Stena Match Cup Sweden takes on Olympic matchracing
Stena Match Cup Sweden takes on Olympic matchracing
World Match Racing Tour event, Stena Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand, has appointed the new Elliott 6 as the boat for the womens class. The decision to use the same racing boats as the Olympic Games in London 2012 will create a pinnacle event for womens match racing.
Womens match racing, which in the 2012 London Olympics will be sailed for the first time, has developed into the crown sailing class for women. The entry of the new Olympic racing class has already given a dramatic increase of elite sailing for women around the world. Therefore it is a natural step for Stena Match Cup Sweden to open up for the Olympic match racing class already in this years event.
The entry of the Elliott class for the women in Stena Match Cup Sweden will even further strengthen the premiere sailing event in Sweden, which already is a Word Championship event for male match racing skippers and teams, part of the World Match Racing Tour. Ten female teams will race the Elliott 6 at Marstrand this year, two Swedish teams, two Danish teams and six other international crews from altogether six nations. The teams have a crew of three; all of them are top stars in their countries in female match racing.
"This can become the breakthrough in racing for Swedish womens elite sailing. It will also increase participation from national teams with all its support and professionalism", says Stefan Rahm, director of the Swedish Sailing Federation.
The two Swedish teams will be lead by the two star skippers Anna Kjellberg, the new born star who became runner up at Stena Match Cup Sweden the last two years, and Linda Rahm, previously ranked second in the world.
"The Swedish teams will meet the worlds top ranked teams and stars this summer. It will be a great measure of their potential, any one team of the ten can reach the top of the podium in the end of the week. Thats how tough it will get", says Martin Sohtell, project manager at Brandspot, who is the commercial event organizer.
Stena Match Cup Sweden became one of the earliest events to establish a womens class in 1999. As a result Sweden has grown to a strong nation within womens match racing.
"The campaign in the Elliott class is a natural step in a long term commitment that GKSS has had to womens match racing. Its really thrilling to tie the teams athletic efforts to reach the Olympics with the largest sailing event in Sweden", says Peter Klock, managing director of GKSS, comments.
For further information please contact: Jan Torstenson, VD Brandspot, 070-668 55 73 jan@brandspot.com Lars-Ola Nordqvist, presschef Match Cup Sweden, 070-689 11 20, lars@matchcupsweden.com Alexandra Jerselius, Seniorkonsult Brandspot, 070-410 21 04, alexandra@brandspot.com