Women’s match racers arrive in town for Harken event

Pam Scrivenor and Jennifer Crooks/CYCA

Posted: 10  Mar. 2010

Nicky Souter and Katie Spithill at Harken prize giving - Andrea Francolini

Some of the best women’s match racers from Australia and New Zealand shared flights across the Tasman, flying from Auckland to Sydney following the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship and are ready for the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

The highest ranked skipper, Samantha Osborne (RNZYS), arrived yesterday, and is looking forward to taking on the Australian’s again after finishing in third place behind Katie Pellew (Spithill) and Nicky Souter in the Auckland event.

Last year’s winner, Souter (third in the World Rankings) and fellow Australian Sailing and Development Squad member Pellew (fourth World Ranked), have stayed on in Auckland after a unique invitation was extended to take up crew positions in the Louis Vuitton Regatta starts today.

Five international teams have entered in the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which started yesterday (Tuesday) with a training session in the Elliott 6s. These are the boats that will be used at the 2012 Olympic Games in the inaugural women’s match racing event.

Four Kiwi teams from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club make up 40 percent of the entries. Osborne, with an ISAF World Ranking of 17, is the highest ranked. Stephanie Hazard (RNZYS) is Ranked 48th, Danielle Bowater (RNZYS) and Anita Trudgen (RPNYC).

Kim Stuart from Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay, USA, has also arrived via the New Zealand event and is at the event for second consecutive year.

The Australian Sailing Development Squad has three teams entered skippered by Lucinda Whitty (RSYS), Jessica Eastwell (RPAYC) and Olivia Price (CYCA).

Whitty is in winning form having won back-to-back Marinassess Women’s Match Racing titles (her latest title came at the end of February) and is the second highest rated skipper with an ISAF ranking of 18.

Josie Roper and Keats Thomson will represent the host club, the CYCA, having qualified through the Marinassess Regatta in late February.

“It’s Harken’s commitment to assisting the talents of up and coming sailors that led to the association with the CYCA,” said Carl Watson, Managing Director Harken Australia.

“With this being our sixth year as a regatta sponsor, the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta has a tradition of being a great showcase for talent that promises to continue this year with its high calibre of sailors that the regatta attracts.

“Many promising young sailors have gone onto further their sailing careers after competing in this regatta. We are pleased to continue our long-standing sponsorship of the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy in 2010.”

Vice Commodore and Chairman of the Training and Development Committee Howard Piggott said “It’s pleasing to see the calibre of crews entered into this year’s Harken Women’s International Match Racing regatta. I look forward to watching the Pan Pacific -Tasman battle unfold over the course of this week.”

“The CYCA gratefully acknowledges the ongoing sponsorship from Harken of this regatta, women’s match racing and the Youth Sailing Academy,” Vice Commodore Piggott said.

Racing commences today from 10.15am in the vicinity of Rushcutters Bay, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting S/SE winds of 15 to 20 knots. The event will conclude on Saturday 13 March when the finals will be completed.

Live results will be available on: http://www.cyca.com.au/editorial.asp?key=4259

For a list of competing teams log on to: http://www.cyca.com.au/sysfile/downloads/harken10comp.pdf

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