Weymouth and Portland International Regatta - Opening day Match Racing

by International Sailing Federation and Sail-World on 3 Aug 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta is being held from 31 July to 13 August 2011. Light winds welcomed the women's Match Racers on the opening day.

The 12 Women’s Match Racing teams put up with light winds on the first day of racing at the London 2012 Olympic Test Event.

Seven flights consisting of 21 races took place on the opening day featuring teams from Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and USA. Although New Zealand was ninth in the qualifier for the event, Yachting New Zealand declined to make an entry (teams from Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Portugal were behind the New Zealanders in the ISAF World Cup standings which determined the qualification for this event).

Teams from Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain were the first to sail in the Round Robin. The Finnish team of Silja Lehtinen, Sija Kanerva and Mikaela Wulff and Russia’s Ekaterina Skudina, Elena Siuzeva and Diana Neves enjoyed a great day after they won all four of their races. Lehtinen started the day with a race win over Mandy Mulder (NED) before comprehensively defeating Lucy Macgregor (GBR).

Lehtinen also overcame Lotte Meldgaard (DEN) and Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) to end the day with a 100% record. Skudina defeated Meldgaard, Mulder, Macgregor and Echegoyen but with two more days of Round Robin action Lehtinen and Skudina won’t be getting too carried away.

Later on in the day teams from Australia, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden and USA pitted their sailing wits against each other.

And Sweden’s Anna Kjellberg, Malin Kallstrom and Lotta Harrysson head into the second day with a 100% record after race wins over Silke Hahlbrock (GER), Claire Leroy (FRA) Olivia Price (AUS).

Germany’s Hahlbrock recorded one race win against USA’s Sally Barkow. The German said, 'It was quite hard to sail out there. The wind was dropping. The competition standard was very high and if you make a little mistake you lose.'

Despite recording a loss Barkow won both of her other races against Rita Gonzalves (POR) and Price. And France’s Claire Leroy also won two races and lost the other on the first day of sailing at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta.

On the forecast for the Women’s Match Racing and RS:X practice race tomorrow Jim Trice (GBR) Met Office lead forecaster said, 'We have a weather front approaching from the west, probably reaching us tomorrow night. It is going to be into the afternoon before the wind starts to pick up.'

Racing starts at 13:00 local time as the Round Robin for the 12 Women’s Match Racing teams continues.

http://www.sailing.org/london2012/2011-test-event.php!Olympic_Test_Event_website