First lady

Katie Archer comes out top of the pile at the RYA Ladies National Match Racing Championships

Katie Archer, 24, returned to match racing in style by winning the RYA Ladies National Match Racing Championships (9/10 September) after a break from the duelling while graduating in Medicine at the University of Southampton.

Archer, used to close tactical racing given her three BUSA Team Racing Championship wins, brought together a crack team in Victoria Rawlinson (Yngling sailor and also now a qualified Doctor from Southampton), Rosie Geyman, Kate Fairclough, and Hannah Kemlo.

Archer commented, "We had a great event at the Ladies Nationals, brilliant match racing against some great competition. All of the top girls were here.” Sailing for the first time together as a team the girls excelled in what were at times breezy conditions. “We had the added bonus of racing against the boys teams because the event was combined with the second qualifier,” explained Archer. “We’re hoping the extra practise will help us when it comes to the finals in October.”

The event, held in the RYA’s fleet of J/80s, was run alongside the RYA Match Racing Qualifier 2. It was Southampton University’s Nick Cherry, seeded 50th on the Match Racing Rankings, who dominated this event. Currently out in Germany at the Match Racing Europeans he will be hoping to continue his UK circuit success with a win at the National Finals, to be held in Weymouth on the 8-10 October.

Not wanting to be outdone by his girlfriend (Archer) John Greenland, also a University of Southampton graduate, dominated the RYA Match Racing Qualifier 3, again held in Weymouth (16/17 September).

“I’d not match raced since the development weekend in the JP Morgan Series back in February, so I set myself up with a great crew to try and give myself a good chance,” commented Greenland after the victory. Sailing with international match racing umpire Craig Mitchell, Alfa Romeo and Offshore Challenges sailor Craig Bowie, and the top international bowman Andy Oliver, Greenland was in good hands.

“We had some good close races at the event,” concluded Greenland. “Probably our best matches were in the semi-finals against Mark Lees. I’ve raced against him in Fireflies team racing lots before, so it was good to have a close battle with him in the J/80s.”

Both Archer and Greenland are expected to be at the finals. “It’s going to be interesting if we’re in the same round-robin group,” said Greenland. “We normally sail together so it’ll be a change to go against Katie in pre-start.”

Archer and Greenland sailed together on John Shepherd’s new Ker 46 Fair Dos for the IRC Nationals and Rolex Commodore’s Cup earlier this year. With Archer doing tactics and Greenland at the wheel they proved an impressive team. “It’s good fun, we seem to work well together,” commented Archer. “We finished second at the IRC Nationals which was really the first proper inshore test for the boat and crew. We worked out the teething problems and managed to finish top boat at the Rolex Commodore’s Cup - which was our goal all along.”

Having previously won the IRC Nationals with Jerry Otter’s IMX40 Exabyte 2 the team are clearly a veritable combination for Solent racing.

With Shepherd planning a busy schedule of racing for 2007 the pair hope to join forces again with a view to refining a team ready for the 2008 Commodore’s Cup.