Twelve top teams in WIM Series Finale

by WIM Series on 1 Dec 2016 The Carlos Aguilar Match Race, the fifth and final event of the 2016 WIM Series, is just about to begin in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Wednesday saw the twelve competing teams practising on the waters of Charlotte Amalie harbour, offering the usual testing sailing conditions:

“Offshore direction made the wind extremely shifty, but it was really nice to be back in a boat again, in such a wonderful place,” says Renée Groeneveld of The Netherlands.

The Dutch skipper is one in a group of five, fighting for the podium positions behind superb 2016 WIM Series winner Anna Östling. The Swede secured her title already in the latest event in Busan, Korea, by finishing fourth there. Having won all three events before that, she’s now in St. Thomas to show that this year’s success wasn’t a coincidence:

“Our goal is to round of the season with a top result here in the Carlos Aguilar Match Race. It’s been fun practising here today, on a beautiful venue and in boats that are new to us,” she says.

Östling’s compatriot and fellow member of the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, Caroline Sylvan, is in third place in the 2016 WIM Series standings, with the runner-up position within reach. She learned a lot from her first time on U.S. Virgin Island waters:

“We sailed the similar J/24 back home in Sweden last week, but today’s practise in the IC 24 was a far better session. I think we were superfast today!”

WIM Series Manager Liz Baylis has in the past competed herself in the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, and she knew it would be an amazing venue for the final WIM Series event in 2016:

“All of the venues we have visited this year have been fantastic, with a great variety of conditions, but what could be better than ending the season in a tropical paradise?” she asks rhetorically.

“Verian Aguilar Tuttle and her team have worked tirelessly to prepare for this year’s event, and we’re looking forward to not only fantastic racing close to the spectators in Charlotte Amalie harbour, but also the warm hospitality that you can only find on this welcoming island.”

American Stephanie Roble is almost to be considered a local hope, having spent so much time in St. Thomas for the last few years, highlighted by a second place finish in last year’s open division of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race. Currently fourth in the overall standings, she’s aiming to climb to the podium through this regatta:

“It was really fun out there today. We worked on some specific things, and accomplished them, so we’re looking forward to begin racing Thursday,” she comments.

An unexpected newcomer as a WIM Series skipper for the St. Thomas event is Josefine Boel Rasmussen, normally main sail trimmer and tactician in Danish Team Ulrikkeholm, winner of the 2014 WIM Series. With regular skipper Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby at home in Copenhagen, looking after her new-born son, team member Trine Palludan was supposed to fill in at the helm. However, just having arrived to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palludan immediately had to head back to Denmark again, due to a family emergency. As a substitute for the substitute skipper, Josefine Boel Rasmussen will now need all the preparation she can possibly get:

“Well, I haven’t helmed for about ten years, so maybe I don’t even remember how to do it” Josefine laughs.

The Carlos Aguilar Match Race/2016 WIM Series Finale is a World Sailing Grade One event. The format features a full round robin of all teams, followed by knockout quarterfinals for the top eight, and then knockout semi-finals, petit-finals, and the finals on Sunday December 4.



Standings in the 2016 WIM Series after four events out of five (skipper, country, WIM Series points):

1. Anna Östling, SWE, 93
2. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 60
3. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 58
4. Stephanie Roble, USA, 54
5. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 54
6. Renée Groeneveld, NED, 49
7. Katie Spithill, AUS, 25
8. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 22
9. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 22
10. Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, 21
11. Claire Leroy, FRA, 20
12. Lotte Meldgaard, DEN, 18
13. Samantha Norman, NZL, 14
14. Sanna Häger, SWE, 14
15. Diana Kissane, IRL, 14
16. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 12
17. Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 12
18. Nicole Breault, USA, 10
19. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE, 10
20. Antonia Degerlund, FIN, 10
21. Elizabeth Shaw, CAN, 8
22. Susanna Kukkonen FIN, 8
23. Milly Bennett, AUS, 6
24. Gyeong Jin Lee, KOR, 5
25. Sanna Mattsson, SWE, 5