsails and big spinnakers. Boat handling and minimizing mistakes are the key factors” says PRO and Regatta Director Alfredo Ricci, ready to meet even the threats from the approaching Super Typhoon Vongfong:
“It should add some spice to the week’s racing, and we are in standby for any option.”
Previous winners of the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race:
2008, Sally Barkow, USA
2009, Lucy Macgregor, GBR
2010, Claire Leroy, FRA
2011, Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN
2012, Claire Leroy, FRA
2013, Tamara Echegoyen, ESP (World Championship)
Skippers in the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, the fifth and final event of the 2014 WIM Series:
Anna Kjellberg, SWE
Trine Palludan (substituting for Camilla Ulrikkeholm), DEN
Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA
Caroline Sylvan, SWE
Stephanie Roble, USA
Claudia Pierce, NZL
Susannah Pyatt, NZL
Lucy Macgregor, GBR
Denise Lim, SIN
Urara Fujii, JPN
Katie Spithill, AUS
Sung Eun Choi, KOR
Standings in the 2014 WIM Series, after four stages out of five (skipper name, nationality, WIM Series points):
1. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 73
2. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 72
3. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 65
4. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 58
5. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 57
6. Stephanie Roble, USA, 55
7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 45
8. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 28
9. Annabel Vose, GBR, 25
10. Morgane Fountaine, FRA, 14
11. Juliana Senfft, BRA, 12
12. Lucie Scheiwiller, FRA, 12
13. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 10
14. Madeline Gill, USA, 8
15. Mary O’Loughlin, IRL, 8
16. Linda Rahm, SWE, 7
17. Rajaa Al Owaisi, OMA, 6
18. Laura Dillon, IRL, 6
19. Anastasia Guseva, RUS, 4
20. Anne-Christianne Kentgens, NED, 0
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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 Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race is hosted by the Busan Sailing Federation, with the support of the Metropolitan City of Busan.
More information about the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race:
Busan Cup Organizing Committee Jay Lee, , +82 10 8745 5754
Busan Cup Press Contact Seon Young Jeon, www.busanmatch.com
www.facebook.com/BusanMatchRace
