WIMRA / North U Women’s Match Racing Clinic

28 Women and 4 Men from around New Zealand graduated the Women's International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) Introduction to Match Racing Clinic, supported by North U.

Instructors Liz Baylis (USA) and Katie Spithill (AUS) arrived in Auckland on Thursday and hosted the 3 day Match Racing Clinic held over the weekend in the Squadron's Fleet of Elliott 6m training boats. Liz won the Women's Match Racing World Championships in 2002 and Katie was the runner up at this year's Women's Worlds held in France.
This clinic comes at the perfect time to promote the New Zealand Women's Match Racing Championships, hosted by the RNZYS from 7 - 9 Match 2008. Plus the Squadron won the bid to host the Women's Match Racing World Championships in 2008.

ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships

The team is now back in NZ after a hectic few days of racing and travelling.
The team had a great week's racing and are happy with our performance at our first ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships. Next years event is to be held at the RNZYS in Auckland, from 1-6 April 2008 and we're looking forward to improving on our performance, sailing on home waters and in our own boats.
We'd like to thank all our supporters and wish to give special thanks to the RNZYS, Georgia Racing, Configure Express, the Gear Locker and the NZ Community Trust.
Final Results:
Placing Skipper Current ISAF Ranking Nationality
1st Clare Leroy 1 FRA
2nd Katie Spithill 11 AUS
3rd Lotte Meldgaared Pedersen 2 DEN
4th Josie Gibson 12 GBR
5th Klaartje Zuiderbaan 4 NED
6th Christelle Philippe 9 FRA
7th Silke Hahlbrock 3 GER
8th Jessica Smyth 16 NZL

2007 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championships

This event is due to start in France tomorrow. The NZ team are looking forward to getting on the water. Follow the link to the event website here.

2007 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships

There is only one week to go until the commencement of the 2007 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships, where Jessica Smyth's RNZYS team will be representing New Zealand.

The event will be held from 6th-11th August in St Quay-Portrieux, France, and will be sailed in Beneteau First Class 8 type yachts.
Twelve of the top international women's match racing teams will go head to head in an attempt to take home the prestigious trophy.

The RNZYS crew consists of Jessica Smyth (helm), Aimee Famularo (mainsheet), Miranda Powrie (trimmer) and Anna de Fluiter (bow). They have gone from strength to strength over the three years they have been together and are now ranked 16th on the international women's ranking list.

The team received their invitation while in Sydney competing at the Harken International Women's event earlier this year where they placed second overall. Since then the team has been training regularly as a build up to the women's match racing world championships.

When asked how they felt about this event, Smyth responded "We are very excited to be invited to compete at this event and feel honoured to be representing New Zealand."

"With this event being held in Auckland in April 2008, it's a great opportunity for us to be racing against the worlds best. We hope to gain entry to represent New Zealand at this event next year in home waters."

The team is very grateful for all the support they have received and wishes to thank the RNZYS, Georgia Racing, Configure Express and the
NZ Community Trust. Results and further information on the event are
available on the official website:
http://maiarmor.free.fr/wwmr/

Girls go sailing

Ten women got a taste of wild weather sailing as part of Yachting NewZealand's  Women on Water initiative a couple of weeks ago. Aboard Penny Whiting's teaching vessel, 'Endless Summer', they jumped in the deep end and learnt how to sail over two days in breeze of up to 43 knots. WOW's goal is to increase participation in sailing.

Matchracing for Olympic discipline?

Hi Ladies,

We need your support to encourage and influence the thought process of those members of ISAF who are involved in the decision making as to which classes/disciplines are to be included at the 2012 Olympic Games.

You've all been involved with women's keelboat sailing and/or match racing at a national or international level and most of you would've seen the letter on the WIMRA site from Henry Menin, an ISAF representative who is strongly in favour of introducing the women's match racing event in 2012 (www.wimra.org - under 'news' if you haven't). I recommend that you all read his letter as he brings up key points which will help to strengthen our cause.

Here are some of the key points and statistics:

• 35% growth in women's match race regattas in one year from 2005 to2006 (37 in 2005 - 50 in 2006)
  

• 200 women on the Women's Match Race Ranking List compared to 54 on the Women's Keelboat Ranking List

• We expect that there will be more women's match racing events in 2007 than there were in 2006.

He also mentioned some exciting projects on the horizon such as the development of a women's worldwide match racing tour similar to the open Match Racing World Tour, and the continuation of the Nations Cup event with coaching clinics at each event.

Henry has recommended that as many of us as possible send letters showing our thoughts and feelings towards match racing, in particular towards the inclusion at the Olympics in 2012. He has recommended that we get in contact with the following influencial people at ISAF:

Adrienne Greenwood - Chair of the ISAF Women's Sailing Committee adrienne@greenwood.co.nz

Fiona Kidd - Women's Representative to the ISAF Council fiona.kidd@designvision.com

You may also like to CC your letter to our Oceania Representatives:

Joe Butterfield - Council Member for Group L (South-West Pacific) joe@footes.co.nz

David Tillett - Council Member for Group L (South-West Pacific) dtillett@dbh.com.au


The next ISAF Council Meeting to be held is the Mid-Year Meeting which will be held from the 4th - 6th May (less than 2 weeks away!). If you could spare the time to send a short letter/email to the above contacts, expressing your interest in women's match racing and suggesting that it be considered seriously for inclusion for the 2012 Olympic Games, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Kind regards,

Aimee Famularo

P.S. Please forward this to any women or influencial people that I may have missed. The more support we can show, the better!

Dawson gives fleet a trouncing

It doesn't seem like so long ago that Jan Dawson was one of the new sailors on the scene, getting to grips with her MRX and keelboat racing. This weekend she took a very convincing victory in the 2007 Zenza Women's Keelboat Nationals. With a crew that hadn't sailed together much, if at all, the pin was almost pulled days before the regatta, she said in her 'victory speech' at RAYC's prizegiving last night. Sally Garrett placed second and last year's winner, Karleen Dixon, placed third.

Conditions couldn't have been much better for those favouring light to medium airs: both mornings started under a prolonged AP flag, and the breeze on both days kept the committee boats and navigators busy, with many course changes to keep up with the fluctuating breeze.

The MRX fleet still offers the very best one design racing and the boats are very highly valued and appreciated by all of the competitors. Where we would be without them, we don't know.



ED'S NOTE: As for Team Mel Rossaak (pictured above), we had a great time. Two race wins and a range of mid fleet placings weren't enough for a regatta placing, but racing was close and challenging. Sailing under the Ponsonby Cruising Club's banner, with support from both Clinic 42 and Expedition, we spent as much of the regatta having a good giggle from the rail (as girls are prone to do) as we did in full race-mode, and we probably spent more time chosing team uniforms in the regatta build up than on the water sailing. My legs are black and blue with bruises.

Will Dixie keep her title?

The Women’s Keelboat Nationals take place this weekend.

Tash Paget of organising club RAYC says that skippers include defending champ, Karleen Dixon and previous winner Amber West. "The competition looks tough this year with several crews who have spent months training for the regatta, and some big names in NZ Women’s Yachting competing."

Up to 12 races will take place over Saturday and Sunday on the Waitemata Harbour, with prizegiving back at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club as soon as possible after racing on Sunday.

Prizes this year are sponsored by Zenza, Crew.org.nz, ASB, Random House NZ, Chelsea and Lion Nathan.

It's a rare occurrence for your editor to go sailing these days but she'll be there this weekend sailing with Mel Rossaak. Thanks to Expedition (navigation software that even women can use) and Clinic 42 (something we'll need sooner rather than later if this weather keeps up) for their generous sponsorship of our team.

Top Girls

There are six confirmed entries for the Women's Keelboat Nationals, happening at the end of this month: Jan Dawson, Louise Burgess, Nicola Walkey, Amber West, Sally Garrett and Mel Rossaak. At least one more is needed to make this event a reality. Think you've got what it takes to get seven crew together and compete in the MRX fleet? This is a fast and fun regatta that makes for an awesome weekend's sailing. See you there.