WOMEN’S MATCH RACING GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE
The ISAF Sailing World Cup reaches its climax from 18-22 June as the seven regatta series stops at its final destination in Kiel, Germany.
Throughout the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup there have been twists and turns all along the way with the Standings leads in all of the classes changing hands on numerous occasions.
Women’s Match Racing is no exception with the Standings lead changing in four out of five regattas sailed so far. The competition for the Women’s Match Racers started later than the other Olympic Events with the first racing taking place at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR in January 2011. Nonetheless the competition has been exceptional with no team winning more than one regatta.
Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) heads to Kiel at the top of the Women’s Match Racing Standings on 75 points. The American and her crew of Molly Vandemoer and Deborah Capozzi have sailed in four ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas claiming one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Tunnicliffe and her crew head to Kiel locked on 75 points with Sally Barkow (USA). However Barkow, who won gold at Trofeo S.A.R. Princess Sofia MAPFRE, won’t be sailing at Kieler-Woche giving Tunnicliffe some breathing space.
Nonetheless, Claire Leroy (FRA), who defeated Tunnicliffe at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR, is hot on the Standings leaders heels in third place on 71 points. But with Tunnicliffe finishing on the podium at every ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta so far Leroy will have her work cut out.
Men’s 470 Standings leaders Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) are set to sail at Kieler-Woche. The Australians have sailed in all the ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas this year claiming two gold and two silver medals. They lead the Standings by two points over Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos (FRA). But with the French duo not sailing in Kiel, and their nearest rival sailing in Germany 21 points behind, the Men’s 470 ISAF Sailing World Cup title will head to Australia for the second consecutive year.
The door is open for Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving (USA) to claim the Women’s 470 title with none of the top seven in the Standings registered to sail. Maxwell and Kinsolving sit 14 points behind Standings leaders Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes (GBR), so a sixth place finish or better will see them claim the title.
Of the top ten Finn Standings sailors Ed Wright (GBR), Zach Railey (USA), Thomas Le Breton (FRA) and Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) are making the trip the Kiel. Wright currently sits third in the Standings trailing Ben Ainslie (GBR) by ten points and Giles Scott (GBR) by six points. Ainslie and Scott won’t be sailing in Kiel and with the discard in mind Ainslie will claim the Finn title with 99 points and Scott will end on 90 points. For Wright to claim silver he was to win gold in Kiel.
Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA) wrapped up the Star class ISAF Sailing World Cup title after Skandia Sail for Gold where they picked up their fourth gold medal. The silver and bronze medals are yet to be decided as Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) and Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Zycki (POL), currently second and third, won’t be sailing in Kiel. This opens the door for Diego Negri and Enrico Voltolini (ITA), Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen (SWE) and Robert Stanjek and Frithjof Kleen (GER) to climb up the Standings to clinch a medal.
