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3 April 2007, 11:37 am

ALISON Highlights This Year's Event

Rolex Women's Match 2007

St Petersburg, Florida, USA

With women's match racing on the up and up, organizers of this week's ISAF Grade 3 Rolex Women's Match are expecting a strong showing. From 5-8 April, at host St Petersburg Yacht Club, women match racers will take part in the unique format of half-clinic, half-competition with the winner and runner up gaining automatic invitation into the Grade 1 Rolex Osprey Cup next October.

This year's intensive clinic - a combination of skills and rules instruction followed by round robin racing in Sonar keelboats on Tampa Bay - will be run by Betsy ALISON (USA), an internationally recognized sailing educator, coach, competitor and five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

'Betsy ALISON joined us for the first time last year to conduct the match racing clinic and she was well received by the participants,' said Pat SEIDENSPINNER, co-organizer with Tom FARQUHAR of the Rolex Women's Match. 'In addition to being one of the world's most recognized competitive sailors and a past world match racing champion, Betsy is an equally accomplished and sought-after coach. We are thrilled to have her return and share her knowledge.'

New Names

Two of the registered skippers are making their debut at the Rolex Women's Match, Rossana RAMOS (BRA) and Verian AGUILAR (ISV) who counts this regatta as her second match racing experience. AGUILAR recently competed along with crew member Kelly O'BRIEN in the North American qualifier for the ISAF Nations Cup. Her goal for St Petersburg is 'to gain experience, learn and have fun,' she said.

Established in 2002, the Rolex Women's Match annually strives to improve opportunities for women sailors. Results and photos are posted on St. Petersburg Yacht Club website www.spyc.org and the Rolex Women's Match website www.rolexwomensmatch.org.