Ladies First!
At 2003 Swedish Match Cup
STAMFORD,
CT (June 30, 2003) – The Swedish Match Cup,
the final event on Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003,
kicked off its tenth anniversary today with eight
of the world’s best female match racers
commencing competition in the Swedish Match Cup
women’s class.
Filling
out the women’s draw this year are Sweden’s
Marie Bjorling, the top-ranked women’s match
racer in the world; Sweden’s Malin Millbourn,
recently crowned Women’s Match Racing World
Champion; Denmark’s Lotte Meldgaard-Pederson,
reigning Nordic Match Racing champion; Betsy Alison
of the USA, a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the
Year and 1998 Match Racing World Champion; Bermuda’s
Paula Lewin, sixth in last year’s Bermuda
Gold Cup main draw; France’s Claire Leroy,
an up-and-coming match racer who is also training
for the Olympic Yngling competition; Malin Kallstrom
of Sweden, a finalist in the Swedish Match Cup
women’s class in 2001 who is making a return
to racing following maternity leave; and Denmark’s
Annette Strom, a former member of three-time world
champion Dorte Jensen’s crew, now helming
her own entry.
After
the first day of racing, Betsy Alison, Marie Bjorling
and Malin Kalstrom all stand on top with three
wins apiece, while Malin Milbourn and Anette Strom
have two wins each.
The
Swedish Match Cup women’s class resumes
action Tuesday morning.
Day
1 Results
Flight
1
Meldgaard-Pedersen
def. Lewin
Bjorling
def. Alison
Millbourn
def. Leroy
Kallstrom
def. Strom
Flight
2
Alison
def. Lewin
Kallstrom
def. Millbourn
Bjorling
def. Medlgaard-Pedersen
Strom
def. Leroy - DSQ
Flight
3
Bjorling
def. Millbourn
Kallstrom
def. Medlgaard-Pedersen
Lewin
def. Strom
Alison
def. Leroy
Flight
4
Strom
def. Bjorling
Leroy
def. Meldgaard-Pedersen
Alison
def. Kallstrom
Millbourn
def. Lewin
For
all the latest news and information about the
Swedish Match Tour, visit www.swedishmatchtour.com.
About
the Swedish Match Tour
·
The Swedish Match Tour is comprised of nine of
the world's leading professional sailing events
and is proving to be the ultimate battleground
of sailing.
·
In addition to more than US$800,000 in individual
event prize money, the Swedish Match Tour awards
US$200,000 to the top eight sailors on the Swedish
Match Tour, with the first-place skipper netting
US$60,000.
·
In addition to a US$60,000 first prize, the winner
of the Swedish Match Tour receives the official
Swedish Match Tour Championship Trophy, 15"
(30 cm) high with 22 carat gold gilding, produced
by Swedish Match Tour sponsor Wedgwood. Additionally,
Wedgwood supplies runner-up prizes for second
and third places as well as commemorative plaques
to each event organizer.
·
The Swedish Match Tour produces 155 hours of television
coverage reaching more than 427 million households
worldwide.
·
Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match,
Octagon and the Match Race Association.
·
Swedish Match Tour sponsors include Colorcraft,
Champagne Mumm, Musto, Selden and Wedgwood.
