(From the BYM Sailing & Sports News site)

RYA Womens National Match Racing: Lucy Macgregor claims second crown on Portland Bay

Lucy MacGregor took advantage of near perfect conditions in Portland Bay to lead her unbeatable crew to RYA Women’s National Match Racing Championships glory at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) this weekend (6-7 October).

Poole’s Macgregor, 20, joined by fellow Yngling world bronze medallist Annie Lush and Beijing Laser Radial hopeful Andrea Brewster, posted an immaculate nine out of nine flight wins on a fantastic opening day of racing before picking up where they left off on day two, notching up a hat-trick of victories to cruise through to the semi-finals.

Two straight wins over Charlotte Lawrence’s team in the semis saw Skandia Team GBR’s Macgregor paired against Somerset’s Mary Rook in the final.

But with the wind dropping fast Macgregor’s fabulous five, which included her sister Kate, quickly clinched back-to-back wins to deservedly claim the overall title. In the petit final Gemma Farrell’s crew achieved the same feat over Lawrence to take third.

It is the second time the Dorset youngster has claimed the Women’s National crown, her first triumph coming in 2004, with Rook also part of that Championship-winning crew.

The Women’s Championships marked the final qualifying round of the 2007 RYA National Match Racing Series, which kicked off with the BUSA Championships in March. Twelve finalists are now poised and ready to do battle at the three-day Series finals at WPNSA this coming weekend (12-14 October).

Match racing is all about teams going head-to-head in two boat races on a round robin competition basis with the qualifier winners being decided in a four-race final between the two top crews of the day.

Macgregor had already pre-qualified for the finals, having beaten many male crews en route to second qualifying round victory at the start of September. As a result Rook is poised to join her at WPNSA to ensure there are two women’s teams set to challenge the boys this weekend.

RYA Women’s National Match Racing Championships Results:

Lucy MacGregor
Mary Rook
Gemma Farrell
Charlotte Lawrence
Josie Gibson
Anneka Smith
Hester Robertson