Bermuda
International Women's Match Racing Championship
- Day 2: Paula Lewin Remains Undefeated
HAMILTON,
BERMUDA (October 19, 2003) – Bermuda’s
Paula Lewin/Team ACE continued her winning ways
today on Hamilton Harbour by collecting two straight
wins to remain undefeated in the Bermuda International
Women's Match Race Championship, an ISAF grade
1 event. Despite spending the past year traveling
the world with her Olympic Yngling campaign, Lewin
proved that she is still at the top of her match
racing game by defeating two of the world’s
most accomplished skippers, Betsy Alison/Team
Challenge US (USA) and Jenny Axhede/Team Panorama
(SWE).
"We’re
very pleased with our results," said Lewin.
"We had some tough matches and things went
our way."
Axhede
lost only one race, to Lewin, and handily defeated
Elizabeth Kratzig/Team Kaenon (USA), who now sits
with two wins, two losses.
"We
had a good start against Paula," said Annika
Carlunger, speaking on behalf of Jenny Axhede.
"Then the tiller got caught and we had two
penalties. We took the first but were so far behind
and couldn’t get back to her."
Alison,
a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, suffered
two defeats today, the second to Kratzig. Alison
controlled the pre-start, pushing Kratzig over
the line early and leading around the racecourse.
On the second downwind leg, Alison mistakenly
shot past the leeward mark toward the finish line
and quickly realized that the course was six legs,
not four as in the previous flight. Kratzig took
advantage of the opening, rounded the mark and
stretched to win the race.
"It’s
been a long week and we’ve only been sailing
two days," laughed Alison, who received the
day’s ‘Bacardi O’ award for
the gaff. "I guess we forgot how to count.
We sailed to the finish, had to turn back and
go around the leeward mark, which wasn’t
fast. We’re not slow by any stretch and
we’re having a great time."
Texan
Deborah Willits won her matches, the first against
Sandy Hayes (USA) and the second against Sally
Barkow/Team Seven (USA). Barkow convincingly beat
Klaartje Zuiderbaan in the first match of the
day, handing the Dutch team their fourth straight
loss.
Racing
continues through Tuesday in International One
Design class sloops.
The
top four highest scoring skippers in the Round
Robin will qualify for the Semi-Final Round, which
is scheduled for Tuesday, with the Final Round
to follow. The winner and runner-up will advance
to round one of the Investors Guaranty™
Presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup (October
22-26), the second event of the Swedish Match
Tour 2003/04, where they will compete for another
$100,000 in prize money.
Title
sponsor of the King Edward VII Gold Cup is Investors
Guaranty™. The event is hosted by the Royal
Bermuda Yacht Club and the Bermuda Department
of Tourism. Renaissance Reinsurance is the Presenting
Sponsor. Primary Sponsors are Bacardi, Colorcraft,
Continental Airlines, Coral Beach & Tennis
Club, Horizons Resort, Oleander Cycles, Omega,
The Waterloo House and Wedgwood.
BERMUDA
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
Preliminary
Results: Day 2, October 19, Four flights of Round
Robin:
Skipper,
Hometown, Win-Loss Record
Paula Lewin/Team ACE (BER), 4-0
Jenny Axhede/Team Panorama (SWE) 3-1
Deborah Willits (USA) 3-1
Sally Barkow (USA) 2-2
Elizabeth Kratzig (USA) 2-2
Betsy Alison (USA) 1-3
Sandy Hayes (USA) 1-3
Klaartje Zuiderbaan (NED) 0-4
Round
Robin
Results:
Flight
3, Match 1
J. Axhede def E. Kratzig
S. Barkow def. K. Zuiderbaan
P. Lewin def. B. Alison
D. Willtis def. S. Hayes
Flight
4, Match 1
E. Kratzig def. B Alison
D.
Willits def. S. Barkow
S.
Hayes def. K. Zuiderbaan
P.
Lewin def. J. Axhede
