Level pegging

Three wins each for Alison, Björling and Källström at women's match racing in Marstrand

Alison, Björling and Källström Have Three Wins Each
- unusual conditions with clouds and northeasterly winds

The tenth edition of the Swedish Match Cup started with the first flights of the women’s round robin. Clouds and northeasterly winds had the sailors wondering if they were really in Marstrand – since the first week of July usually means sunshine and westerly breezes.

"No, I’ve never met these particular conditions in Marstrand and I have been sailing here a lot," laughs Malin Källström, who did a good job winning three out of four races.

American Betsy Alison put in the same scoresheet today beating Malin in a tight last match in the afternoon. Malin had a good enough lead after the first tack but then she
broke a rule blocking Alison rounding the leeward mark and got a penalty. After that Alison took the lead and won the match.

"We came to Marstrand early this morning after having sailed Yngling during the Kieler Woche, so I’m quite pleased with our results today. I’m glad to be sailing with my well co-coordinated team and I feel that we have made a good start," said Alison.

"I’m not entirely happy with the umpires’ decision but that’s nothing to dwell on now," Malin says noting that one more win should get them a place in the semi-finals. "We ought to be able to do that now that things have calmed down on board. During the first match we were almost too eager and there were some raised voices."

Title defender Marie Björling also has three wins today. She beat in turn Betsy Alison, Danish Lotte Melgaard-Pedersen and reigning world champion Malin Milbourn from Stockholm but then she lost against the lowest ranked competitor Anette Ström from Denmark.

"That was the match we really ought to have won but Anette was simply too tough for us today," Björling states without seeming too disappointed. "Now we look forward to tomorrow. The meteorologists have promised very strong winds and that’s where a well functioning team work becomes essential. Since we have quite a lot of sailing experience in these boats we should have an advantage over the competition."

The Swedish Match Cup continues tomorrow, Tuesday, with the remaining matches of the women’s round robin to decide who goes on to the semi-finals.

Results after four of seven flights in the women’s round robin:
Betsy Alison, USA 3-1
Marie Björling, GKSS, SWE 3-1
Malin Källström, GKSS, SWE 3-1
Malin Milbourn, KSSS, SWE 2-2
Anette Ström, DEN 2-2
Claire Leroy, FRA 1-3
Lotte Melgaard-Pedersen, DEN 1-3
Paula Lewin, BER 1-3