Another win for Barkow

This time it is the US Women's Match Racing Championship in Fort Worth

Sally Barkow has won yet another major Championship title, one of eight she has earned this year. This time, it's US SAILING's U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship, which she sailed with crew Debbie Capozzi, Anna Tunnicliffe and Lee Icyda. Hosted by Fort Worth Boat Club, the event was raced in J/22s and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard.

The Championship was marked by trying weather conditions: race organizers had to abandon racing on Friday, the second day of the event, due to a lack of wind. On the final day, Saturday, abbreviated semi-finals (first to 2 points) and only one consolation round robin were sailed under cloudy skies with a south wind at 3-5 knots. In semi-final 1, Katy Lovell won the first two matches against Betsy Alison and Sally Barkow beat Liz Baylis in three matches to move into the final round.

In the final round, the wind began to shift way right, then way left before what little velocity they had completely shut off and the race committee was forced to sit and wait for the weather patterns to settle in. A shift to the north was predicted for the day, but unfortunately, there was too little time remaining for a complete final and petit-final round and only one match in each was sailed before the Race Committee made the decision to abandon. Barkow, who had won the first race in the finals, got to celebrate another major Championship win.

Just two months ago, Barkow won the Women's World Match Racing Championship title and climbed to third place in the International Sailing Federation's Women's World Match Race Rankings. The impressive list of Championships Barkow has won this year also includes the Yngling Women's World Championship, US Sailing's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship, Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, and US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR. A member of the 2005 US Sailing Team, Barkow is campaigning for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team - Sailing in the Yngling class.

By winning US SAILING's US Women's Match Racing Championship, Barkow has been presented with the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy and has qualified for a position at the Regional Finals for the International Sailing Federation's (ISAF) Nations Cup.

The U.S Women's Match Racing Championship is part of US SAILING's National Adult Championship series, sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information about these Championships, visit www.ussailing.org/championships or contact US SAILING's Championships Manager Liz Walker at championships@ussailing.org.

Final Top Three Results:
1. Sally Barkow, Debbie Capozzi, Anna Tunnicliffe & Lee Icyda
2. Katy Lovell, Deborah Willits, Ann Graham, Alice Manard
3. Betsy Alison, Sandy Hayes, Chafee Emory, Amanda Callahan