Hazard (RNZYS - Yellow) vs Osborne (RNZYS-Green) flying their kites during Day 2 of Harken Women's International Match Racing Regatta Andrea Francolini

Some of the world’s best women’s match racers from Australia and New Zealand shared flights across the Tasman, flying in from Auckland following the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship.  The highest ranked skipper in the regatta, Samantha Osborne (RNZYS) arrived yesterday, and is looking forward to taking on the Australian’s again after finishing in third place behind Katie Pellew and Nicky Souter in the Auckland event. 

Last year’s winner Souter and fellow Australian Sailing and Development Squad member Pellew have stayed on in Auckland after a unique invitation was extended to take up crew positions in the Louis Vuitton Regatta that starts today.

Five international teams have entered in the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which begins today Tuesday 9 March with a training session in the Elliott 6s.

Four New Zealand teams from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club make up 40% of the crews competing in the regatta. Osborne is the highest ranked skipper who is currently placed 17th in the ISAF Women’s Match Racing rankings and will be joined by fellow New Zealanders Stephanie Hazard (RNZYS, currently ranked 48th), Danielle Bowater (RNZYS) and Anita Trudgen (RPNYC).  

Kim Stuart from Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay, USA, has also arrived via the New Zealand event and sails in the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta for the second consecutive year. 

The Australian Sailing Development Squad has three teams entered skippered by Lucinda Whitty (RSYS), Jessica Eastwell (RPAYC) and Olivia Price (CYCA).  Whitty is in winning form having won back to back Marinassess Women’s Match Racing titles and is the second highest rated skipper with an ISAF ranking of 18. Josie Roper and Keats Thomson will represent the host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, having qualified through the Marinassess Regatta in late February.

“It is Harken’s commitment to assisting the talents of up and coming sailors that led to the association with the CYCA,” said Carl Watson, Managing Director Harken Australia. “With this year being our sixth year as a regatta sponsor, the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta has a tradition of being a great showcase for talent that promises to continue this year with its high calibre of sailors that the regatta attracts.

“Many promising young sailors have gone onto further their sailing careers after competing in this regatta. We are pleased to continue our long standing sponsorship of the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy in 2010,” concluded Watson.

Vice Commodore and Chairman of the Training and Development Committee Howard Piggott said “It is pleasing to see the calibre of crews entered into this year’s Harken Women’s International Match Racing regatta. I look forward to watching the Pan Pacific -Tasman battle unfold over the course of this week.”

“The CYCA gratefully acknowledges the ongoing sponsorship from Harken of this regatta, women’s match racing and the Youth Sailing Academy,” concluded Vice Commodore Piggott.

Racing commences on Wednesday 10 March at 1015hrs, in the vicinity of Rushcutters Bay, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting S/SE winds of 20 to 25 knots. The event will conclude on Saturday 13 March when the finals will be conducted. Live results will be available on http://www.cyca.com.au/editorial.asp?key=4259 from the commencement of the round robins.

For a list of competing teams log on to http://www.cyca.com.au/sysfile/downloads/harken10comp.pdf

By Pam Scrivenor & Jennifer Crooks