(Written by Jennifer Crooks for the Sail World web site: www.sail-world.com)

Since the announcement that match racing will be included into the sailing regatta at the 2012 Olympics, never has the competition in women’s match racing been so fierce. With last year’s champion and world number 1 ranked women’s match racer Claire Leroy not making the trip down under, the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta is up for the taking.

Four teams from the Australian Sailing & Development squad will take part in the regatta with leading skippers Katie Spithill (ISAF ranking 7), Nicky Souter (ISAF ranking 10), Amanda Scrivenor (ISAF ranking 31) and Lucinda Whitty (ISAF Ranking 42) at the helm.

They will be joined by two teams from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron helmed by Samantha Osborne (ISAF Ranking 29) and Stephanie Hazard (ISAF Ranking 121) and one team each from Iate Clube Brasileiro, (Brazil) Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay (USA) and the host club Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Spithill and her team have achieved success abroad this year, cementing the twenty six-year old’s credentials on the international match racing circuit. Even though her ranking has dropped from third in 2008 to seventh in the world this year (after having a break of four months from the sport), she is still Australia’s highest ranked woman match racer.

Her recent results include first in Nations Cup Oceanic Regional final (2008), Silver Medallist – ISAF Women’s Match Racing Worlds (2007), first in Australian Women’s Match Racing Nationals (2007) and first in Rolex Osprey Cup (2007).

Scrivenor, who will also be representing the CYCA in this regatta, has been a strong competitor in women’s match racing after just three seasons. Her career highlights include a 2nd and a 3rd in the Australian Women’s Nationals (2008 & 2007), 2nd in the New Zealand Women’s Nationals (2007), 2nd in the Australian Open Nationals (on main in 2008), 1st in the Marinassess regatta (2007), 2nd in the Bavaria Youth International (2008) and won the Nations Cup Regional Qualifier on bow (2008).

Since being selected for to join the Australian Sailing & Development Squad, Amanda is keen to gain Olympic selection for the women’s match racing component of sailing program for the London 2012 Olympics.

Twenty year old sailing sensation Juliana Senfft from Brazil, ranked 58th won the right to compete in this regatta after winning the Northern Lights Cup in Sheboygan, USA. Juliana only commenced match racing 18 months ago, having twice been Braizilian champion in Optimist class. She has already won the Brazilian National Olympic trials and the National trials for the Nations Cup so far this year.

CYCA also has an additional team for the regatta that will be skippered by Cat Trew.

Racing will commence on Sunday 5 April with Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and USA represented across the ten teams that will take to Sydney Harbour aboard the CYCA’s Elliott 6 sports boats for the four-day regatta. A competitors’ welcome will immediately follow Day 1 of racing on Sunday 5 April at the host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Rushcutters Bay.

The 2009 event will mark the fifth year of Harken’s naming rights sponsorship.

’This year’s event promises a highly competitive event’, said Harken Australia’s managing director Carl Watson.
’It is a wonderful opportunity for our local women to compete at an international level on home shores. Now that women’s match racing is part of the 2012 Olympics, and will be sailed on the Elliott 6s we will continue to see the development of women’s match racing in Australia and throughout the world.’

More information on the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia web site: www.cyca.com.au