(Submitted by Team Acuity)

RPAYC’s Team Acuity, comprising of Katie Spithill, Nina Curtis, Jessica Eastwell, Angela Farrell, Kristen Short and coach Traks Gordon have won the 2007 Australian Women’s Match Racing Nationals.

The irony of the victory for Team Acuity is that the ISAF Rankings points gained from this win will not contribute to their world ranking due to an outstanding Grade 1 International Campaign for 2007.

’We came here to practice winning a Match Race Final, and we ticked that box’, says Coach Traks Gordon, ’This was the last thing on our wish list this year’. Today the team will discuss how this victory occurred, and look to duplicate this in the Australian Open Match Racing Nationals, starting Thursday at the same venue.

This years Nationals was held in Melbourne at Sandringham Yacht Club, sailed in their fleet of identical Beneteau 7.5’s with five crew.

After the completion of two Round Robins Katie Spithill’s team led on countback to Nicky Souter’s team. With Spithill electing to sail Amanda Scrivenor in the semi finals, leaving Souter to race Sam Boyd.

Both Spithill and Souter progressed to the final’s 3-0, but not without a fight from the up and coming CYCA Teams.

The finals were drawn out to the full 5 matches with many lead changes with Spithill taking the trophy at 3-2

After the Open Nationals Team Acuity returns to Sydney for 2 weeks training before departing to a Grade 1 in Florida. From there they will return to Sydney for the summer to train for the Women’s Match Racing World Championships to be held in April, 2008 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Final Placings

1. Katie Spithill
2. Nicky Souter
3. Amanda Scrivenor
4. Sam Boyd
5. Kate Aulich
6. Alex Ward