The CYCA’s Amanda Scrivenor has finished third in the Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship which wrapped up on Port Phillip Bay this afternoon.
Scrivenor beat clubmate Sam Boyd 2-0 to claim third place however the two skippers were never more than two boat lengths apart in the best of three petite final.
With the minor placings decided, Katie Spithill and Nicky Souter went head to head this afternoon in a nail biting final and for the first time in at least three years, Spithill, the sister of famous America’s Cup helmsman James Spithill, beat Sourter 3-2.
After losing a day’s sailing on Sunday due to 30-knot plus winds on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, yesterday’s (Monday) early NW/W light and variable winds eventually strengthened and settled from a westerly direction, enabling the second round robin of 18 matches and the semi finals to be completed.
Katie Spithill and her RPAYC team, fresh from their second place in the Women’s World Match Racing Championship in Sweden, Nicky Souter and her Wild Oats team, also from Pittwater, and two teams from the CYCA, skippered by Samantha Boyd and Amanda Scrivenor, made it through to the semi-finals.
Boyd led the 11th ISAF world ranked Souter and Scrivenor led the third world ranked Katie Spithill around the course on occasion during the semis however they weren’t able to convert their lead into a race win and both went down 3-0, leaving them to battle each other in today’s light air for third and fourth places.
After sitting out on the water for the first hour after this morning’s scheduled 1015 start, the breeze ranging from 3 – 0 knots, the fleet was sent ashore to wait for the sea breeze to fill in. At 1130 the AP flag was brought down allowing the finals and petite finals to get underway.
Chief umpire Neville Wittey, a former Australian Olympic sailor, commented that the racing was extremely close throughout the regatta with the last race yesterday between Spithill and Scrivenor up to world standard.
“All the CYCA teams sailed really well. We were right in touch with the best in the world,” said a delighted coach Jenni Bonnitcha this afternoon.
“With our results here and our women’s squad about to start training on a Friday evening, the CYCA should be well represented when it hosts the grade 1 Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta next year,” Bonnitcha added.
The CYCA’s third skipper, Alex Ward finished sixth behind the host club’s team. – Lisa Ratcliff/Pam Scrivenor
Click here to view the final race on sailcam.tv
