Anna getting Debbie wet. Image copyright Dave Hein, Miami OCR, January 2010.
by Anna Tunnicliffe
Racing was tight Thursday at the 2010 Rolex Miami OCR. We finished up the Gold fleet races and went 1-1. With this added to Wednesday's 2-0, we finished the round in second with a 3-2 record. Then, it was on to the Quarter finals round, against Lucinda Whitty from Australia. At the end of the day, we were up 2-0 in a first-to-three-point series.
Sally BARKOW, Katie Pettibone, Nicole Breault (USA) vs Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) in the Women's Match Racing. Image copyright Rolex/Dan Nerney.
Our first Gold fleet race Thursday was against the reigning ISAF Women's Match Racing champion, Nicky Souter. We led her off the line, but made a small mistake upwind, put ourselves behind, and were unable to catch up.
Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) in the Women's Match Racing. Image copyright Rolex/Dan Nerney.
In the second and final race of the Gold fleet, we were matched up against our fellow Americans, Sally Barkow and team. It was a great race all around the race course. At the second windward mark, we got into a luffing situation that ran into the press boats. Luckily they got out of the way just in time so they didn't intefere with the race.
Sally BARKOW, Katie Pettibone, Nicole Breault (USA) vs Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) in the Women's Match Racing. Image copyright Rolex/Dan Nerney.
On the downwind leg, we got into a short gybing duel. We gybed away and managed to hold her off by about half a boat length at the finish to take the win. That win put us in second overall in the round behind GBR's, Lucy MacGregor. Because we finished second in the Gold fleet, for the Quarter finals round (now a knock-out format), we are matched up against the winner of the repecharge, Lucinda Whitty (AUS).
Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi (USA) in the Women's Match Racing. Image copyright Rolex/Dan Nerney.
We had some really good races with the Aussies. The first race started with us ahead, but them passing us downwind. We had room on them at the leeward mark, but were not given it, so they were given a penalty. They spun their penalty, and we extended on them to take the win. The second race was much closer all around the course, but we held them off to the end and took the second race. The series is first-to-three-points, so we need to win one more Friday morning to advance to the Semi finals round.
Anna Tunnicliffe
Rolex Miami OCR
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