GBR Match Race Girls

Today’s schedule of 3 repechage races, 3 gold races and 3 silver races here at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, Holland, has been helped along by nicely by a 14–18 knot north-westerly, the first decent breeze we’ve had in the last three events.

This morning we kept a clean sheet after defeating Ekatrina Skudina (RUS), Anna  Kjellberg (SWE) and Sofia Bekatorou (GRE) in conditions we’ve been looking forward to since the European regatta season started! We’re currently leading the gold group round-robin as the only team on three wins, and are waiting to go and sail our final two gold fleet races.

Ally x

The breeze did not cooperate quite as well as yesterday here at the Delta Lloyd Regatta today. A long wait in the middle of the day meant many fleets didn’t get any racing in, however we were ‘lucky’ enough to get two races in this morning and our final race of the round robin later this afternoon in light and tricky conditions. Group C were sailing well into the evening, but now everyone has completed the first round robin.

Today our two wins against the teams of Silvia Roca (Spain) and Julie Bossard (France) and one loss against Anna Kjellberg (Sweden) has left us tied at the top of Group A, and although we’ve finished 2nd in our group on the tie-break more importantly it is enough to put us through to the gold fleet and a guaranteed place in the quarter finals. While Annie is umpiring in Sardina at the Louis Vuitton, Ally and I are working hard with Nicky getting used to sailing with each other so the gold fleet racing will be a perfect opportunity to refine some of that before the quarter final knock-out rounds.

Looking like a bit more breeze tomorrow, hope so at least!

Lucy x

4/4 wins for us on day 1 at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland.

Ally, Nicky and I are in Group A so were on first this morning on a very shifty and choppy course. Despite a few shaky moments where we were trying to get used to sailing together, we were pleased to finish with three straight wins in tricky conditions. However just when we thought we were done for the day at midday, an announcement was made that they would try and get us out again after the other two groups, so after a few hours wait and time for the breeze to build to about 15 knots we were out again to race the Brazilian team.

An even start led to a drag race to the windward mark and them just getting room on us for the rounding. A poor bear away from them allowed us inside on the hoist but we were not close enough to prevent them gybing at us on starboard so we had to match them and avoid their luff. Within a couple of lengths we were able to break the overlap and eventually had the slightly risky (but right!) option to gybe across them on port. Once reaching into the leeward mark clear ahead, we had a good drop and sailed away from there!

Tomorrow we’ll be on second to finish our round robin, its still close in all the groups so we’ll keep you posted!

Lucy x

Ally and I are just coming to the end of our first day in Holland where we’ve been practising today ready for racing starting tomorrow in the next round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup at the Delta Lloyd Regatta. Bit of a change this week though as Annie is not with us and instead we have Nicky Muller stepping in to the middle of the boat for the week.

While Annie is off ‘observing’ as part of the Umpire team at the Louis Vuitton Regatta in Sardina — a fantastic opportunity again to be on board with some of the most experienced match racers in the World — it gives Ally and I a chance to work on some of our more personal goals and in particular the communication between us.

It is another good line up for the fourth ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta here in Medemblik, Holland and we’re looking forward to the start of racing tomorrow!

Lucy x