Dawn Riley's match racing return before new K Challenge race

by Stephanie Nadin on 8 May 2002 World Women Match Racing Championships 2002 / Calpe - Spain (29 April – 4 May 2002):

Dawn Riley is back at the highest level on the world match racing championships after one year away from the circuit : ' Overall it was a good fleet. I have been out of match racing for so long that I didn’t really know who was good and
who wasn’t. There obviously are some teams who aren’t at the top of the board but all were very solid match racers and very good sailors '.

On the results hand, the American Liz Baylis has defeated the Swedish Marie Bjorling – 1st of the world ISAF placing – 2 to 1
in the final – and Dawn Riley takes the 5th place behind the French Anne Le Helley, and the British Cordelia Eglin.

After a difficult start in the first racing day and one penalty, everything has been improved very quickly on the second day :
not only the weather conditions, but also the team work with a brand new crew, that strongly needed to train together.

Even on Thursday the 2nd, when the sky decided to turn the conditions to the toughest, Dawn managed to keep the course to
reach a wonderful finish on the 3rd and 4th of May.

After having defeated Liz Baylis in a freezing environment on Friday the 3rd, the conclusion after the last racing day was really
encouraging, with Dawn’s feeling that the team did the best it could.

Dawn doesn’t forget to notice that it has been above all a nice victory for the Americans.

Dawn Riley will meet next week her team members around the K Challenge project at 'la Semaine de Porquerolles' in
France, which will take place from the 15th till the 20th of May.

Team manager for this America’s Cup 2006 challenge, Dawn Riley brings her expertise and experience, thanks to a well
managed career with many successes, where the most famous one will certainly remain the victory in the 1992 America’s
Cup campaign.



General placing (7 firsts)

1.- Liz Baylis (USA)

2.- Marie Bjorling (SWE)

3.- Anne Le Helley (FRA)

4.- Cordelia Eglin (GBR)

5.- Dawn Riley (USA)

6.- Nina B. Petersen (DEN)

7.- Sabrina Gurioli (ITA)