Big changes at the top of the Women’s Rankings in the latest release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings with Dutch skipper Renee Groeneveld continuing her impressive climb to claim the #1 spot.


The World Match Racing Tour is in full swing, the 2009-10 ISAF Sailing World Cup has finished and the ISAF Women’s Match Racing Worlds is right on the horizon and for the northern hemisphere the summer season has seen numerous national championships taking place.

With the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship just five days away, Renee Groeneveld (NED) leaps to the top of the women’s rankings for a career best. Since joining the rankings in July 2009, Groeneveld has gone from strength to strength. She took her first major victory at Skandia Sail for Gold in 2009 and in 2010 has stood on the podium four times, breaking into the top ten in July. Groeneveld’s rise to the #1 position is in part due to the rolling calculation system which means she can now count points from eight regattas instead of seven. She now leads long time #1 skipper Claire Leroy (FRA) by 73 points whilst toppling previous #1 skipper Lucy MacGregor down to #3 but just one point behind Leroy.

The defending women’s world champion, Nicky Souter from Australia has sent a clear signal with her regatta preparation - two ISAF Grade 1 wins at Skandia Sail for Gold and the Buddy Melges Challenge, help Souter and her team move up four places to #4.

Breaking back into the top ten is Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen who won on Lake Ledro at the Grade 1 Trentino Women’s Match Race in Italy and narrowly missed out on a medal at the Buddy Melges Challenge. The Danish skipper moves up three places to #10. Also on the rise are Silvia Roca Mata (ESP) who broke into the top 20 at the last ranking release. A bronze medal at the ISAF Grade 1 St Quay Women’s Match sees her climb a further four places to #15.

Italian sailors are making their mark on this ranking release with their highest ranked skipper Cristiana Monina returning to the top 20. Monina moves up five places to #18, following a bronze medal at the ISAF Grade 2 Women’s Nordic Championship and fourth place at Trentino. Camilla Marino is the biggest climber, moving up 47 places to #66 after wining the silver medal at the Italian Match Race Championships and finishing eighth in Trentino. The bronze at the Italian nations went to Silvia Zennaro who is also the highest new entry to the rankings, this her only regatta to count, sees her enter where Marino left off at #113.

Winner of the Italian nationals was Federica Wetzl whilst Ekaterina Skudina claimed the Russian title. Silja Lehtinen (FIN) is the new Nordic Champion, taking the gold medal at the ISAF Grade 2 Nordic Championships in Finland.

All eyes now turn to New York where the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championships gets underway on 20 September.

Click here for the Women’s Rankings

The next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings will be on 27 October 2010.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrrankings

(From the ISAF website: www.sailing.org)