(Submitted by Zoe Hawkins, RNZYS - www.rnzys.org.nz)

Souter (AUS) leads fleet into quarter finals
Top six named; remainder sail off in repecharge round

Nicky Souter of Australia has improved her first-equal position in the BSPORT ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championships to qualify for the Quarter Finals in a clear first place.

With eleven wins and two losses over three days of sailing, the 24-year old from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Sydney, and her crew of Kylie McKillop, Lilly Taylor and Rayshele Martin only had two races today, and good clean starts ensured they emerged victorious from both.

“Our pre-start against Lehtinen was pretty good. She stalled out on the startline, and we sailed through to leeward,” says Souter. “Then we sailed away from Josie Gibson off the start.” Souter won by a margin of nine seconds over Lehtinen, and 14 over Gibson.

Souter is joined in the Quarter Finals by reigning champion and world number one, Claire Leroy of France, whose single loss today against Josie Gibson didn’t affect her overall standing in the regatta.

Leroy shares her overall tally of ten wins and three losses with Silja Lehtinen of Finland.

The other three sailors to qualify in the Round Robin for the quarter finals are Silke Halbrook of Germany, Josie Gibson of Great Britain, and Jess Smyth of New Zealand, each on eight wins and five losses.

Souter confesses that she is feeling good about the quarter finals, but will be more confident when she knows who will be joining them from the repecharge; amongst the eight still competing are world number two Lotte Meldgaard Pederson from Denmark, number three Katie Spithill from Australia, and number four Christelle Philippe of France.

Conditions in Auckland today were very similar to those of yesterday – a 12-18 knot north-north easterly which eased slightly during the course of the afternoon.

Repecharge rounds are currently being sailed and will be completed later tonight or on Saturday morning, the fourth day of racing. After five wins from five races Australian Katie Spithill has already emerged as the seventh confirmed starter for tomorrow’s Quarter Final and the eighth position will be occupied by either Christelle Philippe of France or American Liz Baylis, who each have four wins and one loss.

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

Racing starts at approximately 10am each day on the inner Waitemata Harbour, concluding on Sunday 6 April. Ongoing reports will be available on the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s website, www.rnzys.org.nz

Round Robin Results
(top six skippers qualify for quarter finals)

1. Nicky Souter AUS - 11 wins / 2 losses
2. Claire Leroy FRA - 10 / 3
3. Silja Lehtinen FIN - 10 / 3
4. Silke Hahlbrock GER - 8 / 5
5. Josie Gibson GBR - 8 / 5
6. Jess Smyth NZL - 8 / 5
7. Liz Baylis USA - 7 / 6
8. Katie Spithill AUS - 6 / 7
9. Lotte Meldgaard DEN - 6 / 7
10. Gemma Farrell GBR - 5 / 8
11. Jan Dawson NZL - 4 / 9
12. Christelle Philippe FRA - 4 / 9
13. Camilla Ulrikkeholm DEN - 2 / 11
14. Sabrina Gurioli ITA - 2 / 11

Round Robin Results Day Three
Flight 15
Gibson beat Leroy by 5s
Lehtinen beat Hahlbrock by 1m32s
Dawson beat Farrell by 58s
Ulrikkeholm beat Gurioli by 18s
Smyth beat Baylis by 14s

Flight 16
Leroy beat Gurioli by 1m13s
Gibson beat Philippe by 2s
Hahlbrock beat Dawson by 4s
Souter beat Lehtinen by 9s
Smyth beat Meldgaard by 18s

Flight 17
Leroy beat Dawson by 26s
Philippe beat Gurioli by 22s
Souter beat Gibson by 14s
Smyth beat Spithill DSQ
Farrell beat Baylis by 19s

Flight 18
Dawson beat Ulrikkeholm by 51s
Farrell beat Gurioli by 11s
Gibson beat Smyth by 42s
Baylis beat Philippe by 5s
Leroy beat Meldgaard by 11s

Flight 19
Gibson beat Farrell by 32s

Repecharge Round Robin
(top two skippers qualify for quarter finals)
Flight 1
Baylis beat Gurioli by 32s
Dawson beat Farrell by 17s
Philippe beat Meldgaard by 20s
Spithill beat Ulrikkeholm by 31s

Flight 2
Baylis beat Farrell by 19s
Spithill beat Meldgaard by 2s
Philippe beat Ulrikkeholm by 14s
Gurioli beat Dawson by 47s

Flight Three
Spithill beat Philippe by 9s
Gurioli beat Farrell by 2s
Meldgaard beat ulrikkeholm by 1m17s
Baylis beat Dawson by 44s

Flight Four
Philippe beat Gurioli by 23s
Meldgaard beat Farrell by 45s
Ulrikkeholm beat Dawson by 23s
Spithill beat Baylis by 8s

Flight Five
Ulrikkeholm beat Gurioli by 19s
Baylis beat Meldgaard by 21s
Spithill beat Dawson by 41s
Philippe beat Farrell by 26s

Repecharge Points Table
Katie Spithill AUS - 5 wins / 0 losses
Liz Baylis USA - 4 / 1
Christelle Philippe FRA - 4 / 1
Sabrina Gurioli ITA - 2 / 3
Lotte Meldgaard DEN - 2 / 3
Camilla Ulrikkeholm DEN - 2 / 3
Jan Dawson NZL - 1 / 5
Gemma Farrell GBR - 0 / 5

Find out more on the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship at www.sailing.org/wmatchworlds or the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron at New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship - www.rnzys.org.nz.