Locals strong at WIM Series Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland (June 26, 2018) – The 2018 WIM Series opened in sparkling conditions for the first day of racing at the Helsinki Women’s Match. Thirteen flights were sailed by the thirteen teams in the beautiful sunshine.

A fairly steady southwesterly breeze made it easy for the race committee, led by French International Race Officer Anne Mallédant, to bang off races at a quick pace throughout the long midsummer day.

Local sailor Marinella Laaksonen and her L2 Match Racing Team finished the first day undefeated with 5 wins and no losses. “Everything worked very well on the boat – communication, maneuvers, and speed,” notes Laaksonen. “We have sailed three big events – two here in Helsinki and one in Gothenburg – already this spring which has helped us work well as a team.”

Another team that caught the attention of the spectators as well as their fellow sailors today was one of the new teams on the WIM Series – NZ Match skippered by Celia Willison finishing the day with 4 wins including a win over 2017 WIM Series Champion, Pauline Courtois. Although this is the team’s first time at a WIM Series event, match racing at the international level is not new to them.

“We have sailed international events on the youth and open circuits, but this is our first all-women’s event as a team and we’re having a great time,” Willison said when asked about their team’s successful first day in Helsinki.

“With only half of the round robin racing completed, it is way too early to see any clear cup favorites, so there is still much to play for tomorrow to see which teams will move on to the quarter-finals,” said Liz Baylis, WIM Series Race Manager, after a successful first day.

The Helsinki Women’s Match, held June 26 to 29, is raced in the J/80 Class with the first two race days to have a full round robin where eight teams advance to the knockout stage. The final and petite final will be raced on Friday June 29.

Results after day 1 of the round-robin:
1. Marinella Laaksonen, L2 Match Racing Team, FIN, 5 – 0
2. Trine Palludan, Team Kattnakken, DEN, 5 – 1
3. Johanna Bergqvist, Team Bergqvist Match Racing, SWE, 5 – 1
4. Antonia Degerlund, Team Sköna Vibbisar, FIN, 5 – 2
5. Celia Willison, NZ Match, NZL, 4 – 2
6. Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 4 – 3
7. Allie Blecher, Team BAAM!, USA, 3 – 3
8. Sanna Häger, Stockholm Match Racing Team, SWE, 2 – 3
9. Jassi Skogman, Team Skogman, FIN, 2 – 4
9. Margot Vennin, Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 2 – 4
11. Margot Riou, APCC Women Sailing Team, FRA, 2 – 5
12. Sanna Mattsson, Swedish Women’s Match Racing Team, SWE, 0 – 5
13. Hanna Ericksson, Peregrine Racing, SWE, 0 – 6

WIM Series – Event details – Results – Facebook

Teams Competing in the 2018 Helsinki Women’s Match:

Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team
Pauline Courtois, Maëlenn Lemaître, Louise Acker, Nathalie Corson , Sophie​ Faguet – France
Current World Sailing Ranking: 2

L2 Match Racing Team
Marinella Laaksonen, Daniela Rönnberg, Camilla Cedercreutz, Henna Holopainen, Eva-Lotta Hokkonen – Finland
Current World Sailing Ranking: 4

Team Kattnakken
Trine Palludan, Lea Richter Vogelius, Josefine Boel Rasmussen, Vivi Lund Møller, Joan Vestergård Hansen – Denmark
Current World Sailing Ranking: 5

Team Bergqvist Match Racing
Johanna Bergqvist, Isabelle Bergqvist, Johanna Thiringer, Ellinor Hansson, Fanny Edgren – Sweden
Current World Sailing Ranking: 7

Team Sköna Vibbisar
Antonia Degerlund, Carla Westersund, Janina Hallberg, Disa Långström, Lisa Gerkman – Finland
Current World Sailing Ranking: 9

Stockholm Match Racing Team
Sanna Häger, Karin Bäckström, Beata Törneman, Klara Häger, Karin Flinkenberg – Sweden
Current World Sailing Ranking: 11

Team Skogman
Jassi Skogman, Julia Jaatela, Tua Jaatela, Katariina Aarnio, Roosa Wederhorn – Finland
Current World Sailing Ranking: 16

Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team
Margot Vennin, Marie Zugolaro, Clotilde Ponçon, Jeanne Lebouvier, Sophonie Affagard – France
Current World Sailing Ranking: 18

Swedish Women’s Match Racing Team
Sanna Mattsson, Niki Blässar, Sarah Rosell, Therese Berg, Louise Lindkvist – Sweden
Current World Sailing Ranking: 19

APCC Women Sailing Team
Margot Riou, Clémentine Hilaire, Marion Ledoux, Pétronille Lauzeral, Tiphaine Ragueneau – France
Current World Sailing Ranking: 20

Team BAAM!
Allie Blecher, Beka Schiff, Katja Sertl, Abby Featherstone, Meg Six – USA
Current World Sailing Ranking: 41

NZ Match
Celia Willison, Charlotte Porter, Paige Cook, Erica Dawson, Alison Kent – New Zealand
Current World Sailing Ranking: 44

Peregrine Racing
Hanna Ericksson, Susu Kukkonen, Sara Edholm, Charlotte Eklund, Raisa Räisänen – Sweden
Current World Sailing Ranking: unranked

2018 WIM Series Schedule
June 25-29: Helsinki Women’s Match – Helsinki, Finland (J/80)
August 6-11: Lysekil Women’s Match – Lysekil, Sweden (Fareast 28r)
August 14-18: Women’s Match Racing World Championship – Ekaterinburg, Russia (Ricochet 747)
October 30-November 3: Swiss International Women’s Match – Ascona, Switzerland (J/70)
November 29-Decenber 2: Carlos Aguilar Match Race – St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (IC 24)

Source: WIM Series