World ranking leader and reigning world champion Claire Leroy from France is performing great in Lysekil Women's Match. She won the first round-robin with a 10-1 score. Then she secured a slot in the semis by winning the next round-robin 4-1. Now she is leading 1-0 in her semi against Lucy Macgregor from Great Britain. Is there anything that can stop Claire from taking her first victory in Lysekil Women's Match?

'I had a tough match against Lucy today, and I know that Linda Rahm and Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen are really strong in these boats,' Leroy added.

Home sailor Linda Rahm and Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen from Denmark, are sailing in the other semifinal. Swede Jenny Axhede and Katie Spithill, Australia, were eliminated from further sailing after the second round-robin.

Linda is leading the Danish crew 1-0 after a really exciting match, in which there never was more than just a few boat lenghts between them. 'We were leading until the last rounding, when Lotte passed us and gained a small lead. On the last downwind we had to work hard with the trimming, to get all the speed we could get out of the boat, says Linda, who gained a little more wind and managed to pass the Danish boat just before the finishing line.'

'There was a private Swedish wind fan out there,' Lotte sighs, also complaining about the waves from the spectator boats prevented her from keeping speed in her boat in the very light wind conditions.

'The current and the tricky wind conditions didn't exactly make the tactics easier,' she says looking forward to Saturday's races, that will according to the forecast, be sailed in heavier wind conditions.

If the forecast is right it can be an advantage for the Scandinavian sailors, since they are more familiar with boat handling in the DS37's in tough conditions.

Results from round-robin 2 in Lysekil Women's Match. The first four advanced to the semifinals:

1. Claire Leroy, FRA, 4 victories - 1 loss
2. Linda Rahm, SWE, 3-2
3. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 3-2
4. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 2-3
5. Jenny Axhede, SWE, 2-3
6. Katie Spithill, AUS, 1-5

Standings in the semifinals after one match in each semi:
Claire Leroy, FRA, 1 - Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 0
Linda Rahm, SWE, 1 - Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 0

Lysekil Women's Match concludes during Saturday with the closing of the semi finals, and then the final.

For further information see www.lysekilwomensmatch.se

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