Weather tested the tactical skills of the 12 international teams who raced the first full round robin’s flights 12 through 19 on the second day of racing in the 2018 Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) Finale, hosted at the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR).
Reading wind shifts correctly proved advantageous to French skipper Pauline Courtois and she and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team of Maëlenn Lemaître, Louise Acker and Sophie Faguet remain undefeated and in the lead on Day 2.
For others, like Swedish skipper Johanna Bergqvist and her Bergqvist Match Racing Team, it meant the chance for a come-from-behind victory.
“In one race today, we were a few boat-lengths behind our competitor. We told ourselves to stay calm and stay close to our opponent because anything can happen,” Bergqvist said.
“We kept our eyes on looking for wind, and sure enough, were able to take the next shift to get ahead and win,” added the Swede, who now racing with crew Isabelle Bergqvist, Beata Törneman, Johanna Thiringer.
Bergqvist and her team are currently second overall behind Courtois with seven wins and only one loss to the Netherland’s Renee Groeneveld’s Dutch Match Racing Team.
“We’re looking forward to finishing the round robin and take it from there as to what teams we’ll be facing hopefully in the semi-finals,” Bergqvist ended.
Looking ahead to Saturday, it is Courtois, Bergqvist, Sweden’s Anna Ostling and France’s Margot Vennin, who are strong contenders to move into the quarter finals.
Racing continues starting at 9am local time.
Match racing is sailed in identical boats around a short course, providing fast action close to the crowds on shore.
The CAMR is a World Sailing (WS)-provisional Grade One event. The format will feature a full round robin of all teams followed by knockout quarterfinals for the top 8, then knockout semi-finals, petit-finals and finals. Racing continues Friday at 9am local time.
Standings after 19 Flights in Round Robin
1. Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 8-0
2. Johanna Bergqvist, Team Bergqvist Match Racing, SWE, 7-1
3. Anna Östling, Team Anna, SWE, 7-1
4. Margot Vennin, Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 6-2
5. Renée Groeneveld, Dutch Match Racing Team, NED, 8-3
6. Margot Riou, APCC Women Sailing Team, FRA, 5-3
7. Octavia Owen, Athena Racing, GBR, 5-6
8. Janel Zarkowsky, As One, USA, 4-7
9. Morgan Collins, Caribbean Wind Racing, USA, 3-8
10. Helena Nielsen, Team Nielsen, SWE, 2-9
11. Linnea Floser, Peregrine Racing, SWE, 1-7
12. Sanna Mattsson, Swedish Women’s Match Racing Team, SWE, 1-10
