Scandinavians in top of the Lysekil Women’s Match
– but tight standings with a few matches left of the round-robin

Lysekil, Sweden: No 2 on the ISAF world ranking, Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen from Denmark, stays together with home sailor Jenny Axhede on six victories and two lost matches after Wednesdays continued round-robin in Lysekil Women’s Match. Defending champion Linda Rahm from Sweden is, after 4-4 in matches so far, forced to win her remaining three matches to be sure of reaching the next round-robin:
– That must be the most difficult challenge so far during my career, Linda says.
– We’ve had a very good feeling in the boat, but today’s conditions with less wind than yesterday have been hard for us. You can’t afford too many small mistakes in this field, she adds, hoping for more vind again during Thursday.

Jenny Axhede lost the first race against Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, but could then win four straight matches:
– When the conditions stabilised we also did, Jenny laughs, remembering that her first match of the day was sailed in very shifting wind conditions just after a front with rain had passed the race course.
– Now we have to stay as calm, safe and confident as we have been during the beginning of the week, she concludes.
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen is probably the matchracing sailor with the most routine in the event. She sailed very convincing in her Wednesday matches, only losing against fellow Dane Camilla Ulrikkeholm. But Lotte waved away every speculation about not having put in all her efforts in that match:
– Of course we didn’t plan to lose the match, even if we knew that Camilla for sure could need the victory, Lotte laughs, giving credit to the organisers of the event.
– Lysekil Women’s Match is the best match racing event for women in the world. We are so happy that the World Championship will be held here in 2009, she says.

For Lucy Macgregor from Great Britain Lysekil Women’s Match is the first event in the Scandinavian DS 37 boats, but she has great skills from keelboat fleetracing and manages the boat very well. Wednesday’s result was three won and two lost matches, placing her on 5-3 totally, the same score as home sailor Anna Kjellberg:
– I’m really enjoying the boat. Everyone in my partly new crew has slotted in very well. We lost the match against Anna because we were a little bit late in the start and couldn’t catch up, Lucy Macgregor says.

Lysekil Women’s Match continues during Thursday with round-robin. A new round-robin with the six best sailors from the first one will be sailed Friday August 1. Two are excluded after that, leaving four semifinalists for Friday afternoon. Saturday will show the closing of the semi finals, and then the final.

Results from round-robin in Lysekil Women’s Match. The sailors have raced a different number of matches:

Jenny Axhede, SWE, 6 victories and 2 lost matches
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 6-2
Claire Leroy, FRA, 5-0
Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 5-3
Lucy MacGregor, GBR, 5-3
Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 5-6
Katie Spithill, AUS, 4-1
Linda Rahm, SWE, 4-4
Silke Hahlbrock, GER, 3-2
Elisabeth Baylis, USA, 2-6
Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 2-9
Sabrina Gurioli, ITA, 1-10

Lysekil Women’s Match, sailed July 29 – August 2 2008, is with a SEK 400 000 (€ 43 000 and $ 67 000) prize purse the largest women match racing event in the world. Twelve of the most skilled women match racing skippers are every summer competing in Lysekil Women’s Match, arranged by Sailnet Lysekil AB and the local yacht club Lysekils SS Gullmar. Main sponsors are oil company Preem and shipping company Stena Bulk, with the municipality of Lysekil, Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden, Musto, Evidens and Ridderheims as partners. In 2009, Lysekil Women’s Match will have World Championship status.

For further information see www.lysekilwomensmatch.se/