– world’s top match racing women to fight for 240 000 USD at five events
The Women’s International Match Racing Series realized its inaugural season last year with five successful events and 25 crews from 13 countries in fierce competition. The upcoming WIM Series season will kick off with the ISAF Women’s World Match Racing Championship in Ireland in June, followed by WIM Series events in France, Sweden, USA and the grand finale in Korea:
– We are very pleased to welcome back Lysekil and Busan to the WIM Series for 2014, as well as welcome to the Series for the first time Cork, Vannes, and Sheboygan, Series Manager Liz Baylis says.
All of the venues selected for the WIM Series have great experience and a proud maritime heritage, and have been part of the development of women’s match racing over the years. They are all known for providing the absolutely best conditions for the top women’s match racing sailors of the world:
– After the success of the 2013 WIM Series where we saw great competition and the title and the USD 50 000 prize pool still up for grabs until the last day in Lysekil, we are really excited about building on that success and growing the Series in 2014, Liz Baylis comments.
One of the top sailors committed to all the events on the WIM Series is Swede Anna Kjellberg, who finished runner-up in the first WIM Series season:
– This year we will come to the events better prepared than ever, she promises, looking very much forward to getting out on the water again.
– We know the competition is tougher than ever, but we definitely have the capacity to win and enthusiasm enough to show it, Kjellberg laughs.
– The WIM Series is the only professional sailing series for women. It presents a unique opportunity for the top women match racers to compete for prize money while performing on the world stage with events in Europe, the USA and Asia, Liz Baylis adds.
Defending WIM Series champion Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain is disappointed that she is unable to commit to the 2014 Series due to her Olympic training:
– The WIM Series is so demanding and competitive that it’s just not possible for me to combine it with a challenging and serious Olympic campaign in the Nacra 17, at least not right now. Hopefully later in the year, after the main Olympic racing season, I’ll be able to fit the last few events on the WIM Series, Macgregor says.
The WIM Series events in 2014 are:
* June 3-8, ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, Cork, Ireland.
* July 24-27, Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan, Vannes, France.
* August 4-9, Lysekil Women’s Match, Lysekil, Sweden.
* September 23-28, Buddy Melges Challenge, Sheboygan, USA.
* October 11-16, Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, Busan, Korea.
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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, boat type tbd, 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.
For more information, please visit www.wimseries.com
