Rolex Women’s Match Racers Duel Off St. Pete

The 2009 Rolex Women’s Match, hosted April 9–12 by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, delivered competitive, tactical racing and highlighted top female match-racing talent. Genny Tulloch of Tiburon, California, led her team to victory in the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 3 event, earning a prominent win on the Gulf Coast waters off St. Petersburg.

Tulloch, who is listed as No. 1 on the U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics roster, sailed with a skilled crew: Liz Hall of Bristol, Rhode Island; Jamie Haines of Newport, Rhode Island; and Chafee Emory, also from Newport. Ten teams from across the nation and abroad competed in the Grade 3 match-racing regatta, an event created in 2002 to expand competitive opportunities for female sailors focusing on match racing. The format tested helmsmanship, tactics and boat-on-boat rules, providing a platform for developing match-racing skills and international competition experience.

With the Rolex Women’s Match victory, Tulloch—ranked No. 43 in the world at the time—earned an automatic invitation, along with the regatta’s runner-up, Debbie Capozzi of Bayport, New York, to the Rolex Osprey Cup. The Osprey Cup is an ISAF Grade 1 regatta scheduled for Oct. 21–24 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, offering a step up in competition and international ranking points for match racers seeking to advance their careers.

Additional Annapolis Results: Santa Maria Cup

In related women’s match-racing news, Genny Tulloch also recently claimed second place at the Santa Maria Cup held in Annapolis, Maryland. That international regatta concluded with Claire Leroy of France taking the gold medal after round-robin competition. The Santa Maria Cup fields strong international crews and is staged at the Eastport Yacht Club on the Severn River, a venue known for variable breeze and tactical courses that reward consistency and strong team communication.

The top four at the Santa Maria Cup included Katie Spitell of Australia and American match-racing veteran Liz Baylis, both of whom rounded out the leading positions. These results underscore the depth of talent in women’s match racing and the important role regional regattas play in preparing teams for higher-grade international events.

Veteran Team Takes Bacardi Cup Star Class

On March 13, 2009, Bermuda’s Peter Bromby and veteran Star Class crew Magnus Liljedahl of Miami clinched the 82nd Bacardi Cup Star Class Regatta on Biscayne Bay. The pair secured their title by winning the final race of the six-race series, finishing with a decisive six-point margin over second-place finishers Mark Mendelblatt of Florida and his crew Bruno Prada.

The Bacardi Cup has a long and storied history as one of the most competitive Star Class events in the world. With more than 60 teams representing 15 countries competing in this edition, the regatta remains a premier gathering that brings Olympians, world champions and dedicated enthusiasts together on the water. From its origins in 1927 as a small Havana-based event, the Bacardi Cup has evolved into an international highlight for Star sailors while preserving the spirit of access and high-level competition that allows amateur weekend racers to test themselves against elite talent.

Rounding out the top finishers were New Yorker Rick Merriman with crew Phil Trinter, Switzerland’s Olympic Star sailor Flavio Marazzi with crew Petter Pedersen, and seasoned competitor Paul Cayard with crew Austin Sperry. Cayard, who finished second in the Bacardi Cup multiple times in his career, added another strong result alongside Sperry, a 2008 Olympian in the Star class representing the United States.

The regatta is co-hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club and the U.S. Sailing Center in Miami and sponsored in full by Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. Its reputation for world-class competition in the Star class makes it a key event on the international sailing calendar and an important benchmark for sailors looking to measure progress against top-level opposition.

Event Significance and Legacy

Both the Rolex Women’s Match and the Bacardi Cup highlight how structured regattas—across different classes and formats—play a critical role in sailor development. Match racing emphasizes one-on-one tactical skills, quick rule-based decision-making and coordinated crew work, while fleet events like the Star Class Bacardi Cup test consistency, boat handling and endurance across a multi-race series. Together, these events contribute to a vibrant competitive season for sailors pursuing national and international rankings.

This article originally appeared in the Florida & the South Home waters Section of the August 2009 issue.