November 1, 2024
2 minutes reading time
WMRT: Kristine Mauritzen leads final four at Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing regatta
Denmark’s Kristine Mauritzen and her Team Seagulls upset the form book yesterday on Day 3 of the Aspen Bermuda Women’s Match Racing Regatta, defeating regatta leader Julia Aartsen (NED) 3-2 in the best-of-five quarter-final stage and advancing the team to the semi-finals. Joining the semi-final lineup are France’s Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink , Denmark’s Lea Vogelius/ Team Kattnaken DK and Sweden’s Anna Östling/Team WINGS.
Mauritzen and crew finished the opening round robin stage in 6th place before being paired with the stage leader Aartsen in today’s Quarter-final match. However, it was Mauritzen that took an early lead with two wins, before Aartsen responded with two of her own, tying the score. In the final race, Mauritzen secured the deciding win to advance to the semi-finals.
It was a particularly special day for Danish sailors as Mauritzen’s compatriot, Lea Vogelius, also advanced to the semi-final in similar fashion having also shrugged off a 2-0 deficit to edge New Zealand’s Megan Thomson 3-2 in another thrilling quarter-final.
“We came out more aggressive in the pre-start, knowing wehad to win the last three races,” said Vogelius, who ultimately went on to win the last three races and advance to the semi-finals.
Comebacks were not in short supply as Sweden’s Anna Östling/Team WINGS also rallied from the brink of elimination to pip Australian Juliet Costanzo/ Easy Tiger Racing 3-2 in their quarter-final match.
“We said in our team that we only needed to win three races, and it didn’t matter if we won the first three or the last three,” commented Östling on the tight racing.
Pauline Courtois/Match in Pink from France secured the final place in the semi-finals with a swift 3-0 victory over Great Britain’s Sophie Otter, demonstrating how her experience with both the boats and the Bermuda venue have paid off so far.
With the final four set, the competition moves into the semi-finals today as each team contends for the title at the new 2024 Aspen Women’s Match Race Regatta. As also the closing event of the 2024 Women’s World Match Racing Tour, the regatta has drawn the world’s top female sailors to Bermuda, reinforcing the island’s reputation as a premier destination for competitive sailing events.
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Text and images courtesy of WMRT.com.