News

Elizabeth Kratzig Wins ROLEX WOMEN'S MATCH, an ISAF Grade 4 Women's Event

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (April 12, 2005) - Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami Beach, Fla./Corpus Christi, Texas) won the Rolex Women's Match, hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club (St. Petersburg, Fla.) from April 7-10 on Tampa Bay. Sailing with Kratzig in the International Sailing Federation Grade 4 match racing event were 2004 Olympic Silver Medallist Lenka Smidova (Czech Republic), Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Liz Hall (Bristol, R.I). Ten teams completed 79 matches in two and one half days of round robin racing in Sonar keelboats, which was preceded by a two-day skills and rules clinic with match racing expert Henry Menin (St. Thomas, USVI). Kratzig and second-place finisher Chafee Emory (Newport, R.I.) gain automatic invitations to the Rolex Osprey Cup, an ISAF Grade 1 match racing event scheduled for October 27 - November 1, 2005.

"St. Petersburg Yacht Club always puts on the best women's match race regattas," said Kratzig, who is also the 2003 Rolex Women's Match champion. "The event is so well organized. The racing and competition is of the highest caliber and all of the volunteers and members of the yacht club are so friendly. The Rolex Women's Match and the Rolex Osprey Cup in late October are the two most fun women's match racing events on the US circuit. I always love to come and race in St. Petersburg!"

Principal Race Officer and co-organizer Pat Seidenspinner commented on the racing conditions, "The racing was challenging, especially on Saturday when the wind was 10-15 knots from the northwest with large, unpredictable shifts lasting a minute or less. On Sunday we were blessed with a steady 10-knot easterly that slowly diminished throughout the morning."

Other participating skippers include: Kristin Britt (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Louise Bienvenu (New Orleans, La.), Arabella Denvir (Irvington, Va.), Chafee Emory (Newport, R.I.), Kathy Lundeen (Sheboygan, Wisc.), Sue Mc Dowell (Bay Village, Ohio), Karen Park (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Rachael Silverstein (St. Petersburg, Fla.), and Nancy Zangerle (Chardon, Ohio).

Organizers of the Rolex Women's Match are Tom Farquhar (who also served as an umpire) and Pat Seidenspinner (both St. Petersburg); Chief Umpire was Barbara Farquhar (St. Petersburg) with umpires: Anders Otto (Seattle, Wash.), Ann Newton (Ozona, Fla.), Peter Shrubb (Hamilton, Bermuda), Tom Rinda (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Serge Jorgensen (Sarasota, Fla.), Jim Walsh (Brick, N.J.) Donna Hobbs (Glastonbury, Conn.), Colin Park (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass.).

Results are posted on St. Petersburg Yacht Club website www.spyc.org and the Rolex Women's Match website www.rolexwomensmatch.org.

Results: Final
Racing April 7-10
Overall Finish, Skipper, Hometown, Crew
1. Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami Beach, Fla./Corpus Christi, Texas), Lenka Smidova, Carrie Howe and Liz Hall
2. Chafee Emory (Newport, R.I.) with crew Brandy Wood, Jamie Haines and Tara Thomas
3. Rachael Silverstein (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with crew Kaylyn Brickey, Kristin Herman and Abby Ethington
4. Sue Mc Dowell (Bay Village, Ohio) with crew Debbie Gibbs, Laura Dunn Goldberg and Bev Keeler
5. Kristin Britt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with crew Alyson Dagly, Kelley Simpson and Allison Schnur
6. Arabella Denvir (Irvington, Va.) with crew Jessamine Lewis, Trisha Birkenstock and Jessica Lord
7. Nancy Zangerle (Cleveland, Ohio) with crew Mary Cay Tylee, Mary Jordan and Debi Schoenherr
8. Kathy Lundeen (Sheboygan, Wisc.) with crew Denise Strand, Robyn Barnett and Sue Michos
9. Karen Park (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with crew Renee Athey, Kathy Bush.
10. Louise Bienvenu (New Orleans, La.) with crew Michelle Hitter, Janice Griglack and Tirza Dabdoub