Women’s Match Racing Dress Rehearsal As World Cup Touches Down In Weymouth

Skandia Sail for Gold - Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain

Over 700 sailors from 60 nations will compete at the host venue of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition from 3-9 June as the ISAF Sailing World Cup heads to Weymouth.

Skandia Sail for Gold, the sixth of seven ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas, will feature many of the Olympic sailors as they enter the final stages of their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Thirteen teams have entered the Women’s Match Racing Competition at Sail for Gold which is lining up to be a dress rehearsal for London 2012 with those named all competing alongside teams who are fully expected to be announced before the final entry deadline of 9 July 2012.

ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) is undoubtedly the favourite for top honours at Sail for Gold as she enters on the back of four consecutive regatta victories, including the US Women’s Match Racing Qualification Regatta.

Silja Lehtinen (FIN) finished fifth at last year’s regatta but has since had a lull in form. But she has winning form in Weymouth following her gold medal at the 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta.

World #2 Lucy Macgregor (GBR), World #3 Claire Leroy (FRA) and World #4 Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) will also join the party in what will be a highly competitive display of Women’s Match Racing.

The Women’s Match Racers get the regatta underway at 10:00 local time on Monday 4 June at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy before the Medal Races bring the regatta to a close on Saturday 9 June.

Teams competing:
Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer, Debbie Capozzi - USA [ISAF Ranking = 1]
Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor - GBR [2]
Claire Leroy, Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou - FRA [3]
Ekaterina Skudina, Elena Siuzeva, Elena Oblova - RUS [4]
Silja Lehtinen, Silja Kanerva, Mikaela Wulff - FIN [5]
Tamara Echegoyen, Angela Pumariega, Sofía Toro - ESP [7]
Renee Groeneveld, Annemiek Bes, Marcelien Bos-De Koning - NED [11]
Olivia Price, Nina Curtis, Lucinda Whitty - AUS [13]
Silke Hahlbrock, Vera Dubina, Irina Lotsmanova - GER [17]
Rita Gonçalves, Mariana Lobato, Diana Neves - POR [20]
Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen, Susannah Pyatt - NZL [21]
Lotte Meldgaard, Susanne Boidin, Tina Gramkov - DEN [23]
Anna Kjellberg, Malin Källström, Lotta Harrysson - SWE [25]

ISAF Sailing World Cup Website : www.sailing.org/worldcup/home.php
Skandia Sail for Gold Website : www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk