U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship to be hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club

The 2015 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship (USWMRC) will be hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, CA, August 14-16. Eight teams will compete for the Allegra Knapp Mertz and the Adams Memorial trophies. The winning skipper will also be awarded coveted invitations to the 2015 Women’s International Match Racing Series Buddy Melges Challenge and the 2015 U.S. Match Racing Championship along with a travel grant to offset costs for the qualified team.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) has promised exceptional hospitality for the sailors including housing, great food, warm weather and well-maintained boats, the recipe for a solid match racing regatta. NHYC’s Gov Cup 21 keelboats, which will be sailed with three or four total crew at a maximum weight of 272 kg, will present a unique challenge for the competitors because all of the qualifiers will be sailed in larger keelboats. However, skippers can use the free pre-regatta clinic on the practice day (August 13) to get up to speed in the boats. NHYC hosted the U.S. (Open) Match Racing Championship in 2011 and looks forward to welcoming the ladies in August.

The Invitation Committee of the US Sailing Match Racing Championships Committee will issue invitations to the qualifiers and Finals. Invitations to the USWMRC Finals will be issued to the highest placing eligible female skipper at each of the below qualifiers, the 2014 US Women’s Match Racing Champion, and one invitation will be given to a team that is unable to compete at the qualifiers. The Invitation Committee will fill any remaining vacant spots at Finals after the qualifiers. The Notice of Race and links to request invitations to these events can be found here:
www.ussailing.org/racing/championships/adult/womensmatchracing

Racing days for the remaining USWMRC Qualifiers:

St. Francis YC May 23-24, 2015
Chicago Match Race Center May 30-31, 2015
San Diego YC June 13-14, 2015
Annapolis YC June 20-21, 2015

*Mayor’s Cup is fully subscribed

After a couple years of rebuilding in the Post-Olympic Women’s Match Racing Era, the USWMRC has rebounded and organizers expect healthy demand and participation again. Last year’s USWMRC at Oakcliff Sailing was well attended with 48 sailors competing in Oakcliff’s Match 40’s. 2014 also marked the first time that a travel grant accompanied the prize invitations. Madeline Gill’s team accepted the grant to compete in the WIM Series Buddy Melges Challenge last September and Nicole Breault’s team accepted a grant to compete at the US Match Racing Championship last October.

Women’s match racing has been a breeding ground for talented American female sailors, and the USWMRC specifically has featured many of them over the years. Six out of nine of this event’s previous winners have been US Sailing Rolex Yachtswomen of the year, and many of their crewmembers have represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games. Furthermore, over the last five years barring a handful of months, at least one American female skipper has occupied a spot in the top five ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Rankings. Currently US female skippers hold five spots in the top 40 ISAF World Rankings, including number three: Stephanie Roble.

For more information about the USWMRC, visit the Championship homepage

US Sailing Women’s Match Racing Representative: Karen Butler, karenbutler@san.rr.com

Previous Winners:

2014 Stephanie Roble (East Troy, WI), Maggie Shea (Chicago, IL), Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, MD), Martha Pitt (Newport, R), Hollister Poole (Falmouth, ME), Elizabeth Shaw (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

2013 Jennifer Wilson (Chicago, IL), Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI), Krista Paxton (Royal Oak, MI), Sandi Svoboda (Grosse Pointe Park, MI), Katherine Pettibone (Sacramento, CA)

2012 Genevieve Tulloch (Sausalito, CA), Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, DC), Stephanie Roble (East Troy, WI), Margaret Shea (Chicago, IL)

2011 Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI), Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham (Miami, Fl), Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, SC), Amanda Callahan (Portsmouth, RI)

2010 Genevieve Tulloch (Sausalito, CA), Karina Vogen Shelton (Watsonville, CA), Alice Manard (Charleston, SC), Lindsay Bartel (Annapolis, MD)

2009 Genevieve Tulloch (Sausalito, CA), Chafee Emory (Newport, RI), Elizabeth Hall (Portsmouth RI), Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami Fl), Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, SC)

2008 Anna Tunnicliffe-Funk (Plantation, Fla.), Liz Bower (Norfolk, Va.), Ali Sharp (Missoula, Mt.), Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.)

2007 Liz Baylis (San Rafael, Calif), Cory Sertl (Rochester, NY) and Suzy Leech (Simsbury, CT)

2006 Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.), Lindsay Bartel (Bayport, N.Y.), Kelly Hand (Vancouver, Canada),Chantal Legler (Montreal, Canada)

2005 Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI), Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, NY), Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, VA), Lee Icyda (Newport, RI).

2004 Cory Sertl (Rochester, NY), Pease Glaser (Long Beach, CA,) Jody Swanson (Buffalo, NY), Debbie Probst (Fort Wayne, IN)

2003 Liz Baylis (San Rafael, CA,) Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, MD), Karina Shelton (Watsonville, CA), Aimee Hess (Alameda, CA)

2002 Betsy Alison (Newport, RI), Lee Icyda (Newport, RI), Suzy Leech (Avon, CT), Dini Hall (Providence, RI)

See more at: http://www.ussailing.org/racing/championships/adult/womensmatchracing/previous-winners/#sthash.DXufaDbj.dpuf