The top brass of international women’s match racing are heading to Sydney in March for the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
The world’s four highest ranked female match racers will spearhead the competition as they gear up for their world championships in New Zealand in April. They and six other highly ranked teams will gather in Sydney pre-worlds to test their mettle in the grade 2 event that has attracted an outstanding line up from France, Denmark, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the UK.
Ten teams will take to Sydney Harbour aboard the CYCA’s Elliott 6 sports boats, warming up on Saturday 15 March with racing starting Sunday 16 March for the five-day regatta with the finals to be sailed in the Rushcutters Bay vicinity on Wednesday 19 March 2008.
For the Danish 35 year-old world number two, Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, this will be her first time competing on Aussie shores and she’s hoping to catch a glimpse of the country’s better known wildlife once she’s tackled the world’s best, France’s Claire Leroy, on the race track.
“We hope to see a shark but not when competing” Pedersen says.
“We do not have much time for sightseeing when in Australia since we will travel to New Zealand after the Harken event to prepare for the world championship.
“We hope to be able to go to the zoo and see a koala bear and a kangaroo, and the Opera House designed by a Danish architect. All in all we look forward to sailing down under”.
For the seven skippers who already have an entry card to the women’s world championship, it may be their last chance to train in the Elliott 6 class although some may contest the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship the week prior. For the three teams contesting the Harken Women’s International who are not yet on the starter’s list for the worlds, the best ranked skipper from this regatta will automatically qualify.
The 2008 event will mark the fourth year of Harken’s naming rights sponsorship with Harken Australia’s managing director Carl Watson promising it will be the “best yet”.
Regatta organiser Jenni Bonnitcha says the Harken Women’s International will for the first time offer Sydney boat owners and sailors a unique opportunity to see world class match racing right on the city’s doorstep.
“I encourage all Sydneysiders to take up front row positions to support their local teams lead by Samantha Boyd (CYCA), Katie Spithill (RPAYC) and Nicky Souter (RPAYC), and to be awestruck by the talent that will be on display,” says Bonnitcha. – Lisa Ratcliff
