Day 6 Group A Women’s Match Racing: Finland’s winning streak ended

Silija Lehtinen’s (FIN) impressive winning streak was put to an end with losses to Anna Tunnicliffe (USA-1), Nicky Souter (AUS-1) and Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) in the final flights of Day 6 in the Women’s Match Racing at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships.

Close matches ensured exciting sailing wrapped up the end of the Stage 1 Round Robin for Group A, with USA and Russia securing a berth at the London 2012 Olympic Games after finishing top of the group

Australia and Finland can still make it through to the quarter-finals and secure an Olympic berth, with a top four finish in the Stage 2 Round Robin repechage.

Nicky Souter (AUS-1) added to the excitement of the day in her match against Stephanie Hazard (NZL), much to the delight of the Australians in the grandstand.

After two losses in her morning matches, Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) turned around the early deficit with wins against Dekleva Paoli (SLO), Lehtinen (FIN), Skudina (RUS), Souter (AUS-1) and Hazard (NZL).

“If you had told us this morning we were going to win, we wouldn’t have believed you,” Tunnicliffe said.

The last race of the day was the rescheduled morning match between USA-1 and NZL after it had been abandoned due to a collision with an umpire boat.

NZL had received a penalty against USA-1 and then collided with the umpire boat as they attempted to take it, with crew member Susannah Pyatt receiving a slight bump on the head.

There was also a set-back for Argentina against Germany in flight 17, with skipper Martina Silva falling overboard, forcing her team to turn around to pick her up. Germany won the match.

(From the Perth 2011 website: www.Perth2011.com)

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