Americans take early lead at Busan Cup

Busan, Korea (October 28, 2015) – The Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race kicked off Wednesday with tricky winds and some current on the waters just off of Haeundae Beach. Epic Racing (USA), leaders of the Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series), mastered the delicate conditions well, posting four wins and just one loss.

“The starts were especially challenging, but my crew did a fantastic job. They crushed it today,” smiles Maggie Shea, substituting for regular skipper Stephanie Roble at the Korean event.

After a 1.5 hours postponement early Wednesday morning waiting on a sail repair, racing in the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, the fourth and final event of the 2015 WIM Series, got underway. The waters just off of the stunning and crowded Haeundae Beach, offered winds that changed a lot in both strength and direction, with some big holes on the course. With a little current added, the formula for challenging and exciting racing definitely was at hand.

“It was really shifty and really puffy,” noted Shea. “I made a few errors and lost a boat length or two in some situations, but my crew were able to get us back with trimming, boat speed and boat handling. Each race could have gone either way at some points, but they executed what we wanted. We certainly miss Steph. I have an appreciation now for how hard it is to drive these big boats.”

World #1 and WIM Series titleholder Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby is trailing Epic Racing, 7 points behind in the Series’ standings. The Danes won one match less than the Americans this first day of racing in Busan, but are still confident.

“There are many races to go, so we’re not worried,” says the Danish skipper. “The first races in a new boat are always a bit difficult, but I think we did quite well in the shifty breeze. I made a stupid mistake in one of the prestarts, but apart from that I’m not very disappointed.”

Swedish World #6 Caroline Sylvan is racing with a partly new crew for this regatta, and lost her initial races against Ulrikkeholm Klinkby and Shea, but followed up with three straight wins after that.

“It seems like we needed a couple of races to get going, but now everything works fine and we’re happy with our first day here in Busan,” explains Sylvan. “We’re trying to have fun, taking one race at a time and learning a lot from every situation.”

Fellow Swede Anna Östling, Katie Spithill of Australia and French Anne-Claire Le Berre raced just two matches each today, but they all managed to win both. This trio is now the only undefeated teams in the event.

Standings in the round-robin of the Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race
(skipper, nationality, wins – losses)
Maggie Shea (substituting for Stephanie Roble), USA, 4 – 1
Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 3 – 2
Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 3 – 2
Anna Östling, SWE, 2 – 0
Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 2 – 0
Katie Spithill, AUS, 2 – 0
Pauline Courtois, FRA, 2 – 3
Denise Lim, SIN, 2 – 3
Renée Groeneveld, NED, 0,5 – 3
Milly Bennett, AUS, 0 – 2
Diana Kissane, IRL, 0 – 2
Sung Eun Choi, KOR, 0 – 2

WIM Series website – Busan Cup – Facebook – Twitter

The Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race marks the conclusion of the Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) 2015 season. With the rich prize pool of USD 100 000 for the event and USD 40 000 for the WIM Series, there is a lot for the sailors to be fighting for. Racing in K30s is scheduled on October 28 – November 1. The trophy for the WIM Series overall winner – The Terry J. Kohler Perpetual Trophy – is named after US businessman Terry Kohler, a long-time proponent and supporter of women’s match racing.

Standings in the 2015 WIM Series, after three stages out of four (skipper, nationality, WIM Series points):
1. Stephanie Roble, USA, 67
2. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 60
3. Anna Östling, SWE, 55
4. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 53
5. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 41
6. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 30
7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 26
8. Lotte Meldgaard, DEN, 25
9. Juliana Senfft, BRA, 21
10. Renée Groeneveld, NED, 16
11. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE, 14
12. Katie Spithill, AUS, 14
13. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 13
14. Diana Kissane, IRL, 12
15. Annabel Vose, GBR, 10
15. Milly Bennett, AUS, 10
17. Louise Christensen, DEN, 6
18. Morgan Wilson, USA, 4
18. Sanna Häger, SWE, 4
20. Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 0
20. Johanna Larsson, SWE, 0
20. Nina Ramm-Schmidt, FIN, 0

About the Women’s International Match Racing Series
The Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) is the first and only professional sailing series for women, hosted by the Women’s International Match Racing Association and joined by the world’s leading women match racing sailors. Match racing is sailed in two identical boats around a short course, providing fast action close to the crowds on shore.

The intense racing is just as exciting for the spectators as it is strategically, tactically and physically challenging for the competing crews. An overall prize purse of 40 000 USD will be distributed by the WIM Series at the final event in Busan, Korea, in addition to the prize money at each of the four events included in the 2015 WIM Series

2015 WIM Series (date, event name, location, boat type):
* July 8 – 12, ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, Middelfart, Denmark, Match 28.
* August 3 – 8, Lysekil Women’s Match, Lysekil, Sweden, DS 37.
* September 16 – 20, Buddy Melges Challenge, Sheboygan, USA, Elliott 6.
* October 28 – November 1, Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race, Busan, Korea, K30.

Report by Event Media