Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour Casa Vela Cup Day 1

by Women's WMRT 26 Apr 2023 01:51 PDT 24-28 April 2023
2023 Casa Vela Cup Day 1 © Simone Staff / WWMRT

Nicole Breault (USA) and her Vela Racing team of Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer, Dana Riley Hayes, and Maggie Bacon are undefeated on Day 1 of the 2023 Casa Vela Cup, the opening stage of the 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour. Breault posted an impressive 7-0 score with two flights remaining for the first of the double round robin qualifying stage.

Perfect conditions graced the fleet of ten teams as they headed into San Francisco Bay this morning with a building 7-10 knot breeze, blue skies and sunshine.

As racing got under way just after 1030 with Principal Race Officer Mark Townsend setting the start line right in front of the St Francis Yacht Club, teams had to quickly contend with a dominant flood tide interspersed with some eddies of ebb, a condition which Breault and her Bay Area team know only too well:

"We had a great day today but we really had to look for tidal relief by coming close to shore" commented Breault. "This time of year, we also have the meltwater from the mountains which makes the spring runoff much stronger, causing the ebb to over-ride the flood on the surface, so it can be tricky. My team did a great job of focusing on placing us in more pressure and dealing with the shifts, and we are happy with our result."

Skippering her first event on the Women's World Match Racing Tour, Rebecca Coles from Great Britain admitted it was a fast learning curve in the Bay today:

"It took us a little while to get to grips with the current today and we did hit the mark in one of our starts" said Coles, "but we were learning fast and getting better every race and we were pleased to get two wins today with some close matches, so we are feeling positive!"

Great Britain's Sophie Otter/Otter Racing team were first up in the round robin against Australia's Brooke Wilson/Amphitrite Racing representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. With both skippers new to sailing in the Bay, Otter led Wilson to a convincing lead for their first of five wins and went on to post a 5-2 result for the day, second place behind Nicole Breault/Vela Racing.

As the breeze built to 15-18 knots in the afternoon, a signal error forced a re-match between New Zealand's Megan Thomson and USA's Janel Zarkowsky in the last flight of the day. Hugging the shoreline in front of the St Francis Yacht Club, the teams had a tough tacking duel to the top mark with Thomson pulling ahead for the last win of the day, finishing 5-2 to share second with Sophie Otter/Otter Racing.

Round Robin Results after Day 1:

Racing continues tomorrow 26 April with the first start scheduled for 1030 PST. Follow live results at www.matchracingresults.com/2023/wwmrt-casa-vela-cup

Related Articles

2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA overall
A tense light-air final on the Severn River USA's women's match racing team Team Baam skippered by Allie Blecher from California won the 2025 Santa Maria Cup today, defeating Vela Racing team skippered by Nicole Breault 3-0 in a tense light-air final on the Severn River. Posted today at 5:29 am
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 3
Nicole Breault and Allie Blecher to meet in the final USA's Nicole Breault / Vela Racing and Allie Blecher / Team Baam have both advanced to the final of the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, the second stage of the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour championship. Posted on 7 Jun
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 2
Final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage A thrilling second day of racing at the 2025 Santa Maria Cup saw the final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage. Posted on 6 Jun
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 1
Racing in Women's World Match Racing Tour Event 2 underway Perfect conditions graced the opening day of the 2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA, Stage 2 of the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour following the tour season opener in San Francisco last week. Posted on 5 Jun
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club overal
Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory French match racing skipper Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory on Saturday at the 2025 Casa Vela Cup, held in the iconic waters of San Francisco Bay and hosted by the St.Francis Yacht Club. Posted on 1 Jun
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club Day 3
Pauline Courtois will meet Nicole Breault in the final Defending women's match racing world champion Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite team from France will meet USA's Nicole Breault/ Vela Racing in the final of the 2025 Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco. Posted on 31 May
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club Day 2
Another flawless day for top-ranked French skipper Pauline Courtois and her team Another thrilling day of racing with top-ranked French skipper Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team continuing their unbeaten streak with fifteen straight wins in the qualifying round robin stage, asserting a dominant lead. Posted on 30 May
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club Day 1
San Francisco turns it on for opening day of Women's Match Racing The opening day of the Casa Vela Cup 2025 hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco kicked off the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour in spectacular fashion with ten of the world's top all-female match racing teams Posted on 29 May
Women's WMRT announces 2025 season
Over 150 women match racing sailors are expected to compete this year The Women's World Match Racing Tour has announced its 2025 schedule of six events in four countries featuring events in the USA, France, Sweden and Bermuda. Posted on 12 Feb
Double Championship win for Pauline Courtois
Match in Pink by Normandy Elite team clinch victory at Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta France's Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite team of Louise Acker, Maëlenn Lemaître, Sophie Faguet and Laurane Mettraux clinched victory at the 2024 Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta on Sunday. Posted on 6 Nov 2024
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeSwitch One DesignSelden 2020 - FOOTER