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| © Ivor Wilkins/RNZYS |
2007 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, French skipper Claire LEROY continues to dominate women’s match racing. In 2008 LEROY notched up another five ISAF Graded event wins, defended her World Champion title and maintained her seat at the # 1 position on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings where she has been since 4 May 2005.
Her first victory in 2008 came in February when she secured the RYA Women’s Winter Challenge. She then clinched the New Zealand Women’s title in Auckland and the Harken Women’s International Championship in Australia before returning to Auckland for the 2008 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship. The successful defence of her title was shared with crew member Elodie BERTRAND and new crew mates Marie RIOU and Claire PRUVOT.
After the Worlds it was back to Europe and another gold medal at the ISAF Grade 1 Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand followed by a silver medal in Calpe, Spain at the ISAF Grade 1 International Women’s Match Race Criterium. This remarkable young skipper continues to prove her ability to dominate her field of women’s sailing.
"Many people have had a positive impact on my sailing career. It is a tremendous honour for me and my team to be nominated, it is a recognization as being amongst the elite of our sport."
Claire's team are: Elodie BERTRAND - Claire PRUVOT - Marie RIOU - Morgane GAUTIER - Ophélie THÉRON - Ingrid CERRATO
8 - IV Open de España, Calpe, ESP - ISAF Grade 2 - Sep 2007
2 - Brasil Women's Cup, Vitoria, BRA - ISAF Grade W - Nov 2007
12 - Brasil Sailing Cup, Vitoria, BRA - ISAF Grade W - Nov 2007
1 - RYA Women's Winter Challenge, GBR - ISAF Grade 2 - Feb 2008
1 - New Zealand Women's Match Racing Championship, Auckland, NZL - ISAF Grade 2 - Mar 2008
1 - Harken Women's International Match Racing Championship, CYCA, AUS - ISAF Grade 2 - Mar 2008
1 - ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship, Auckland, NZL - ISAF Grade W - Apr 2008
1 - Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, SWE - ISAF Grade 1 - Jun 2008
2 - XI International Women's Match Race Criterium, Calpe, ESP - ISAF Grade 1 - Aug 2008
ISAF World Match Race Rankings position at the end of the nomination period (30 July 2008) – # 1
| Place and Date of Birth |
Nantes, France - 9 March 1980 |
| Profession |
Consultant - Marketing/Operations Management / in charge of finance |
| What inspired you to take up sailing? |
In my family, we have been sailors for many generations. For my father, my grandfather and my great grandfather sailing has always been a passion. Our family comes from the northern coast of Brittany and we’ve always had sailboats and sailors in our family. I discovered the pleasure of sailing before I could even walk. Our family vacations and our family reunions all revolved around sailing. I spent many days with my cousins learning to sail and to play with the elements that have always been the backdrop of my life…the wind and the ocean. Competitive sailing came much later, around the age of 10. |
| What was the first boat you sailed and how old were you? |
It was called l'Equipe or 'the team' in English aged 10 |
| Name your first sailing club |
The Sailing School of Port Blanc in Brittany, France |
| What was the first event you competed in and in what year? |
Grand Prix de l'Armistice, Maubuisson, France in 1990. |
| What are your personal highlights of your sailing career to date? |
Every race are important, every year is incredible, because it is always a new adventure. This year was another time a fantastic year. We had an incredible beginning with a new team. We had a lot of great moments, we won the Worlds in New Zealand, so for them it means something, because it was the yacht club of Sir Peter Blake. And there is so much history of sailing and match racing, that it was fantastic to win there. |
| What are your future sailing goals? |
To see Match Racing officially integrated in the Olympics Games in 2012, and to participate and do something great ...
I hope to see more and more women's teams, or mixed teams in different projects as the Americas Cup, or RC44, or TP52…., but we have to work on it, and for it, and I hope that a lot of girls think like me and want to build an international team.
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| Who has had the greatest impact on your sailing career and why? |
Many people have had a positive impact on my sailing career, my family from the beginning, and my coaches, Laurent BEGEON and Marc BOUET since 1999. There have been many other people who have helped us to improve our level. Thanks to them. |
| Who is your sailing hero? |
Peter BLAKE: For me, he was a truly great leader, a charismatic skipper, who respected his team members and through a combination of enthusiasm and rigor brought together the combined talents of his team to win. He was a great sailor and more important, a great manager who was always accessible for his team. He was for me the model of sports management...he won by making all of his team members and partners winners. And he was excellent in all the disciplines of sailing. |
| What other sports do you enjoy? |
Volleyball, fishing, squash, walking in Patagonia and biking |
| What does being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards mean to you? |
It is always a tremendous honour for me and my team to be nominated. As I said in 2007, it is a recognization as being amongst the elite of our sport. It is the work of a team that has been honoured by this nomination. By “team”, I mean not only our crew, but our coaches, our sponsors, our training partners, the sailing federation and our yacht club. |
| If you were voted as the winner what would this mean to you? |
Fantastic |
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