Lysekil Women's Match's training session

by Joakim Hermansson on 6 Aug 2013 On Monday, top ranked match racing crews from Denmark, Great Britain, Russia, Switzerland, France, New Zealand and of course host country Sweden, got the opportunity to practise for a couple of hours in the DS 37s raced in Lysekil Women's Match. And all the spectators on the rocks of Släggö Island got a preview of this week's entertainment.

The time has come for a few days of exciting fights on the Swedish west coast waters, before a 100 000 dollar prize purse can be distributed after Saturday's finale. Reigning champion of Lysekil Women's Match is Danish world number one Camilla Ulrikkeholm, recently silver medallist in the World Championships in Korea and currently placed fourth on Women's International Match Racing Series: 'I'm expecting some really tough racing here in Lysekil this year, and we can't take anything for granted. I can't wait to get going and find out where we are standing,' she says.

British Olympian and 2010 Match Racing World Champion, Lucy Macgregor, had some practising together with her partially new crew in the DS 37s, but she didn't find any drama at all in that: 'No, we just went out there on the water and everything worked pretty well for us, so I'm confident and really looking forward to this week's races,' says Macgregor, who had her latest performance in Lysekil in 2009, when the event was also the ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship.

This spring, Macgregor won the first event of the inaugural Women's International Match Racing Series in Saint Quay de Portrieux, France, and she is now on the top of the Series' scoreboard with Ulrikkeholm in fourth. With local sailor Anna Kjellberg in second place included, they form the trio that can win the whole international series. Kjellberg is the only skipper having participated in all the series events (France, Korea, Denmark, USA and now Sweden), but she's back in Lysekil for the first time since taking the World Championship silver medal in 2009: 'We've been longing to be back in Lysekil, and for me personally it's very special to have my idol in the crew for this event,' Anna laughs, nodding at tactician Marie Björling Duell, ISAF world ranking number one for several years some time ago, and six times medallist in Match Racing World Championships: 'I like sailing because there is always something new to learn, and now I'll get a new experience as crew,' Marie smiles.

Participants in Lysekil Women's Match 2013 (skipper/nationality/ISAF world ranking): Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 1 (reigning Lysekil Women's Match champion) Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 2 (current leader of the WIMR Series) Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 5 Alexa Bezel, SUI, 6 Claire Leroy, FRA, 8 Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 9 Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 13 Claudia Pierce, NZL, 21 Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 27 Anna Kjellgren, SWE, 39 Johanna Larsson, SWE, 68

Standings in the 2013 Women's International Match Racing Series after four events, in France, Korea, Denmark and USA (skipper/nationality/WIMRS points). Macgregor, Kjellberg and Ulrikkeholm are fighting for the first WIMR Series trophy: 1. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 66 2. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 61 3. Stephanie Roble, USA, 47 4. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 44 4. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 44 6. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 26 7. Tamara Echegoyen, ESP, 25 7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 25 7. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 25 10. Julie Bossard, FRA, 22 11. Katie Spithill, AUS, 19 12. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 17 13. Merel Witteveen, NED, 15 13. Ekaterina Skudina, RUS, 15 15. Nicole Breault, USA, 10 16. Susannah Pyatt, NZL, 9 17. Milly Bennett, AUS, 8 18. Anna Kjellgren, SWE, 7 19. Madeline Gill, USA, 6 20. Anne Marit Hansen, NOR, 4 20. Sung-Eun Choi, KOR, 4 20. Morgane Dréau, FRA, 4.

The inaugural 2013 Women's International Match Racing Series is a professional sailing circuit, hosted by the Women's International Match Racing Association for the world's leading women match racing sailors. In match racing the crews meet one on one in exciting duels that can easily be followed and understood by the spectators.

An overall prize purse of 50 000 USD, as well as the Terry J Kohler perpetual trophy, will be distributed by the WIMR Series at the final event in Lysekil, Sweden, in addition to the prize money at each of the five events included in the WIMR Series (date, event name, location, boat type): * May 15-19 - Saint Quay Women's Match Racing - St Quay-Portrieux, France - Elliott 6m. * June 5-9 - Busan Cup International Women's Match Race - Busan, Korea - K 30. * June 20-23 - Danish Open Ladies Cup - Copenhagen, Denmark - J/80. * July 11-14 - New York Women's Invitational - Oakcliff, New York, USA - SM 40. * August 5-10 - Lysekil Women's Match - Lysekil, Sweden - DS 37.

Lysekil Women's Match is with a 300 000 SEK (50 000 USD) prize purse the largest yearly event for women match racing sailors, concerning the mix of spectators, publicity and prize money. The world's leading women match racing sailors participate in the eighth issue of Lysekil Women's Match, August 5-10 2013, arranged by Sailnet Lysekil AB in cooperation with Lysekils SS Gullmar. WIMRS Lysekil Womens Match