Defending Champion Conti to Compete Against Olympians in Grade 1 Match Race

St. Petersburg, Fla., USA (October 19, 2009) – St. Petersburg Yacht Club has announced the list of invited skippers for next week’s Rolex Osprey Cup. Topping the list at the ISAF Grade 1 match racing regatta is world #7 ranked match racer and 2008 Olympian Anne-Claire Le Berre (Brest, FRA), Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla., USA), who last week won the 2009 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, and 2008 Olympian and Rolex Osprey Cup defending champion Giulia Conti (Toscolano Maderno, ITA). Racing will take place October 21-24 on Tampa Bay in Sonar class keelboats. The format consists of a double round robin, with knockout (first to win 3 points) semi-final and final rounds scheduled at the end of the round robins.

“The best thing about the Osprey Cup is it is one of the few match races where you can sail a lot of races throughout a day, since they have 10 boats per 10 teams,” said Conti, a two-time champion (2008/2005). Along with crew Giovanna Micol, the team placed fifth at the 2008 Olympics (470 class), and are world #1 ranked, having won the class European Championship, the Mediterranean Games and Eurolymp Garda 2009. “Rolex Osprey Cup is a fun regatta, which means no stress! Its purpose is to break the 470 routine, and normally when you are relaxed you also manage to win! So the goal is to have as much fun as possible and enjoy the Sunshine State. Plus, I’m really looking forward to seeing Pat (Seidenspinner) and Tom (Farquhar); they are almost a second family to me.” Conti participated in three other match racing regattas this year, with a personal-best second place at the Rolex Miami OCR bringing her rank to #21. Her crew includes Micol, Alessandra Marenzi, and Alessandra Angelini, the same team that won the 2008 title.

One of three ISAF Grade 1 match race regattas in the United States (Boat U.S./Santa Maria Cup and Congressional Cup are the other two), the Rolex Osprey Cup has received an increase in attention from the sailing world and media as the match racing discipline for women will make its debut at the 2012 Olympics in England.

Another 2008 Olympian competing is Anna Tunnicliffe, world #14 in match racing, who won Gold in the singlehanded Laser Radial. “The whole event is great,” said Tunnicliffe. “There is always great racing run by a great organizing committee, and everyone is super friendly and keen to help out. It’s an top level event with a relaxed atmosphere.” Her team includes the same winning Rolex IWKC team Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.), Liz Bower (Rochester, N.Y.) and two-time ISAF Women’s Match Racing World champion Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.). Both Bower and Capozzi joined Tunnicliffe to win the 2009 Detroit Cup, an ISAF grade 2 event, while Vandemoer joined her to win the 2008 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship.

World #7 Anne-Claire LeBerre won the recent Syraka Cup with crew Alice Ponsar and Myrtille Ponge. The three will be joined by Ophélie Theron in St. Pete.

Jo Ann Fisher (Annapolis, Md.), #39, is known for her fleet racing success, having placed ninth at the 2009 Rolex IWKC. With a fourth at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Nationals, third at the 2009 Rolex Women’s Match, she is one of the competitors to watch. Her crew includes Debbie Probst, Linda Hiller and Nicole Breault.

Katy Lovell (New Orleans, La., USA) finished fifth in the 2009 Rolex Women’s Match and comes into the regatta with many years of match racing experience, including four runs in the Rolex Osprey Cup. Crew for the #29 ranked skipper is Corrie Clement, Maegan Ruhlman and Emma Doss.

Samantha Osborne (Kerikeri, New Zealand) has a strong match racing background, third at the Compasscard Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship, fourth in the 2007 New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship and sixth in the 2007 Harken Women’s Match Racing Regatta. Her crew is Carla Holgate, Jenna Hansen and Genoa Griffin Fedyszyn. She won the 2009 Buddy Melges Challenge hosted by the US Sailing Center in Sheboygan, Wis., the first regatta held in Olympic class Elliott 6m’s outside of Europe. “My team was fortunate enough to compete in the Rolex Osprey Cup last year, and we are delighted to be back,” said the #14 ranked sailor. “It is hard to give a favorite part of the event as it is so well run. The locals are very friendly and kind, and there is great competition. Our expectations are to improve on our fifth place finish from last year.”

Rachael Silverstein (St. Petersburg, Fla., USA) grew up sailing at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, graduating through the junior sailing ranks while in high school. Now a student at the University of South Florida and a member of its sailing team, she returns to the Rolex Osprey Cup a veteran match racer ranked #99, having competed three times before with her best finish of eighth in 2006. Her crew is Jee Lee, Molly Doyle and Kristen Herman. “The competition and the atmosphere is my favorite part of the regatta,” said Silverstein. “Everyone is so knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.”

Rounding out the skippers are: Karin Hagström (SWE) #19, with crew Nina Bake, Emilie Lidén and Åsa Carlsson; Jen Provan (Toronto, Ontario, CAN) #55, with crew Katie Abbott, Joanne Prokop and Karen Park; and Lisa Ross (CAN) #188, with crew Elizabeth Shaw, Katelyn Thompson and Danielle Dube.

Two competitors received invitations to this event based on their performance at the Rolex Women’s Match, a grade 3 event held this past April at the SPYC: JoAnn Fisher and Katy Lovell. A total of 10 teams competed in the Grade 3 match-racing regatta, which was created in 2002 to improve opportunities for women sailors specifically interested in match racing.

The Rolex Osprey Cup schedule includes registration and practice sailing on Tuesday, October 20. Daily racing – beginning at 11:00am on Wednesday, Oct. 21 and 9:00am on Thursday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 24 – takes place near the St. Petersburg Municipal Pier, making spectating easy and enjoyable from shore. Organizers are Tom Farquhar and Pat Seidenspinner (Principal Race Officer), with Bill O’Hara (IRL, Chief Umpire), and umpires Tom Rinda (USA), David Blackmaan (USA), Dick Kempe (BER), Barbara Farquhar (USA), Tom Farquhar (USA), Hans Graf (USA), Glenn Oliver (USA), David Pelling (CAN), Jos Spijkerman (NED), Stephen VanDyke (USA), and Andrew Wardle (CAN).

The 10 competing teams (in alpha order):
Skipper (Hometown/Country) World Rank, Crew

1. Giulia Conti (Toscalano Maderno, ITA), 21, Alessandra Marenzi, Alessandra Angelini, Giovanna Micol
2. JoAnn Fisher (Annapolis, Md., USA) 39, Debbie Probst, Linda Hiller, Nicole Breault
3. Karin Hagström (SWE) 19, Nina Bake, Emilie Lidén, Åsa Carlsson
4. Anne-Claire Le Berre (Brest, FRA) 7, Alice Ponsar, Myrtille Ponge, Ophélie Theron
5. Katy Lovell (New Orleans, La., USA) 29, Corrie Clement, Maegan Ruhlman, Emma Doss
6. Samantha Osborne (Kerikeri, NZL) 14, Jenna Hansen, Raynor Smeal, Genoa Griffin Fedyszyn
7. Jen Provan (Toronto, Ontario, CAN) 55, Katie Abbott, Joanne Prokop, Karen Park
8. Lisa Ross (CAN) 188, Elizabeth Shaw, Katelyn Thompson, Danielle Dube
9. Rachael Silverstein (St. Petersburg, Fla., USA) 99, Jee Lee, Molly Doyle, Kristen Herman
10. Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla., USA) 15, Molly Vandermoer, Liz Bower, Debbie Capozzi

Now in its 14th year, the Rolex Osprey Cup was founded in 1996 and in 2000 Rolex Watch U.S.A. became the title sponsor. The regatta was not held in 2000 in lieu of hosting the Rolex ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship. Additional sponsors include Crown Eurocars Mercedes Benz and Edgewater Boats, which donated the use of the umpire boats. http://www.rolexwomensmatch.org/Index.htm

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Rolex Watch U.S.A. is the title sponsor of the Rolex Osprey Cup and joins an international portfolio of Rolex sailing regattas including the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex Women’s Match, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the Rolex Swan Cup, the Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.