(From the ISAF web site: www.sailing.org)

Match Race Rankings - 10 February 2010

Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor has finally toppled Claire Leroy (FRA) who has enjoyed a four and half year unbroken run at #1 in the Women’s ISAF World Match Race Rankings. Adam Minoprio (NZL) maintains his position at the top of the Open Rankings.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - Women

The silver medal at the ISAF Grade W World Cup Regatta, US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR has finally secured Lucy Macgregor and her team the #1 position on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings and she now leads Leroy by a precarious nine points. Macgregor has been snapping at Leroy’s heels for the past year, moving from the #3 position up to #2 in September so there will be celebrations today for the British team whose consistent results had suggested that it was just a matter of time before they toppled their French rivals.

Claire Leroy (FRA) picked up the bronze medal in Miami and will certainly be working hard to reclaim that #1 position. 2009 World Champion Nicky Souter (AUS) moves up to the #3 position after she finished her first graded event outing of the year just outside the medals, claiming fouth place in Miami. Making way for Souter is fellow Australian Katie Pellew (nee Spithill) who drops to #4 while Silke Hahlbrock (GER) holds firm at #5.

With the pressure heating up in the women’s match racing circuit as London 2012 looms on the horizon, it was 2008 Laser Radial gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) who took the gold medal in Miami as well as clinching the ISAF Grade 3 US SAILING January Qualifier Tunnicliffe moves up the rankings two places to #8 and with her intentions made clear she will be one to watch for 2010 pans out.

The ISAF Grade 3 Campeonato Brasileiro De Match Race Feminino was not a great event for the top ranked Brazilian skipper, Juliana Senfft (BRA), but her fifth place shifts her back to her all time best at #21. Winning the event in Porte Alegre was Juliana Poncioni Mota (BRA) who maintains her position at #37.

Click here for the Women’s Rankings

The next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings for 2010 will be on 10 March.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrrankings