Sweden’s Anna Östling and her WINGS Team ended the second day of the 2023 Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Santa Maria Cup leading the first Round Robin stage with equal points to USA’s Nicole Breault/ Vela Racing.

Both skippers and their teams went on to win their first 3 races of the second Round Robin stage with a total 10 wins and only 2 losses. The Santa Maria Cup is the second stage of the 2023 Women’s World Match Racing Tour.

It was a waiting game for the competitors and race committee today as the forecasted breeze of 9-14 knots failed to materialize causing a four-hour delay ashore. The breeze eventually filled in the late afternoon to allow the conclusion of the first Round Robin stage, and the first three flights of the second Round Robin stage.

Conditions were patchy with multiple lead changes as teams challenged against wind shifts and the ebb current out of the Severn River right in front of historic Annapolis Naval Academy.

“It was much lighter and shiftier than yesterday” said Anna Holmdahl White, mainsheet trimmer for the WINGS Team, “we had to try and keep things tight. Fortunately we had some good starts, but for some races we had to use some good passing lanes and dig into some past experience from sailing here.”
Anna Östling (SWE)/ Team WINGS 
Photo: Walter Cooper
“It was a challenging day with the shifty conditions out of the West and then the breeze moved to the Northwest” added Principal Race Officer Sandy Grosvenor. “The sailors certainly had some tight matches and we saw more penalties today than we saw yesterday.”

Wednesday will see the conclusion of the round robin stages before the top four move into the Semi-Finals. At this point the points are close and nothing is decided.
Bridget Groble (USA) Bow Down Racing
Photo: Walter Cooper
Janel Zarkowsky (USA) Team As One sailing in front of the Eastport Yacht Club
Photo: Walter Cooper
Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, 25 miles (40 km) south of Baltimore, Annapolis forms part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area and was the capital of the United States for about 9 months during the War of 1812 while Washington, DC was aflame.

Racing continues tomorrow from 0900 Eastern Daylight Time with the remainder of the qualifying round robins before moving onto the knockout stages.

Results after Day:

1. Anna Östling 10-2
2. Nicole Breault 10-2
3. Celia Willison 7-5
4= Megan Thomson 6-6
4= Allie Blecher 6-6
4= Bridget Groble 6-6
7. Sophie Otter 5-7
8. Brooke Wilson 5-7
9. Janel Zarkowsky 4-8
10. Kristine Mauritzen 1-11
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