Semi-Finals set for U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship

Oyster Bay, NY (July 12, 2014) – The table is set for Sunday’s showdown at the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, hosted by Oakcliff Sailing. Saturday was a long day out on the water with many closely contested match-ups, as teams battled to be in position for Sundays semifinals.

Eight teams of six are racing in the Match 40 through Sunday for the right hold the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy.

The teams completed Round Robin 1 this morning and Round Robin 2 in the evening. The top four teams have advanced to Sunday morning’s semifinal knock-out series in a mad dash to stake claim to the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy.

Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.) collected 11 wins through 14 races and easily advanced to the semifinals. Joining Roble with 11 wins is Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.) who also advanced. These teams split their two Round Robin matches.

Placing third and fourth overall and moving on to the semifinals is Katie Maxim (Napa, Calif.) and Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass.), respectively. Roble will face Hayes and Breault will take on Maxim in two outstanding seminfinal match ups. The first to two points in each semifinal series advances to the finals.

Conditions were very light this morning with the breeze clocking at approximately 3 knots. A 180 degree southerly shift on West Oyster Bay Harbor provided more wind for the sailors later in the day. Wind speeds built up throughout the afternoon, ranging from 12 to 20 knots.

Crews changed from genoas to jibs before the 13th flight. The races were postponed for an hour late this afternoon.

Local sailor Madeline Gill (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) had this to say about the day’s conditions: “Racing today was typical of Oyster Bay with the sea breeze that filled in this afternoon. We had to adjust quickly from the light stuff earlier today to the heavier wind. It takes a while to make that adjustment. We were close to land on all sides, so there was some funny things happening out there today.”

Results: http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/8044#_newsroom
Event details: http://www.ussailing.org/u-s-womens-match-racing-championship-day-2-report

The winning skipper receives an automatic invitation to the 2014 U.S. Match Racing Championship, which will be sailed October 3-5, 2014 at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, Calif. and an automatic invitation to the 2014 Buddy Melges Challenge at Sail Sheboygan (Wis.) on September 23-28, 2014.

Report by event media.