Rolex Osprey Cup - Tulloch, Manard Leonard, Chamberlin & O’Reilly win

by Jan Harley on 25 Oct 2010 Rolex Osprey Cup - Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), ICSA’s 2004 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year, sailing with Alice Manard Leonard (New Orleans, La.), Jenn Chamberlin (Annapolis, Md.), and 2006 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.), have won the 2010 Rolex Osprey Cup after a well-fought battle with defending champion Giulia Conti (Toscolano Maderno/ITA), who has won the event three-times (2005, 2008, and 2009). Conti sailed with the same crew with whom she won the 2009 event: Alessandra Angelini, Lisa Lardani and Giovanna Micol.

Although a lack of breeze cut short the second round-robin on the penultimate day of racing, there was enough wind on the final day (Saturday, October 23) of the four-day regatta for the Race Committee from St. Petersburg Yacht Club to run a four-race semi-finals, followed by five races in the first-to-win three final that determined the winner.

At the start of the semi-finals Tulloch and crew had lost only one match during the round-robin series -- to the team helmed by Katy Lovell (New Orleans, La.), with crew Kaity Storck (Huntington, N.Y.), Lyndsey Gibbons-Neff (Rosemont, Penn.) and Becky DaMore (Culver, Ind.). Based on their records in the round-robin, Conti and Lovell’s teams advanced to the semi-finals, as did skipper Rebecca Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) with crew Keisha Pearson (Bellport, N.Y.), Kendall Reiley (Aspen, Colo.) and Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.). In the semi-final rounds, Tulloch defeated Dellenbaugh 3-1 and Conti was 3-0 over Lovell, setting the stage for an exciting final.

'It was really great racing against Guilia's team,' said Tulloch after defeating Conti 3-2 to win the 2010 Rolex Osprey Cup. Speaking en-route to Korea where she will compete in the Busan Cup, Tulloch went on to describe sailing two very close races in the final series including one in which Conti was behind with a penalty before she passed Tulloch on the downwind. 'They spun it, which allowed us to lee-bow her and then luff her at the windward mark - leading to a very close downwind that we won. The following race we were leading the whole way (for the title if we'd won) but she kept bringing breeze down on the last downwind and actually passed us one boat length from the finish line which forced us to the sudden death match!!! Happily for us, after a close first upwind, we opened up a lead on the top layline and held it from there to the finish.'

In the petit-final series, Lovell defeated Dellenbaugh 3-2 to finish third overall in the series, while the remaining six teams sailed the consolation round to determine fifth through tenth place (full results follow). The 2010 Rolex Osprey Cup, an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 1 women’s match racing event, was created and organized in 1996 by St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Sailed in Sonars, the event has been sponsored since 2000 by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information, including photos, please visit www.spyc.org.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A. Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including elite athlete preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events.

The Rolex Osprey Cup is part of the Rolex Yachting Portfolio that includes over 20 world-class sailing events taking place around the world such as the Rolex Miami OCR, New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex US-IRC National Championship, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

www.spyc.org