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Contact: Cynthia Goss
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Liz Baylis Captures U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship
in Close Finale

Detroit, Mich. (September 9, 2007) – Competition at the U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship, hosted September 5-9 at Bayview Yacht Club (Detroit, Mich.), came down to a photo finish in the Final round that was so close that spectators and even skippers Liz Baylis (San Rafael, Calif.) and Katy Pilley-Lovell (New Orleans, La.) were not certain who the victor was until the race committee signaled. As both skippers crossed at opposite ends of the finish line today, Baylis—racing with Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) and Susanne Leech (Simsbury, Conn.)—had a feeling she and her crew had the edge. Her hunch was right. Baylis today become a two-time winner of the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy, the perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of this US SAILING championship sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard.

"This was a full-on team effort," said Baylis after racing. "Suzy and Cory did a great job and kept us focused." One example of keeping a focus on the prize was fresh in Baylis's mind at regatta's end.

In the Finals, Baylis and Pilley-Lovell had each won a race going into the third race. In that third race in light 6- to 8-knot air and strong current, Pilley-Lovell and Baylis traded leads three times; as Pilley-Lovell rounded the second windward mark about 10 boat lengths ahead, Suzy Leech reminded the crew: "It's not over til it's over." They decided to split to the left side of the course to chase what looked like better wind pressure; the move helped them gain ground to ultimately win this championship. Baylis, a former International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Women's Match Racing World Champion and the 2002 US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, also won this event in 2003.

Pilley-Lovell, sailing with Dana Riley (San Francisco, Calif.) and Alice Manard (Charleston, S.C.), captured the Mrs. Charles Adams Trophy for the third consecutive year in a row. In her fight to the Finals this year, she achieved an upset by beating Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) in the Semi-Finals. Up until the Semi-Final round, Tunnicliffe—currently ranked the world's number one Laser Radial sailor and a recent gold medalist at The Good Luck Beijing – 2007 Qingdao International Regatta, racing in Detroit with Liz Bower (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jean "Ali" Sharp (Annapolis, Md.)—had sailed a flawless 12-0 series, standing as the only skipper who had not yet lost a match after three days of racing.

Tunnicliffe faced defending champion Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) in the Petit-Finals. Capozzi—sailing with Lindsay Bartel (Annapolis, Md.) and Sharon Ferris (Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand)—captured the first race after a close lead-changing contest with Tunnicliffe, and then sailed on to win the second race and the Petit-Final match.

Not only did skippers face a tough field of 11 teams from throughout the country; racing in triplehanded Ultimate 20s, they also faced a range of challenging conditions. "Conditions were varied and tricky—and we saw a bit of everything," said Tunnicliffe. The series opened with light air and a strong 2- to 3-knot current. On the second day, storm cells twice forced postponement of the racing, with breeze gusting over 25 and no spinnakers signaled for the day. Winds moderated back to lighter air and strong current for the two final days of racing on the Detroit River.

To view complete results of this championship, which is an ISAF Grade 3 event, visit the event website at www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/women/uswmrc. The U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship is part of US SAILING’s National Adult Championship series, sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information about these Championships, visit www.ussailing.org/championships.

About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.


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