Team 7 Sailing undefeated -Boat US Santa Maria Cup

by Carrie Howe - Team Seven Sailing on 1 Jun 2007 Hello Everyone,

Team 7 Sailing is undefeated after two days of intense racing on the River Severn in Annapolis, Maryland, at the Boat US Santa Maria Cup US Women’s Match Race Championship. Laser Radial sailor Anna Tunnicliffe has joined our crew for this series in J/22s.

We’re one of ten invited international teams racing out of the Eastport Yacht Club, and we’re looking to repeat our success in winning this event in 2004. This year’s field includes Aussie skipper Katie Spithill who won here last year and America’s Liz Baylis who took the championship in 2003.

Adding to the excitement, the latest ISAF world rankings were announced yesterday and we’re buoyed by our advances. Anna has moved up to #1 women’s Laser Radial sailor in the world from the #3 position. Team 7 has shot up to #2. We were previously #6.

Right now, at the end of Day Two, we are on 14 points with a three point lead over Liz Baylis and Claire Leroy from France who are tied for second place. Claire is currently the #1 ranked woman match racer in the world and she and her team have dominated women’s match racing since May 2005.

Tomorrow we have four races remaining to sail in Round Robin 2 and those are against some of the toughest competitors in the series – Baylis, Leroy, Spithill and her fellow Aussie skipper Nicky Souter.

Conditions here have been awesome, racing on Chesapeake Bay outside US Naval Academy and the mouth of the Severn. We’ve postponed for wind both mornings but we’ve a nice southerly has come in, with the breeze starting light each day and building to 10-12 knots both days, along with a typical Annapolis chop.

Anna has been trimming jib and spinnaker and, as she put it, 'doing the muscle work.' She commented that after the intensity of the Breitling Cup which we all raced in Holland last week, it was nice to relax while we do the communications and the tactics.

Josie Gibson from Great Britain should have been racing this week too, but the event web site reports that due to an unforeseen and unfortunate issue involving passports and visas, she was was unable to attend this year.

You can view all the Santa Maria Cup Results here. You can also visit Anna Tunnicliffe’s web site at http://www.annatunnicliffe.com or the Team 7 site at http://www.team7sailing.com

Carrie

for Team Seven Sailing -
Sally Barkow, Debbie Capozzi & Carrie Howe