Groeneveld & Roble leading their semis 2 – 0
– tough challenge for Sylvan & Östling to catch up Sunday
Saturday in the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, the 5th and final event of the 2016 WIM Series, offered some really exciting racing. Within arm’s reach of the Charlotte Amalie shoreline, the world-class crews threw around their boats in breath-taking manoeuvres. Not only were the quarterfinals decided, but two matches in each semi final were also run. Approaching Sunday’s conclusion, Dutch round-robin winner Renée Groeneveld and Stephanie Roble, USA, are both leading their respective semis 2 – 0. Their opponents Caroline Sylvan and Anna Östling, both from Sweden, will not have an easy task to break back and stay alive in the regatta.
Stephanie Roble and her team Epic Racing really showed their skills and consistency Saturday, first defeating the Finnish crew led by Antonia Degerlund 3 – 0 in their quarterfinal. Then, later in the afternoon, the Americans reloaded to gain a 2 – 0 lead in their semi final over World Champion and World #1 Anna Östling:
“Our prestarts were really hard, with a lot of changes in control and a lot of manoeuvring, but my girls did a really nice job calling the shift that they wanted on the final approach, and we were able to execute that both times,” Roble explains.
“We got to go to the side that we wanted after the start, and I think we had good speed throughout the two races, and played the shifts really well. The entire crew just nailed it, spot on with the shifts!”
Östling would obviously rather have liked to go to bed Saturday evening without being two down, and will now try to completely delete the lost semi final matches from her mind:
“This afternoon I simply didn’t do my job the way I usually do it. We still have to win three races, and in a semi final it doesn’t really matter which three races you win. We will erase the later part of what happened today, focusing instead on what we have to do tomorrow,” she comments.
Renée Groeneveld picked Josefine Boel Rasmussen of Team Ulrikkeholm for her quarters, and may have regret that a bit as the Danes put up a fierce fight. The Dutch won the first match, but earned two penalties in the second and lost it. After two more hard fought wins, Groeneveld chose Caroline Sylvan for their semis. Maybe a brave choice as Sylvan beat Groeneveld in the round-robins of both the Sheboygan and the Busan WIM Series event earlier this year. However, the Dutch team took two quite comfortable semi matches Saturday afternoon, over Sylvan’s New Sweden Match Racing Team:
“We know we can beat them, but today we had some boat speed problems and they sailed really well. Tomorrow is another day, and it’ll be different!” promises Caroline Sylvan.
The Carlos Aguilar Match Race, the 5th and final event of the 2016 WIM Series, concludes Sunday with the semis, the final and the petite final, in the Charlotte Amalie harbour of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Standings in the semi finals of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, the 5th and final event of the 2016 WIM Series, in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands:
Renée Groeneveld, NED – Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 2 – 0
Stephanie Roble, USA – Anna Östling, SWE, 2 – 0
Quarterfinal results:
Renée Groeneveld, NED – Josefine Boel Rasmussen, DEN, 3 – 1
Stephanie Roble, USA – Antonia Degerlund, FIN, 3 – 0
Caroline Sylvan, SWE – Nicole Breault, USA, 3 – 1
Anna Östling, SWE – Pauline Courtois, FRA, 3 – 0
Results in the mini round-robin for places 9 –12 (name, nationality, wins – losses):
9. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE, 3 – 0
10. Morgan Collins, USA, 2 – 1
11. Linnea Floser, SWE, 1 – 2
12. Sandy Hayes, USA, 0 – 3
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The Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) is the first and only professional sailing series for women, hosted by the Women’s International Match Racing Association and joined by the world’s leading women match racing sailors. Match racing is sailed in two identical boats around a short course, providing fast action close to the crowds on shore. The intense racing is just as exciting for the spectators as it is strategically, tactically and physically challenging for the competing crews.
An overall prize purse of 50 000 USD will be distributed by the WIM Series in addition to the prize money at each of the four events included in the 2016 WIM Series (date, event name, location, boat type):
- June 27 – July 1, Helsinki Women’s Match, Helsinki, Finland, J/80.
- August 8 – 13, Lysekil Women’s Match, Lysekil, Sweden, DS 37.
- September 20 – 25, Women’s Match Racing World Championship & Buddy Melges Challenge, Sheboygan, USA, Elliott 6m.
- October 25 – 29, Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, Busan, South Korea, K30.
- December 1 – 4, Carlos Aguilar Match Race, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, IC 24.
The WIM Series is hosted by WIMRA. Official suppliers are Sailnet, Sebago, MILK, Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan, Adstream, Intertidal Ventures, Fredag and Match Racing Results Service.
Images: A number of hi-res images are available for download on www.wimseries.com/media/
Videos: All videos are available on www.wimseries.com/videos
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
Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR). Namesake for the late Carlos Aguilar, who was an avid Virgin Islands’ sailor and match racer, the CAMR traditionally features highly ranked men’s and women’s match racing teams. Past winners of the Open Division in the CAMR reads like a Who’s Who of sailing: the USVI’s Taylor Canfield (2008, 2015), USVI’s Peter Holmberg (2009), Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team (2010), USA’s Sally Barkow (2011), Finland’s Staffan Lindberg (2012) and the USA’s Don Wilson (2013). Women’s Division winners are just as renowned: the USA’s Genny Tulloch triumphed in 2008 and 2010 and France’s Claire Leroy in 2009. The CAMR is known internationally for introducing young sailors to the sport, working cooperatively with the V.I. government and V.I. Department of Tourism in its efforts to get more of the island’s youth out on the water.
Images: A number of hi-res images are available for download on
www.carlosmatchrace.com/index.html#press
More information about the Carlos Aguilar Match Race:
CAMR Co-Director Bill Canfield, , +1 340 626 0239
CAMR Co-Director Verian Aguilar Tuttle,
CAMR Press Officer Carol Bareuther, , +1 340 774 2736 or +1 340 998 3650
www.carlosmatchrace.com
www.facebook.com/CarlosAguilarMatchRace
www.instagram.com/CarlosAguilarMatchRace
