– replaces Swede Anna Kjellberg on top of WIM Series leaderboard
The world #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm of Denmark showed today at the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan in Vannes, France, why she holds the top spot of the ISAF world ranking. First she concluded the semi finals with three straight wins over local hero Anne-Claire Le Berre. Then she defeated Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, with the same score in the final. An absolutely remarkable recovery from her 8th place in the round robin:
“Well, at the first days of this regatta I never thought we should stand here today as winners of the whole thing” Ulrikkeholm admitted with a big smile.
After a short postponement in the morning, the Brittany waters of Vannes today offered a steady southerly breeze and a little more protection from the sun than the previous days. After finishing their semi final, Ulrikkeholm and Le Berre had to wait for a while as Zuiderbaan and Swedish World Champion Anna Kjellberg took their semi final to five thrilling matches, filled with extraordinary manoeuvres and breath-taking action. Finally the Dutch grabbed the ticket to the final by just a metre in the fifth match:
“Of course we’re disappointed, but this time we didn’t sail on our top level. My whole team really did what they could, and we’re totally exhausted, but it simply didn’t help” Kjellberg sighed after having lost also the petit final, to home sailor Anne-Claire Le Berre.
The 3 – 0 score between Ulrikkeholm and Zuiderbaan may seem like it was an easy catch for the Danes, but that’s not true. The Dutch let her great experience talk in the first two pre starts, in which Ulrikkeholm controlled everything until 15 seconds before the gun.
“I didn’t know what she did, but somehow she managed to get out of our grip and sneak away before us, so we had to work really hard to fight back for the leading position” Ulrikkeholm commented, winning the third match after leading from start to finish.
“Camilla sailed much better than us today, and she really deserved to win. Probably we put too much energy into reaching the final, and didn’t have any power left while there.” Zuiderbaan said, not being too disappointed.
“Frankly not, overall I’m happy on how we sailed and I didn’t expect us to be in the final.”
All the semi finalists will in just a week’s time have their chance to revenge themselves, when the third stage of the 2014 Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) kicks off with Lysekil Women’s Match in the beautiful archipelago of western Sweden. Ulrikkeholm has three consecutive titles there, but local hope Anna Kjellberg wants to prevent a fourth Danish victory:
“We’ve never won the Lysekil Women’s Match, so we’re really looking forward to that” she laughs.
“The event in Lysekil is a completely different game, with a crew of six and larger boats” Anne-Claire Le Berre reflected, very pleased with the just finished event on her home waters.
“We’ve certainly had a beautiful week in Vannes, with an event that I’m sure can encourage younger French crews to practise and do more match racing.”
Results in the final of the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan:
Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN – Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED 3 – 0
Results in the petit final of the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan:
Anna Kjellberg, SWE – Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA 1 – 1
Results in the semi finals of the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan:
Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN – Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA 3 – 0
Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED – Anna Kjellberg, SWE 3 – 2
Final results of the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan, the second stage of the 2014 WIM Series (skipper name, country, prize money, WIM Series points):
1. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 2 475 €, 25
2. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 1 275 €, 22
3. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 975 €, 20
4. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 750 €, 16
5. Annabel Vose, GBR, 675 €, 15
6. Morgane Fountaine, FRA, 600 €, 14
7. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 450 €, 13
8. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 300 €, 12
9. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 0 €, 10
10. Lucie Scheiwiller, FRA, 0 €, 8
11. Rajaa Al Owaisi, OMA, 0 €, 6
12. Anastasia Guseva, RUS, 0 €, 4
Standings in the WIM Series after two stages of five (skipper name, country, WIM Series points):
1. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 47
2. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 41
3. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 36
4. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 35
5. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 29
6. Annabel Vose, GBR, 25
7. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 24
8. Stephanie Roble, USA, 20
9. Morgane Fountaine, FRA, 14
10. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 13
11. Lucie Scheiwiller, FRA, 12
12. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 10
13. Mary O’Loughlin, IRL, 8
14. Rajaa Al Owaisi, OMA, 6
15. Laura Dillon, IRL, 6
16. Anastasia Guseva, RUS, 4
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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, Beneteau 7.5, 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.
The WIM Series is hosted by WIMRA. Sebago is clothing partner. Official suppliers are Sailnet, 1080 Media, MILK, Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan, Adstream and Match Racing Results Service.
Images: A number of hi-res images are available for download on www.wimseries.com/media/
More information about the Women’s International Match Racing Series:
WIM Series Press Officer Joakim Hermansson, media@wimseries.com, +46 70 604 25 04
WIM Series Manager Liz Baylis, Liz@wimseries.com, +1 415 691 6202
www.wimseries.com
www.facebook.com/WIMSeries
www.twitter.com/WIMSeries
www.youtube.com/WIMRSeries
www.instagram.com/WIMSeries
The Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan is sponsored by Vannes Agglo, Conseil Général du Morbihan, Région Bretagne and Habitat et Humanisme. Official Suppliers are Volvo Pemzec, Tropicana and Pro Marine. Regatta Partners are La Trinitaine, Ker Ronan, Office du Tourisme de Vannes and Vannes.
More information about the Women’s Match Race Golfe du Morbihan:
Press Officer Brice Menay, brice.menay@yahoo.fr, +33 643 40 72 09
http://evenements.ffvoile.fr/cfemrf/
