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Laurie Jury and Claire Leroy win the 2011 IASF Nations Cup in challenging final day conditions
Sheboygan, WI (September 19, 2011) – Open division Laurie Jury (NZL) and women’s divison Claire Leroy (FRA) won the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final in racing marked by strong winds and big waves on Lake Michigan.

Sunday’s conditions were brisk, with a strong onshore southeast 15- to 18-knot breeze with gusts to 20, and the seas built to 3 to 6 feet, with larger breaking waves roaring through the starting area, putting boat handling at a premium. “I was so impressed with how well the sailors handled the conditions, especially Claire in the final pre-start,” said Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio, who also took his fair share of green water over the race committee boat. “It was incredible boat-handling by the sailors in the breaking waves.”

Claire Leroy (FRA, crew Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou) went 3-0 against Rita Goncalves (POR, crew Mariana Lobato, Diane Neves) in the women’s division, sailed in Elliott 6m’s. This is the third straight Nations Cup win for Leroy, a first in event history.

“We weren’t sure how well we would sail, with Elodie recently injured during training in Chicago,” Leroy said. “It was important for us to do well in the race, but to win was the cherry on the cake.”

“It was breathtaking, but really demanding conditions. I was very impressed with how well the sailors handled the boats in the rough conditions,” said ISAF President Goran Petersson, who watched the final racing on the water. “It is really unique in the history of the Nations Cup to have a three-time winner. Very well done for Claire.”

Leroy appreciated the rough conditions that may be similar to those found in Weymouth, Great Britain, during the 2012 Olympics. “We expected the lake to be light air, not like an ocean,” Leroy said. “We learned a lot about sailing the boat in heavy weather.”

Heavy weather picks up the pace of match racing tactics and raises the stakes for penalties, making them easier to incur and harder to clear because the competition stays so close, which were revealed in the final race of the open division.

With a 2-1 lead going into race four of the open division sailed in Sonars, Jury (crew Logan Frasier, Mike Edmonds) sailed clean while top-seeded Mads Ebler (DEN, crew Soeren Toender, Chris Keene Boye) was able to clear his first penalty, but received another at the final top mark during a luffing match. Jury was able to sail ahead to the finish to win.

“We are really excited to have won the Nations Cup. It is our first Grade 1 win,” said Jury, who is on a match racing streak, winning the U.S. Grand Slam Match Race Series consisting of four grade two events. “It was really tough to get here. We had to win against the best top-ranked New Zealand and Australia match racers.”

In the Petit Final for third and fourth place, Olivia Price (AUS, crew Lucinda Whitty, Nina Curtis) won 2-1 over Mandy Mulder (NED, crew Merel Witteveen, Shannan Marck) in the women’s division. In the open division, it was Henrique Haddad (BRA, crew Mario Trindade, Victor Demaison) 2-0 over Lucy Macgregor (GBR, crew Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor).

“We are very pleased with how well Sail Sheboygan, Sheboygan Yacht Club and the City of Sheboygan prepared for this event,” said Henry Menin, Chairman of the ISAF Match Racing Committee. “It was superb conditions, and the equipment held up so well in the challenging conditions. It is an example to other organizations on just how to run a match racing event.”

“I was very impressed how much the community was able to watch the races. Not many places can do that,” Petersson said. “Every one was so nice in Wisconsin. When you come down to it, it is about the people who make a successful sailing program and event.”

A closing ceremony awarding the Nations Cup trophies was held at Blue Harbor Resort in the afternoon. “We congratulate the winners of the Nations Cup,” Sail Sheboygan Executive Director Richard Reichelsdorfer said. “Every race organizer hopes for great conditions and great competitors. We had both.”

Nations Cup finals set: Jury vs. Ebler, Leroy vs. Goncalves
Sheboygan, WI (September 17, 2011) – Laurie Jury (NZL) will face Mads Ebler (DEN) in the open division and Claire Leroy (FRA) will face Rita Goncalves (POR) in the women’s division in the finals of the Nations Cup Sunday.

The four finalists emerged after a nearly perfect day of sailing in beautiful conditions on Lake Michigan, with 15-knot southeast breezes and surfable waves just off the coast of Sheboygan.

Fantastic competition marked each of the four semifinal pairings with incredibly close racing putting a premium on tactics and penalties in most matches.

Olivia Price (AUS, crew Lucinda Whitty, Nina Curtis) was seeded first after the round robin and chose to sail against Goncalves (crew Mariana Lobato, Diane Neves) in the women’s division, sailed in Elliott 6m’s. Price knocked off two wins in the best-of-five series, but Goncalves, in a do-or-die situation, won the next three races to qualify for the finals.

“Yesterday was a very good day for us and we wanted that to continue today,” Goncalves said. “We were more focused and we’ve been working hard on our teamwork and communication on the boat and I think that made the difference. The waves were huge and the wind was quite strong so at times it was difficult conditions.”

In the second women’s semifinal, two-time Nations Cup winner Claire Leroy (FRA, crew Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou) won the first two races against Mandy Mulder (NED, crew Merel Witteveen, Shannan Marck) before Mulder came back in the third race to stay alive. Leroy won the next race, qualifying for the finals and giving her the chance to become a three-time Nations Cup winner tomorrow.

In the open division, sailed in Sonars, top-seeded Mads Ebler (crew Soeren Toender, Chris Keene Boye), who went undefeated in the round robin chose to sail against Henrique Haddad (BRA, crew Mario Trindade, Victor Demaison) in the semifinal. Ebler suffered his first defeat of the regatta in the second race match but quickly came back to win the next two matches.

In the second open semifinal, Lucy Macgregor (GBR, crew Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor) had a challenging day in the strong winds and high seas against the heavier team led by Jury (crew Logan Frasier, Mike Edmonds), with Jury’s team going 3-0.

“We were heavier and that made us a little faster upwind and we were able to get off the starting line a little faster,” Jury said of today’s racing.

The skipper said he is looking forward to facing Ebler tomorrow. “We lost to him in the round robin but we feel we made a few mistakes in that race so we’re looking forward to having another crack at it tomorrow.”

With a crowd of spectators both on the water and on shore, Saturday’s racing was both the most exciting and most watched of the regatta.

“Today was a fantastic day on the water,” said Antonio Gonzalez de la Madrid, the International Sailing Federation technical representative in Sheboygan for the event. “The racing was very exciting and very close. What more could we ask for? This is what ISAF is looking for in a Nations Cup venue, it’s a beautiful place hosting just a great event.”

Racing at Sail Sheboygan’s Lake Michigan facility concludes tomorrow with the finals in each division. Similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow. A closing ceremony awarding the Nations Cup trophies will be held at Blue Harbor Resort in the afternoon.

Eight teams advance to Nations Cup semifinals
Sheboygan, WI (September 16, 2011) – Rita Goncalves (POR) and Henrique Haddad (BRA) each won their repechage rounds to qualify to move onto the Nations Cup Grand Final semifinals, to be sailed Saturday. The skippers and their crews join three other teams in each division that advanced to the semifinals Thursday.

Friday’s conditions—a light southeasterly breeze that forced race officials to delay the first start until about 1 p.m.—were a marked change from the previous two days of racing that featured moderate to heavy winds and choppy seas.

In the open division, the semifinal berth came down to the wire in a race between Haddad (crew Mario Trindade, Victor Demaison) and Shawn Bennett (USA) who went into the final match tied with two wins each. Przemek Tarnacki (POL) finished with one win and Peter Wickwire (CAN) was winless in the round.

Goncalves (crew Mariana Lobato, Diane Neves) went 3-0 in the women’s division repechage round robin. Genny Tulloch (USA) won two races, Juliana Senfft (BRA) won one race and Ru Wang (CHN) was winless in the round.

Following the repechage, sail-offs to determine placing from fifth down were held, and the most exciting race of the day was held during this round when Bennett and Tarnacki battled it out. Bennett drew a foul in the prestart and managed to pass Tarnacki going upwind. At the top mark, the teams went into a dial-up that carried them well past the mark. Bennett was able to break free and lead for the rest of the race, but still had to complete his penalty turn. His team was managed to get the turn in right at the line and cross just feet in front of Tarnacki for the win.

Jason Bemis, President of Sail Sheboygan, which is hosting the event at its facility optimized for match racing, said the competition has been even better than anticipated.

“We’ve had spectacular weather all week that has made for some great competition,” Bemis said. “Today we had a little bit of a slow start but the breeze finally switched to the southeast and built for some great afternoon racing. Tomorrow’s forecast looks good and we expect a large spectator fleet to be on hand for some fierce competition in the semifinals and finals.”

Placements for those not moving onto the semifinals are:

Open Division (sailed in Sonars):
5th Shawn Bennett (USA, crew Dave Perry, Craig Healey)
6th Przemek Tarnacki (POL, crew Lukasz Wosinski, Maciej Zieminski)
7th Stratis Andreadis (GRE, crew Stelios Sotiriou, Theodoros Polychrondis)
8th Peter Wickwire (CAN, crew Tim Bishop, Matt Christie)
9th Yasar Celal Tumse (TUR, crew Canberk Karahan, Berk Can Biren)

Women’s Division (sailed in Elliott 6m’s):
5th Genny Tulloch (USA, crew Alice Manard, Jenn Chamberlin)
6th Juliana Senftt (BRA, crew Gabriela Sa, Luciana Kopschitz)
7th Ru Wang (CHN, crew Pan Ting Ting, Li Xiao Ni)
8th Sharon Ferris-Choat (CAN crew Caroline Kaars Sijpesteijn, Joanne Prokop)
9th Katarzyna Pic (POL Antonina Zoltowska, Monika Kordek)
10th Dominique Provoyeur (RSA Penny Alison, Caitlin Moore)

Racing continues Saturday with the start of the semifinal round.

Ebler and Price at stop of standings after round robin
Sheboygan, WI (September 15, 2011) – Mads Ebler (DEN, crew Soeren Toender, Chris Keene Boye) continued his domination of the open division in the Nations Cup Grand Final Thursday as Olivia Price (AUS, crew Lucinda Whitty, Nina Curtis) won all of her Thursday matches to top the women’s division at the end of the round robin sailed on Lake Michigan.

In the nine-team open division, Laurie Jury (NZL, crew Logan Fraser, Mike Edmonds) and Lucy Macgregor (GBR, crew Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor) tied with six wins each, securing their places in the semifinals with Ebler.

Shawn Bennett (USA, crew Dave Perry, Craig Healey), Henrique Hadded (BRA, crew Mario Trindade, Victor Demaison) and Przemek Tarnacki (POL, crew Lukasz Wosinski, Maciej Zieminski) each finished the round robin with four points. Peter Wickwire (CAN, crew Tim Bishop, Matt Christie) finished with 3 points. The four teams will sail in the repechage tomorrow to determine the fourth semifinalist.

In the 10-team women’s division, 2009 Nations Cup winner Claire Leroy (FRA, crew Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou) and Mandy Mulder (NED, crew Merel Witteveen, Shannen Marck) each finished the round robin with seven wins. Price, who also moves to the semifinals, lost only to Mulder during the round robin.

Leroy said her team had a challenging day on the water.

"It was a hard day for us today," she said. "Our speed was off and we had a penalty in the prestart in our first race with Olivia Price. In our second race against Mulder we had a good start but she sailed in a good shift in our tacking duel and gained the advantage for the rest of the race. We won our last races against Genny Tulloch and Juliana Senfft. We have qualified for the semis on Saturday and look forward to a day off tomorrow to rest, shop and explore Sheboygan."

Juliana Senfft (BRA, crew Gabriela Sa, Luciana Kopschitz) finished the round with six points and Genny Tulloch (USA, crew Alice Manard, Jenn Chamberlin) and Ru Wang (CHN, crew Pan Ting Ting, Li Xiao Ni) each had five points. Rita Gonçalves (POR, crew Mariana Lobato, Diane Neves) finished with 3 points. The four teams will sail in the repechage, with the winner going on to the semifinals.

Following the repechage, sail-offs for fifth through eighth places will be held in each division.

A brisk northerly wind made for good, if chilly, sailing Thursday.

Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio said was happy with how the regatta has gone so far.

“We’ve been really lucky with the weather so far,” Reggio said. “We pushed a little harder than some people might have liked yesterday but you have to sail when you have the breeze.”

Reggio commended the volunteer corps assisting the race committee. “I love coming to Sheboygan because these guys do a great job and they just love it. They are almost rabid with their enthusiasm.”

For Wickwire, sailing for the first time in Sheboygan has been a pleasure, he said.

“The racing has been a bit difficult for us as this is our first Grade 1 event but we are feeling very fortunate to be in the repechage sailing for a chance in the semifinals,” he said. “We have nothing but great things to say about the facility at Sail Sheboygan and we’ve just been treated with outstanding hospitality from everyone, including the locals who’ve come down for some of the events.”

Light wind is forecast early in the day Friday, so the race committee has said there will not be a start before 10 a.m. Light southwest winds are expected to increase toward afternoon.

Ties at top of leaderboard in first day of Nations Cup racing
Sheboygan, WI (September 14, 2011)– Ties at the top of both divisions marked a full day of challenging sailing at the first day of sailing in the Nations Cup Grand Final Wednesday.

In the open division, Mads Ebler (DEN) and Lucy Macgregor (GBR) were tied at the top of the leaderboard with five points each, but Macgregor sailed one more race than Ebler. In the women’s division, three teams were tied with five points each: 2009 Nations Cup winner Claire Leroy (FRA), Julianna Senfft (BRA) and Mandy Mulder (NED).

Moderate to strong northwest winds varied from 10 to 17 knots throughout the day, and shifts up to 30 degrees put a premium on course positioning.

One of the most exciting matches of the day was a dogfight between Ebler, ranked eighth in the world, and Macgregor, second in the women’s match racing rankings.

“They were close tacking the entire time and Lucy was to leeward, tacked onto starboard a bit too close and there was contact so she got a penalty,” said Henry Menin, deputy chief umpire. Macgregor attempted to draw a penalty from Ebler going downwind but he launched a classic defense to her attempt to double jib and Macgregor got her second penalty. “It was all pretty great stuff,” Menin said.

In the women’s division, sailed in Elliott 6m's, Senfft and Genny Tulloch (USA) sailed a match so close they exchanged leads right down to the finish line.

“I didn’t know until they crossed the line who was going to win the match,” Menin said. “They were just powering down with some really nice wind with the lead going back and forth.”

For many of the sailors it was their first time competing in Sheboygan, home of host Sail Sheboygan.

“We haven’t done much freshwater sailing and we are impressed with the shorter chop conditions and with the Elliott 6m,” South African skipper Dominique Provoyeur said. “The wind today has been fresh and the Elliott 6m is a very physical boat. We love the challenge and we love Sheboygan. It’s a great little town to explore.”

For Ebler, sailing the Sonar, the boat used for the open division, was a new challenge.

“This is a completely new boat for us,” he said. “It is much heavier than boats of similar size like the J/22 or J/80. So far so good, and we have won all races today.”

Race organizers plan to finish the round robin Thursday. Moderate northerly breezes and slightly bigger waves are forecast.