Rahm continues to lead

At the conclusion of the first set of round robins in the Lysekil Women's Match in Sweden

Linda Rahm from the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club continues her success during the races on Friday in the Lysekil Women's Match, finishing the round-robin with ten excellent victories and just one loss.

Perfect wind conditions finally appeared, and in addition to the 30 round robin matches, two Pro Am races with the sponsors were also sailed. Rahm's fellow club member Marie Björling and her Team Panorama ended up in second place with eight victories and three losses, the same result as French Claire Leroy and Dane Lotte Meldgaard-Pedersen:

"We really had good races today and are pleased to finally have good wind conditions, but we are not really content with the result of today," Meldgaard-Pedersen said.

"The spectators on the rocks should be pleased with today's races, because we really showed some excellent match racing," adds Marie Björling. In the beginning of all her races Björling was behind, but managed to win all her matches except the first light wind race against the American Sally Barkow.

Linda Rahm and her crew in Team Koncentra - Johanna Särnå, Erika Arnoldsson, Suzanne Nyberg, Susanne Ivarsson and Anna Bjurström - continued their excellent performance beating world stars as American Elizabeth Kratzig, Australian Katie Spithill and the French sailors Christine Briand and Claire Leroy.

"We really had good starts, but also very tight fights," says Linda giving her crew credit for their contribution. "Every time I make a little mistake at the helm they compensate immediately. The crew work is just perfect!"

Claire Leroy, like most of the skippers, prefered the stronger and more consistent winds during the afternoon. "If there is enough wind I would be happy to sail another round-robin. Otherwise I think we should go directly into the semi finals, she comments.

For Malin Källström and her Team Tuve Bygg it was a tough Friday afternoon with no victories at all. She finished the round-robin on sixth place with six wins and five losses. Källström lost the very last race on Friday evening with a few centimetres to Dane Nina Braestrup, fifth in he round-robin with a 7-4 scoreline.

"We sailed fairly well during that race, but our tactics failed totally during the last downwind leg," Källström says, hoping for more wind during Saturday's racing, to ensure she makes it through to the next stage of the competition.

The Lysekil Women's Match continues during Saturday with the next round-robin
for the first six crews. If there is a lack of wind, the race committee may choose to go directly into the semi finals. If so, Källström and Braestrup will not make it through. The semi-finals will be finished on Sunday morning, with the finals sailed Sunday afternoon.

Results after the first round-robin in Lysekil Women's Match. The first six crews will continue racing in the next round-robin:

1. Linda Rahm, SWE/Team Koncentra, 10 wins - 1 loss
2. Marie Björling, SWE/Team Panorama, 8 - 3
3. Claire Leroy, FRA, 8 - 3
4. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN/Team Gerimax, 8 - 3
5. Nina Braestrup, DEN, 7 - 4
6. Malin Källström, SWE/Team Tuve Bygg, 6 - 5

7. Christine Briand, FRA, 5 - 6
8. Marie Fauré, FRA, 4,5 - 6
9. Sally Barkow, USA, 4 - 7
10. Katie Spithill, AUS, 2 - 9
11. Elizabeth Kratzig, USA, 2 - 9
12. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 1 - 10

Lysekil Women's Match has a SEK 400 000 (EUR 43 000) prize purse - the largest match racing event for ladies in the world. 12 of the most skilled women match racing skippers are competing in this event, arranged by Sailnet Lysekil AB and the local Lysekil Yacht Club.

Official event host is oil company Preem, with Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden, Rybergs Charkuteri AB, Nobel Biocare, Castellum, Santa Maria and the municipality and the trade centres of Lysekil as partners.