NYYC's Women’s Match Racing Clinic & Regatta - First two days battles

by Brad Dellenbaugh on 24 May 2009
The first two days of the New York Yacht Club's Women's Match Racing Clinic and Regatta were of the highest standard. Here is a summary of the days sailing.

Thursday May 21.

Sally Barkow’s team went undefeated on the first day of racing to lead a talented fleet at the New York Yacht Club Women’s Match Racing Clinic & Regatta. Eight top women’s teams completed the first round robin in a steady 11-14 knot southwester competing in Sonars.

Anna Tunnicliffe’s team is one point back after losing a seesaw battle with Barkow. Racing continues on Friday with a second round robin, followed by semi-finals and finals on Saturday.

With only three years before the next Olympic Games, NYYC is committed to help the U.S. women’s match racing training effort. Eight teams were invited to train with four top coaches - Dave Perry, Dave Dellenbaugh, Tony Rey and Henry Menin - for two intense days before the Grade 3 regatta. The coaches are on hand throughout the racing for coaching, analysis and debriefing.

The invited skippers include the three US Sailing Team Alphagraphics match racing skippers – Genny Tulloch, Debbie Capozzi and Katie Lovell – as well as Sally Barkow, Liz Baylis, Anna Tunnicliffe and Marie Klok Crump. To further the training opportunities and challenge the U.S. teams, NYYC has also invited world 4th ranked Lotte Pedersen from the Royal Danish Yacht Club. RDYC has offered to host a reciprocal event for one of the U.S. teams in the near future.

The three-day regatta will be used to select the U.S. team for the ISAF World Cup event in Weymouth, UK in September.

Friday, May 22.

Another spectacular sailing day greeted the sailors at the New York Yacht Club Women’s Match Racing Clinic & Regatta with a second straight day of steady southwesterly breeze. A complete second round-robin was completed, as well as the first two races in the best of five semi-finals and consolation semi-finals. Anna Tunnicliffe, with her crew of Liz Bower and the two Mollys (Carapiet and Vandemoer), finished on top after the second round-robin, winning a tie-breaker for the top seed over Sally Barkow, with her crew Nancy Haberland, Dawn Riley and Suzy Leech. Both finished with impressive 13-1 records. Genny Tulloch, with Liz Hall, Jamie Haines and Chafee Emory finished third at 10-4, while Lotte Meldegaard Pedersen, with Sille Christensen, Christina Refn and Mia Nielsen rounded out the top four with a 7-7 record.

Round Robins W L

Anna Tunnicliffe 13 1
Sally Barkow 13 1
Genny Tulloch 10 4
Lotte Pedersen 7 7
Debbie Capozzi 4 10
Liz Baylis 4 10
Katy Lovell 3 11
Marie Crump 2 12

www.nyyc.org