NZL Women's Match Racers finish second at Buddy Melges Challenge

Samantha Osborne, Raynor Smeal and Susannah Pyatt have placed second at the 2010 Buddy Melges Challenge, Lake Michigan, USA among a fleet of top international sailors.

The Women’s Match Racing event, sailed in the Olympic class Elliott 6 metre yachts, has just finished at Lake Michigan after four days of racing. The NZL Sailing Team crew has come in ahead of big name sailors including Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), Katie Spithill (AUS) and Sally Barkow (USA).

The kiwis came up against Australia’s Nicky Souter in the final after steaming through the initial three days of racing to qualify top of the quarter finals.

This well attended regatta is a lead-up event to the 2010 Women’s Match-Racing World Championships which are on in Newport, Rhode Island between September 20th and 25th. At Lake Michigan the women have been in the three-handed Elliott 6 metre (the 2012 Olympic equipment), while later this month the World title will be decided in the Sonar, requiring one extra crew.

Fellow sailor Jenna Hansen has been coach to the crew in Lake Michigan, and will step into the boat to complete the four person complement required for the Sonar at the World Championships in Newport later this month.

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