After years of preparation, the racing for the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships will commence this weekend for all ten Olympic event classes in Perth, Australia. Held every four years, over 1,100 sailors from 78 nations will come together to claim their class World Championship and to qualify their nations for the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. Here is the schedule:
Women’s Match Racing (Elliott 6m), December 3-16
Women’s Windsurfer (RS:X W), December 5-11
Women’s One Person Dinghy (Laser Radial), December 5-11
Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy (Finn), December 5-11
Men’s Two Person Dinghy (470 M), December 5-11
Men’s Keelboat (Star), December 11-17
Men’s Windsurfer (RS:X W), December 12-18
Men’s One Person Dinghy (Laser), December 12-18
Women’s Two Person Dinghy (470 W), December 12-18
Men’s Skiff (49er), December 12-18
The Women’s Match Racing competition will kick the competition off on 3 December before the Men’s RS:X, Laser, Women’s 470 and 49er round off the competition on 18 December.
During the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup no Women’s Match Race crew stamped their authority on the opposition as six separate winners came out of the six World Cup regattas that featured Women’s Match Racing. Nonetheless, ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) took the overall title after finishing on the podium at four World Cup regattas. In fact the American has finished on the podium at 11 of 13 regattas sailed in during 2011 and will be one of the front runners in Perth.
Tunnicliffe said, "We would love to come away with the gold medal. Our goal is to be on the podium in Perth. But what’s cool about match racing is that anybody who is sailing well that day can come out on top. Even if you’re top in the world and have a bad day you’re not going to make. We are looking forward to the intensity of the event and sailing against all the competitors.
"I’ve sailed Lasers in Perth and absolutely love it. I love the wind, the temperature and they’re going to do a fantastic job."
Finland’s Silja Lehtinen will be one to watch out for in Perth and proved she has what it takes to win major competitions following her gold medal at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, the Olympic Test event, in August.
The ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship defending champion Lucy Macgregor (GBR) is back to defend the title she claimed at Newport, Rhode Island, USA last year. The World #3 comes into the regatta without the pressure of having to qualify Great Britain for the Olympic Games after she was awarded the quota place in September.
Twenty nine crews from 20 countries have been confirmed, and competition will be fast and fierce with nine of the top ten Women’s Match Racers registered. The final champion will be crowned on Friday 16 December.
The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships website will provide results, tracking, live updates and all the latest news both on and off the water. More than 25 international and national broadcasters have signed up to take the television coverage of Perth 2011 and viewers will also be able to watch live coverage of all ten Medal Races on the Perth 2011 website. --
Full report on the ISAF website: http://www.sailing.org/37436.php
View photos of the women’s match racing teams competing here
