U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship preview

by Jake Fish on 8 Jul 2010 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship (USWMRC), July 7 - 11, 2010, Sail Sheboygan, Sheboygan, WI.

The US Sailing Center of Sheboygan welcomes eight elite teams for this week’s U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship (USWMRC), a US SAILING National Championship and an ISAF Grade 3 event.

Defending champion and US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) member Genny Tulloch returns to compete in her third consecutive USWMRC. She joins a talented roster of teams who will race in Sonars on Lake Michigan for the right to hoist the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy. Racing begins this Thursday and runs through Sunday (July 8-11).

Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), a former College Sailor of the Year, will be joined by USSTAG teammate and crew Alice Manard (Charleston, S.C.), along with Lindsay Bartel (Chagrin Falls, Ohio). Team Tulloch defeated USSTAG teammate Anna Tunnicliffe in last year’s finals, after losing to Tunnicliffe in the 2008 finals. Tulloch is currently ninth in the ISAF Women’s Match Racing world rankings.

US Sailing’s 2007 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and former USSTAG member, Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) returns to the USWMRC for the first time since winning the event in 2005. Barkow also won as a crewmate for Corrie Clement in 2000. Barkow has been a busy match racer as of late. She is 11th in the ISAF Women’s Match Racing world rankings. Barkow finished third at the Princess Sofia this year, an ISAF Sailing World Cup event.

Former USSTAG member Katy Lovell (New Orleans, La.) will compete in her sixth consecutive USWMRC. Lovell has come close to claiming the title on several occasions. She finished third last year and second in 2007, 2006 and 2005.

Skippers will be pre-ranked using the ISAF Match Race Sailing Rankings. The highest placing eligible skipper will represent the U.S. at the ISAF Nations Cup Series on Sept. 13-18, 2011.

The event will consist of the following stages:

Stage 1 - Double Round Robin: Each skipper will race against each other skipper twice.

Stage 2 - Knock out series for skippers placed 5-8 after Stage 1. Those placed fifth and sixth will sail for fifth place and those placed seventh and eighth will sail for seventh place. The first to score two points will determine their final positions.

Stage 3 - Semi Final: The four highest placing skippers from the round robins qualify for the Semi Finals. The skipper placing first in the qualifying round robins can select her opponent. The remaining skippers will race each other. The first skippers to score at least two points will proceed to the Final series.

Stage 4 - Petit Final knock out series: The first skipper to score at least two points will place third in the regatta. The losing skipper will place fourth.

Stage 5 - Final Series: The first skipper to score at least three points will be the champion. The losing skipper will place second.

US Sailing’s U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Gill North America. Visit the event website for the full list of competitors, standings, daily recaps, photos and more. Follow the action with live updates from Sheboygan on US Sailing's Facebook and Twitter sites.

Event website click here