Women's weekend

Entries lining up well for the UK Women's Open Keelboat Championship on 4-5 July

According to the the Royal Southern Yacht Club, entries for the 2009 Women’s Open Keelboat Championship are shaping up well, with several top level sailors and a charity boat sailing to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care. The event is taking place over 4-5 July.

Top level sailors who have already entered their boat for the Women’s Open Keelboat Championship 2009 include Louise Morton on her quarter tonner Espada, keen to return this year to defend the superb custom made trophy which she won at the inaugural event in 2008. “Close IRC and sports boat racing on fantastic courses set by the Royal Southern Yacht Club led to a really enjoyable and worthwhile racing event on the water” she says. “The prizes for the crews are amazing too - heaps of Dubarry kit to cover winners of all the races! Dubarry have new lines out this year and we are looking forward to seeing the new ranges.”

But the title is by no means in the bag for this year. Other entries include Lucy Burn (fresh from her 4th place in the RYA Women’s Olympic Class Match Racing qualifiers) helming Kirsty Apthorp’s J/109 J-Dream and Becky Walford has entered Jahmali jointly with Sarah Wallis.

Team Breast Cancer Care will also be taking part, owned by Gillian Ross, a consultant oncologist from the Royal Marsden hospital in London. Gillian’s J/109 Jambahla was placed 2nd overall to J-Dream in the recent J/109 Western Solent Championship, so there is some exciting racing ahead. Gillian said “I am really looking forward to racing our J/109 at this event and once I found out that the event’s chosen charity was Breast Cancer Care it seemed an obvious match to help raise funds while taking part. We have set up a WOKC Breast Cancer Care Justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/gillianross4 as my crew will be sailing to raise funds from their families and friends as well as from other boats and for the event in general.”

Sarah Allen will also be entering WOKC 2009, fresh from her success at Warsash recently where she won the Spring Championship and the Founders Salver and came second in her class overall in the Warsash Spring Series.

A new J/97, managed by Sally Pike who will head the championship sponsor team Coffin Mew in association with J-UK, will also be on the start line. Sally is looking forward to getting on the water, believing that as championship sponsor Coffin Mew need to be out competing with everyone else.

Tickets are selling fast for the Frocks and Flipflops party in the evening (contact the Royal Southern Yacht Club). The WOKC team are looking forward to another busy weekend full of excellent racing and socialising! See www.wokc.co.uk