Ulrikkeholm on top of Lysekil round robin
– but runner-up Kjellberg broke the Danish winning streak
Not until the last match of the double round robin, local hero Anna Kjellberg managed to break the Danish titleholder Camilla Ulrikkeholm’s long row of victorious matches in the Lysekil Women’s Match. The Danish crew still won the round robin, with Kjellberg runner-up, and both now advance to the next stage.
In a light southerly breeze that got stronger and went more to west during the day, and with a constantly bright sun over the Lysekil waters, the Thursday of Lysekil Women’s Match turned into yet another day of propaganda conditions. The event is the third of the Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series), that started this year with the Worlds in Cork, Ireland. There, Anna Kjellberg of Sweden won a tight final for gold against Ulrikkeholm, who got her revenge just a little more than a week ago at the second WIM Series event in Vannes, France. The next stop after Lysekil is Sheboygan, USA, with the conclusion of the 2014 WIM Series in Busan, Korea, in October.
Ulrikkeholm is World #1 and the titleholder in Lysekil Women’s Match after three consecutive triumphs, while reigning World Champion Kjellberg has never won her home event. Today’s Swedish match victory in the round robin didn’t really affect the outcome in Lysekil, but presumably it had more of an important psychological value. At least if you ask Anna Kjellberg about it:
“Yes, it was great to defeat Camilla today. In one way or the other we always manage to make her tremble a little” the Swede laughs.
“We just wanted to give all the spectators a little show” Ulrikkeholm jokes, before admitting that they weren’t sharp enough in the start, and had to pay for that around the course.
In the Scandinavian fight, all the people at the natural grandstand cliffs of the island of Släggö got a taste of what there is to come in the regatta. Kjellberg and Ulrikkeholm put up an intense fight, with breathtaking manoeuvres that made their crews work really hard. All the way around the course, the distance between the two opponents was never more than a boat length, with the Swedish boat in command most of the time:
“We haven’t done our best round robin, but we’re simply best when we have to. Today we lost our first two matches, but then we perform on top again. It’s a really good feeling to bring with us when approaching the next stage of the competition,” says Anna Kjellberg, meaning Friday’s round robin among the top six crews.
“We’re happy to have had some really tight match racing. Now we’ll continue with good starts and brilliant tactical decisions along the course,” Ulrikkeholm comments.
French Anne-Claire Le Berre, Kjellberg’s compatriot and fellow club member of the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, Caroline Sylvan, Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen of Denmark and Stephanie Roble, USA, are all among the six skippers that advance. The next stage will decide the semi finalists, and is a new round robin between the six remaining crews:
“Results wise the last few matches of the double round robin was shocking, but somehow we managed to slip through. We have no real big problems, but I’ve made some misjudgements that aren’t allowed in this awesome competition,” the American skipper admits, looking forward to the continuation of the event.
“Tomorrow is another day, and we’ll definitely hang in there.”
Results in the Lysekil Women’s Match, the third stage of the 2014 WIM Series, after the completion of a double round robin. The first six advance to the next stage, a new round robin to decide the four semi finalists (skipper name/nationality/wins – losses):
1. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 15 – 1
2. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 10 – 6
3. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 10 – 6
4. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 9 – 7
5. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 8 – 8
6. Stephanie Roble, USA, 8 – 8
7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 7 – 9
8. Linda Rahm, SWE, 4 – 12
9. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 1 – 15
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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.facebook.com/WIMSeries
www.twitter.com/WIMSeries
www.youtube.com/WIMRSeries
www.instagram.com/WIMSeries
The main sponsor of Lysekil Women’s Match is Preem with the Lysekil Municipality as the host city. Sebago, Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden, Svitzer and Atlantica are partners. Hyundai is the official car.
A selection of high resolution images from Lysekil Women’s Match is available to download at:
www.dropbox.com/sh/hc1f51ohq00gylq/AADHgEo8ZQLuxOvEeucM_tpka
More information about the Lysekil Women’s Match:
Press Officer Joakim Hermansson, , +46 70 604 25 04
Project Manager Anna Holmdahl White, , +46 73 068 42 92
www.lysekilwomensmatch.se
www.facebook.com/lysekilwomensmatch
www.twitter.com/lwmlysekil
www.youtube.com/lysekilwomensmatch11
www.instagram.com/lwmlysekil
