Wot Chicks head to Spain

by Lisa Ratcliff on 15 Apr 2008 With the southern hemisphere’s trans-Tasman tri-series run and won, many of the world’s best women match racers will gather next week in the northern hemisphere for the next round, the X International Women Match Race Criterium hosted by the Real Club Náutico Calpe in Calpe (Alicante), Spain.

Putting their jobs and university degrees on hold, again, world number three ranked Katie Spithill and her five-strong Wot Chicks team will depart Sydney this weekend for Calpe where they will step aboard the Tom 28 class for the April 22-26 ISAF grade 1 regatta.

Helming with a painful fractured collar bone, Spithill managed a fifth at the recent BSPORT ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and has been working on her recovery ever since.

'I’ve had a week consisting of plenty of rest and only cardio work, which doesn’t impact on my shoulder as much. At present I’m spending four hours a day with my arm in a sling, to help it heal'.

World number one Claire Leroy (FRA) was crowned overall winner of the BSPORT World Championship, sealing her hat trick after she also out-classed the competition at the lead up NZ Match Racing Championship and Harken Women’s International in Sydney.

Spithill is looking forward to the opportunity to meet Claire and second ranked Lotte Melgard Pedersen (DEN), this time on the start line in Calpe Bay on the Mediterranean Sea.

'I welcome the opportunity to sail against them both, especially in new boats in a new location and with lessons learnt from New Zealand.

'I sailed in this regatta last year but the rest of the crew are first timers as I used a European crew,' Spithill added.

The Wot Chicks team for the Spanish regatta includes Katie Spithill, Nina Curtis, Nicole Douglass, Sarah Willmot, Jessica Eastwell and coach Traks Gordon.

After Spain the team will return to Sydney for seven weeks training and development before heading to their first big boat event for the year, the Match Cup Sweden to be sailed from June 29-July 6 in Marstrand in DS37’s with a team of six.

With the support of new title sponsor Graeme Wood, founder of Australasia's number one accommodation website Wotif.com, Wot Chicks has a jam packed 2008 schedule with 14 events spanning 10 countries.

Wot Chicks is proudly supported by Graeme Wood, SLAM and Rudy Project.

X International Women Match Race Criterium website: http://www.rcnc.es/