Credit: Wander Roberto
Credit: Wander Roberto
Credit: Matias Capizzano
Credit: Kim Wolf
Credit: Kim Wolf
Credit: Richard Langdon
Credit: Sander van der Borch
Credit: Richard Langdon
Wednesday 29th October, 2008
The latest ISAF World Rankings were released today and it was very satisfying to see all our hard work over the last few months paying off with us shooting into the top 10 at 7th!
Our Grade 1 wins in Germany and Grade 2 win in Antibes along with 2nd at the Portugal Women’s Match Cup meant once again we were the biggest mover. Entering the top 10 for the first time we are still only counting six of a possible 8 events compared to those around us.
Friday 24th October, 2008
Quaywaves TV have just released this fantastic 13 minute video covering the Women’s European Match Racing Championships last month.
Click on the video below to see us in action!
Thursday 16th October, 2008
A last minute invite to the Portugal Women’s Match held in Troia last week meant a change in team from the past few events. The SM40s are mini Americas Cup style boats, sailed with six crew they are very physically demanding and fantastic fun! There was an international feel amongst the crew with Ally Martin on bow, American Yngling helm Sally Barkow on mast, Lauren Martel in pit, Annie Lush trimming and Silja Letehnin, the Finish Yngling helm on main. Although we hadn’t all sailed together before, or in some cases ever met before, the experience of Annie and Sally onboard meant our team work was amongst the best from day one and this was important early on in the regatta.
With the same number of boats as teams the Sun Sailing Team organizers were able to keep us all out racing all the time and despite unfavorable weather conditions at times, we were able to complete three round robins. During these we generally sailed very well with moments of brilliance however there was a particular moment I’d rather forget but am sure I’ll never be able to live down! In our second race against top ranked Linda Rahm we entered the start line from the starboard end and while ‘dialed up’ head to wind, lost steerage and with the 3 knot cross tide ended up stuck on the committee boat and being towed off by ribs! I hope I’ll never do that one again!
After a real mix of conditions and a thrilling third race against Rahm where we came from behind to take the lead on the second beat and win, we sailed well to finish the round robin stage in 2nd place behind Rahm.
Unfortunately in complete contrast to Fridays racing in 20 knots, we were left drifting in just 2 knots of wind on Saturday and with a 3.30pm deadline to complete races by, we were frustratingly called off before starting any races in the final. Although disappointed not to get the chance to go head to head against Rahm in the finals, finishing in second place at a Grade 1 event is another fantastic result for us especially in the larger boats looking ahead to next years World Championships in DS37 boats.
Monday 13th October, 2008
With Ladies Match Racing adopted as the new discipline in the 2012 Olympics it’s great for Team GBR to see Lucy Macgregor step out and announce herself so convincingly on the world stage. This time Team Macgregor (Lucy, sister Nicky, Georgie Blaver-Mann and Ally Martin) beat World #3 Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen 3-2 in Antibes to win the ISAF Nations Cup Northern Europe Regional Final.
Whilst Team GBR celebrate the successes of Qingdao, Macgregor stepped away from the Yngling, moved back to helming putting her talents to good use in the match racing arena. The two time National Champion and current European Champion has set her sights on 2012 and has quickly put together a campaign that has seen her win and take 2nd in Grade 1 events in Germany and Portugal respectively, and now qualify GBR for the Nations Cup Grand Final in Brazil, March 2009.
Performances like this have seen Lucy and her team leap to 13th and top British helm in the recently updated World Match Racing Rankings despite only 5 from a potential 8 race results counting, this is hoped to be improved even further when the Rankings are next updated at the end of this month. What’s more impressive is the range of boats that they have mastered to achieve these results from the small and lightweight First 7.5 to the purpose designed, much larger, Swedish Match 40.
As well as the Match Racing Team Macgregor has also illustrated their versatility in fleet racing where they were top female boat at the J24 World Championships in Sardinia.
The team’s next match racing event will be the Rolex Osprey Cup in St Petersburg, Florida 21st–25th October.
