Tunnicliffe wins in Calpe

XII International Calpe Women's Match Race Criterium concludes

Anna Tunnicliffe today beat defending champion France's Claire Leroy, in the final of the XII International Women's Match Race Criterium in Calpe, 3-1. Spain's Tamara Echegoyen made it to the semifinals, but in the petit finale was beaten by Australian Katie Spithill.

One of the semi-finals was a wholly Anglo-Saxon affair, with the Spithill facing Tunnicliffe in a very even battle, that went all the way to the fifth race the US women's team were able to gain a small lead at the start that they maintained all the way to the finish line.

In the other semi-final, Claire Leroy's French crew faced Tamara Echegoyen's Spanish girls. In this the French won the opening match but the Spanish quickly answered the second race. In the third Claire Leroy didn't make even the tiniest mistake and crossed the finish line ahead by a good margin. Yet it was the fourth match that proved Leroy's abilities in the start box and her experience in maintaining the control throughout the legs, earned her her berth in the final.

The final again went to five matches, the first going to Anna Tunnicliffe's team, the second to Claire Leroy's thanks to her decisively winning the start. The third match was the closest and went to the Americans as did the final one, and so it was that the US crew succeeded in earning their first title at the Calpe XII Criterium Internacional Femenino.

Final results:

1 Anna TUNNICLIFFE United States
2 Claire LEROY France
3 Katie SPITHILL Australia
4 Tamara ECHEGOYEN Spain
5 Anne-Claire LE BERRE France
6 Margarita CAMESELLE Spain
7 Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN Denmark
8 Camilla ULRIKKEHOLM Denmark
9 Silke HAHLBROCK Germany
10 Klaartje ZUIDERBAAN *(OH 10) Holland
11 Samantha OSBORNE New Zealand