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5 February 2005, 09:28 am

Olympic Medallist and Triple Women's World Champion To Compete

JPMorgan Fleming Winter Challenge

Queen Mary Sailing Club, Great Britain

2004 Olympic bronze medallist in the Yngling and triple ISAF Women's Match Racing World Champion Dorte JENSEN of Denmark is to take part in the fifth JPMorgan Fleming Winter Challenge this weekend, 5-6 February.

Jensen won the ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship for three successive years in 1999, 2000 and 20001 and dominated the women's rankings for many years before focussing on her Yngling campaign for Athens. She has not competed in a ranked match racing event since winning the Worlds in 2001 and has thus dropped off the rankings.

Jensen will face tough challenges from the winner of the very first weekend, Simon SHAW (GBR), ranked 99, who is returning with his crew to get in some vital practice to ensure a British victory in the March final.

Joining Olympic medallist Jensen of Denmark and representing international teams are; Jan Eike ANDRESON, who will be representing Germany and is ranked number 38 in the world rankings, and Marcos VIVIAN of Australia.

Top 100 ISAF ranked match racer Andrew CORNAH (81) will accompany Shaw as the highest ranked British team member. Other British match racers competing for a place in the March Final will be Mark LEES (126) and Ed MALES (131) as well as top keelboat sailor Dave LENZ and J24 British Champion Ian SOUTHWORTH.

The JPMorgan Fleming Winter Challenge, in conjunction with the RYA, began on the 27 November 2004 with the first weekend's victory going to Simon SHAW and his crew who beat tough competition from eight other teams including crews from Denmark, Italy and Russia.

The second weekend's victory went to Mark CAMPBELL-JAMES and his crew who fought off further competition from British, Swiss, Russian and American teams.

Eric MONNIN from Switzerland, who successfully overcame the challenge from Ian WILLIAMS, became the first European finalist by winning the third weekend.

The fourth weekend was won by world number seven Ian Williams who defeated fellow top ten match racer Lars NORDBJERG in what was billed as one of the most exciting line-ups yet.

More than 250 sailors from across Europe are expected to compete in at least one of the seven race weekends in the run-up to the final on 5-6 March 2005. The weekends are aimed at giving sailing enthusiasts the opportunity to receive coaching and training during the winter period as well as providing world-class competition on home soil.

The line up for the weekend is as follows:

Name/Nationality/ISAF World Match Race Ranking
Jan Eike ANDRESEN (GER) 38
Andrew CORNAH (GBR) 81
Simon SHAW (GBR) 99
Mark LEES (GBR) 126
Ed MALES (GBR) 131
Marcos VIVIAN (AUS) 694
Dorte JENSEN (DEN) -
David LENZ (GBR) -
Ian SOUTHWORTH (GBR) -