(from the ISAF website - www.sailing.org)

The French duo of Claire LEROY and Mathieu RICHARD remain on top in the latest release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 26 March.

France has now held the top spots in the Open and Women’s simultaneously for the last four Ranking releases. For the chasing pack, the two leading French skippers have also sent out ominous messages with their performances early in the year. Both Claire LEROY (FRA) and Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) have lived up to their world #1 billing at the start of 2008, scoring victories at the year’s leading events to date. RICHARD’s win came at the first ISAF Grade 1 event of the year, the Marseille International Match Race, whilst LEROY scored a trio of wins at ISAF Grade 2 events in Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.

The 2007 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Claire LEROY (FRA) remains well clear at the top in the Women’s Rankings, her 22nd consecutive release in the world #1 spot. The French skipper has been on fine form at the start of this year and will go into the 2008 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship title on a high after recent victories at ISAF Grade 2 events in New Zealand and Australia.

LEROY will defend her World title at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, New Zealand from 1-6 April, and is a hot favourite after going unbeaten through the start of the year. LEROY may have been in New Zealand for the first time and sailing the unfamiliar the Elliott 6 sports boat, but the 28 year old skipper and her crew appeared right at home to take victory at the New Zealand nationals before getting the best of a very high-quality field in Sydney. Following on from those two victories, LEROY extends her 300+ points lead at the top of the Rankings.

Denmark’s Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN stays at #2 and also looked on good form ahead of the Worlds with a strong showing in Sydney. The experienced Danish skipper, who has three World Championship medals to her name (one silver and two bronze), made the final four in Sydney before successive losses against the Australian skippers Nicky SOUTER (in the semi-final) and Katie SPITHILL (petit-final).

SPITHILL’s third place finish in Sydney helps keep here comfortably in the world #3 spot. Fellow Australian SOUTER remains at #12 despite her second place finish at the Harken Match Race, as she is only counting seven of a possible eight events in her points total. More importantly for the 23 year old Australian skipper however, her runners up finish in Sydney eared her the final spot amongst the 14 skippers who will contest the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship next month.

Another young skipper who will contest the Women’s World title is Finland’s Silja LEHTINEN. She came close to repeating her 2007 victory at the RYA Women’s Winter Challenge, eventually losing out to LEROY in the final (it had been the other way around in 2007). That result boosts her Ranking by two places up to #8.

Two skippers will represent the host nation, New Zealand at the Worlds. Jessica SMYTH will lead the Kiwi charge as her nation’s top-Ranked skipper at #17 in this release (up three places). However it was Jan DAWSON, the President of Yachting New Zealand, who won the recent New Zealand national title, a result which gives her a big lift up from #75 to #46 in this Ranking release.

The next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings will be on 16 April, following the ISAF Grade WC ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship in New Zealand.

Women’s Top 20:
1 LEROY Claire FRA
2 MELDGAARD PEDERSEN Lotte DEN
3 SPITHILL Katie AUS
4 PHILIPPE Christelle FRA
5 RAHM Linda SWE
6 BARKOW Sally USA
7 HAHLBROCK Silke GER
8 LEHTINEN Silja FIN
9 ZUIDERBAAN Klaartje NED
10 AXHEDE Jenny SWE
11 BAYLIS Elizabeth USA
12 SOUTER Nicole AUS
13 FARRELL Gemma GBR
14 GIBSON Josephine GBR
15 GURIOLI Sabrina ITA
16 ULRIKKEHOLM Camilla DEN
17 SMYTH Jessica NZL
18 LOVELL Katy USA
19 MACGREGOR Lucy GBR
20 CASAS Delphine FRA

Women’s Ranking List - www.sailing.org/mrwrankings