Women's Match Racing to see its busiest year yet

by WIMRA Media on 28 Apr 2010
The Women's International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) 2010 calendar is underway and women's match racing is traversing the globe.

With nearly 80 events on the WIMRA calendar, the organization is increasing events at an astonishing rate with less than a dozen events at its inception in 1996, to its current calendar of almost 80 events worldwide. Events are continually added to the WIMRA calendar and 2010 is shaping up to be the best racing year yet.

The calendar includes the Olympic women's match racing qualifying events that are in full swing with International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Cup events in France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and USA, culminating in Great Britain at the site of the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition in Weymouth. WIMRA was instrumental in lobbying for the inclusion of women's match racing as an Olympic event and it will make its debut in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

But the Olympic women's match racing isn't the only game in town, there are a dozen more elite level Grade 1 regattas spread across the globe in 2010. World-class women's match racing will take place in Australia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United States, and Virgin Islands. Other Grade 2 and Grade 3 events are taking place in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Poland, Russia and Switzerland. Liz Baylis, WIMRA Executive Director, states, 'The momentum that WIMRA is gathering is exactly what we need for not only the success of women's match racing, but to make a big impression with our inaugural Olympic performance in Weymouth.'

Baylis continues, 'We have more and more introductory events and educational clinics that are building a strong base of support, necessary for the continued expansion of women's match racing worldwide. It's exciting to see people not only participating in match racing, but to have them actually promoting women's match racing. Places like San Diego and San Francisco have fun, weekly match racing nights to encourage newcomers to the sport.'

The crown jewel of the year is the ISAF Women's Match Racing Championship in September in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. This event will feature the top 20 teams fighting it out for the coveted World Champion title. Last year, Nicky Souter of Australia took home the trophy after a fierce battle to the finish. Skills, strategy, and a little luck make this Championship an exciting regatta for all who participate.

About WIMRA:
The Women's International Match Racing Association was formed in 1996 to promote, coordinate and supervise women's international match-race sailing and support the inclusion of a Women's Match-Racing Event in the Olympic Games. For more information, visit: www.wimra.org.