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21 November 2005, 11:03 am

BARKOW Continues Winning Streak

U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship 2005

Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Under trying weather conditions, but with much fanfare, back-to-back ISAF Women's Match Racing World Champion Sally BARKOW added another title to her burgeoning 2005 trophy cabinet after being crowned winner of the ISAF Grade 3 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

It is BARKOW's third match racing title in as many months achieved against a high quality line up which included Worlds' runner up Betsy ALISON and 2002 World Champion Liz BAYLIS (USA).

The two round robins had been completed on Thursday and with racing abandoned on Friday, abbreviated semi finals (first to two points) and only one consolation round robin were sailed on Saturday morning to decide the title. Under cloudy skies with a south wind at three to five knots, Katy LOVELL won the first two matches against ALISON to progress to the final, whilst BARKOW beat BAYLIS in three matches.

The wind began to shift way right, then way left before what little velocity they had completely shut off and the race committee was forced to sit and wait for the weather patterns to settle in. A shift to the north was predicted for the day, but unfortunately, there was too little time remaining for a complete final/petit round and only one match in each was sailed before the RC made the decision to abandon.

The winning team of BARKOW with her regular crew Deborah CAPOZZI along with Anna TUNNICLIFFE and Lee ICYDA received US SAILING's Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy and qualified for a position at the Regional Finals for the ISAF Nations Cup.

U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship Final Standings

1. Sally BARKOW
2. Katy LOVELL
3. Betsy ALISON
4. Liz BAYLIS
5. Charlie ARMS
6. Louise BIENVENU
7. Arabella DENVIR
8. Gretchen DOUGLAS