The successful defender: Claire Leroy retains world champ title.

Today, Sunday 6 April, on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, Claire Leroy of France secured her second consecutive world championship title in the sport of women’s match racing.

American Liz Baylis took silver, and Silja Lehtinen of Finland bronze in a frustrating day that was mostly spent waiting for the wind to arrive, meaning that final placings for the split at 1st and 3rd place were determined on countback.

Claire Leroy, at 28 years of age and representing Sport Nautique de Saint Quay Portrieux, is current Rolex World Yachtswoman of the Year. She has been virtually untouchable in her recent match racing career, hanging on tight to the Number One spot in the Women’s ISAF World Match Race Rankings since May 2005.

“We are feeling very good, very emotional,” she says. “It’s a great moment. We had a cry.”

Of Leroy’s crew of Marie Riou, Elodie Bertrand and Claire Pruvot, both Riou and Pruvot are newcomers to the team this year, and in true Leroy style they have pulled together to achieve a distinctive edge in boatspeed that enables them to win time and time again.

While Leroy was disappointed not to meet up with Baylis in the finals, she was glad to have the confidence of knowing she had great Round Robin results to fall back on if needed. “We are very happy with all of the results. It’s nice to come back with a trophy.”

In the other Semi Final, Lehtinen beat American Liz Baylis by six seconds in the third flight, bringing the score up to 2-1 in Lehtinen’s favour. Then, after a lengthy wait for wind, Baylis took both the final matches to get the best of three, and qualify for the Finals with Leroy.

Baylis comments: “We had a great day today. The first race was an unforced error, but we had really good boat speed and closed up so much, then we used that boatspeed to our advantage in the following two races.”

She says that her crew of Suzy Leech, Lee Icyda and Karina Shelton made some great tactical calls. “Suzy and Lee knew where they wanted us to go, and Karina made sure we sailed there as fast as we could.”

She also admits to a psychological edge. “We felt like there was nowhere to go but up, and that gives you an edge. You just want to keep racing, and maybe take a little more risk.”

Of missing out on meeting Leroy in the finals she says, “It would have been nice but the conditions were what they were. It pays to win early, then you’re in position if races are cancelled.”

Baylis is one of the sport’s most important patrons. A former Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, and 2002 world champion, she has been instrumental in seeing women’s match racing become an Olympic sport. Now her attention is turned to the remainder of her 2008 campaign, and plans to be at the 2012 Olympics.

Conditions were light for the day’s racing, with a range often less than five knots and racing stalled for some time due to 180 degree wind shifts that Auckland is as famous for as its gusty sou-westers.

Earlier in the day Leroy secured her third back to back win over 11th-ranked Josie Gibson of Great Britain, beating Gibson by 39 seconds in the last race of the semi final.

Bronze medallist Lehtinen, aged 22, is the youngest competitor in the fleet, a former world champion skiff sailor, and a second year student at medical school. She entered the regatta ranked 13th in the world and with a team that includes her stepmother Vivi Fleming-Lehtinen, Maria Klemetz and Livia Varesmaa, she is not only a skilled match racer: she will also represent Finland in the Yngling class at the Beijing Olympics later this year.

Fourth placegetter Josie Gibson, a former 470 sailor, represents Island Sailing Club and also won through to the semi-finals in the 2007 edition of the ISAF Women’s World Match Racing Championships.

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Commodore John Crawford is hearty in both his congratulations of the winners, and his gratitude to the team who organised the event.

“In particular I would like to congratulate this week’s podium finishers. The spirit of competition from all concerned has been very rewarding to see,” he says.

“We were disappointed with the conditions on the final day of racing, but the first four days of racing provided excellent sailing.”

The BSPORT ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championships were hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and sponsored by BSPORT, Giltrap City Toyota and Auckland City Council.

The 2009 event will take place in Lysekil, Sweden.

Overall standings
1st – Claire Leroy (FRA)
2nd – Liz Baylis (USA)
3rd – Silja Lehtinen (FIN)
4th – Josie Gibson (GBR)
5th Katie Spithill (AUS)
6th Silke Hahlbrok (GBR)
7th Nicky Souter (AUS)
8th Jess Smyth (NZL)
9th Christelle Philippe (FRA)
10th Lotte Medldgaard (DEN)
11th Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN)
12th Sabrina Gurioli (ITA)
13th Jan Dawson (NZL)
14th Gemma Farrell (GBR)

More information is available on the event web site: www.rnzys.org.nz

(Written by Zoe Hawkins, RNZYS)