Women's match racing

Invitations to Bermuda Worlds to be based on 22 June ISAF rankings

The invitation list for Royal Bermuda Yacht Club’s ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship scheduled for October 2005 will be based on the June 22 release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings for Women.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club have previously announced that the Championship will be sailed prior to the King Edward VII Gold Cup 15-18 October 2005 instead of June as originally planned. Rankings chosen for invitations have also been changed from January to June to keep the lead-time before the match the same.

Invitations will automatically be sent to the top ten ranked women as of the June 22nd ISAF ranking release. If any of the top ten do not accept their invitation within the time limit specified, invitations will be issued to the next ranked woman or women on the list. The other two slots will be offered to last year’s ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship winner and another woman sailor selected by Bermuda’s National Authority, the Bermuda Sailing Association.

To assure that the women will be familiar with the boats, the organisers have chosen to sail the event in J/24s. This decision should prove popular among the women since most sailors are familiar this established international class. The boats will be suited with new sails and rigging to assure they are well matched for world championship competition.

Historically, the first and second placed finishers of the International Women’s Match Racing event that the world’s replaces have been given an automatic entry to the Investors Guaranty presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup. This right will now transfer to the champion and runner-up in the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship who will compete in this Grade 1 open match race tournament.

The Opening Ceremony for the Women's Worlds will be Friday October 14 and the Prizegiving is on Tuesday October 18th. The Gold Cup Qualifier matches in International One Design Class boats (IOD) and Women's Worlds using J24's will be sailed simultaneously with no breaks... all run in four days.

The Gold Cup itself will be sailed in IODs from Thursday the 20th through Sunday the 23rd with its own appropriate party and prizegiving. There will be eight seeded teams matched against six from the Qualifier Series and the champion and runner-up from the ISAF Women's Worlds.