2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship
– 14 Teams to Compete in Helsinki

Bright sunshine welcomed the 70 sailors participating in the 2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship to Helsinki, Finland. The teams spent several hours training in the Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK) fleet of well-prepared J/80s before the Opening Ceremonies. Well over 100 races are scheduled before the Championship is decided on the Summer Solstice. These top ranked sailors will not only be competing for the World Championship title but also for precious points at the first event of the 2017 Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series): “It is very exciting to be kicking off the WIM Series in Helsinki with the World Championship while also joining in Finland’s 100th Anniversary celebrations”, says Liz Baylis – World Sailing Match Racing Sub-Committee Chair and WIM Series Manager.

The racing begins Friday with the round-robin stage on the waters off Hernesaari (Ärtholmen) in Helsinki Harbour, to be followed by quarterfinals, semi finals and then the conclusion with the final on the longest day of the year, Wednesday 21 June.

Teams Competing in the 2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship
(Team name, Skipper, Crew – World Sailing Ranking – Nationality):

Team Anna - Anna Östling, Karin Almquist, Marie Berg, Linnea Wennergren, Annika Carlunger - 1 - SWE
Dutch Match Racing Team - Renée Groeneveld, Marcelien Bos-De Koning, Lobke Berkhout, Sanne Akkerman, Mijke Lievens - 4 - NED
New Sweden Match Racing Team - Caroline Sylvan, Louise Kruuse af Verchou, Klara Ekdahl, Frida Langenius, Malin Holmberg - 5 - SWE
Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team - Pauline Courtois, Maëlenn LeMaître, Camille Hautefaye, Louise Acker, Sophonie Affagard - 7 - FRA
L2 Match Racing Team - Marinella Laaksonen, Marianna Kontulainen, Daniela Rönnberg, Anna Savisaari, Eva-Lotta Hokkonen - 8 - FIN
Stockholm Match Racing Team - Sanna Häger, Karin Bäckström, Sara Edholm, Klara Häger, Karin Flinkenberg - 12 - SWE
Team Sköna Vibbisar - Antonia Degerlund, Carla Westersund, Janina Hallberg, Disa Långström, Lisa Gerkman - 15 - FIN
Team Bergqvist Match Racing - Johanna Bergqvist, Isabelle Bergqvist, Johanna Thiringer, Ellinor Hansson, Fanny Edgren - 16 - SWE
Team Experience - Trine Palludan, Lea Richter Vogelius, Vivi Lund Møller, Anne Sofie Munk-Hansen, Joan Vestergård Hansen - 17 - DEN
Team Karlemo - Martina Karlemo, Susanna Kukkonen, Kirsi Mikkonen, Erica Bäckström, Natasha Rubanin-Hilde’n - 27 - FIN
Team Mac - Lucy Macgregor, Silja Frost, Rosie Watkins, Imogen Stanley, Charlotte Lawrence - 30 - GBR
SailWay Match Racing Team - Ekaterina Kochkina, Olga Shoykhet, Anastasia Rodomakina, Daria Sutiagina, Antonina Tikhonova - 39 - RUS
Pen & Hammer Sailing Team - Mikaela Fors, Livia Väresmaa, Anette Eriksson, Minna Barner-Rasmussen, Crie Therman-Londén - 75 - FIN
APCC Women’s Sailing Team - Margot Riou, Clémentine Hilaire, Laura Simon, Alizée Desbordes, Tiphaine Ragueneau - 95 – FRA

More information about the sailors may be found here: http://www.wimseries.com/sailors/

The Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) is the first and only professional sailing series for women, hosted by the Women’s International Match Racing Association and joined by the world’s leading women match racing sailors. Match racing is sailed in two identical boats around a short course, providing fast action close to the crowds on shore. The intense racing is just as exciting for the spectators as it is strategically, tactically and physically challenging for the competing crews.

2017 WIM Series (date, event name, location, boat type):
* 16-21 June – 2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship – Helsinki, Finland - J/80
* 7-12 August – 2017 Lysekil Women’s Match – Lysekil, Sweden – Fareast 28
* 13-18 November – 2017 Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race – Busan, South Korea - K30
* 30 November – 3 December – 2017 Carlos Aguilar Match Race – St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands - IC 24

The WIM Series is hosted by WIMRA. Official suppliers are Sailnet, Sebago, MILK, Adstream, Intertidal Ventures, Fredag and Match Racing Results Service.

Images: A number of hi-res images are available for download on www.wimseries.com/media/
Video: All videos are available on www.wimseries.com/videos/

More information about the Women’s International Match Racing Series:
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

Nyländska Jaktklubben, NJK, was founded in 1861 and is with more than 2 000 members and numerous yacht racing accomplishments the leading Finnish Yacht Club. NJK has trained several Olympic champions, and has a great heritage within match racing. The event venue of the 2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship will be close to the shore in the southern part of the town, near Eira and Hernesaari (Ärtholmen) areas. The former industrial site of Hernesaari is transforming into a residential area, and thanks to the great sea views, the Hernesaaren ranta restaurant complex and the Löyly public sauna, the place has quickly become very popular.

More information about the 2017 Women’s Match Racing World Championship:
Local Press Officer Leena Vento-Selen, leena@suhde.fi, +358 50 389 46 00
http://www.njk.fi/2017wmrwc/
www.facebook.com/womensmatchracingworlds/
www.twitter.com/NjkHelsingfors

The World Sailing Women’s Match Racing World Championship is an annual event that was first held in Genoa, Italy in 1999, after a successful event was held as part of the 1998 ISAF Sailing World Championship in Dubai, UAE. Skippers are invited to attend the Championship based on their World Sailing Match Racing Ranking position. Denmark’s Dorte Jensen is the most successful sailor, having amassed four World Championship titles.

World Sailing Communications Department, marketing@sailing.org, + 44 2380 635 111
http://www.sailing.org/events/womensmatchworlds/index.php