The Swedish Match Cup, the final event on Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003, kicked off its 10th anniversary yesterday in Stamford, Connecticut, with eight of the world’s top female match racers commencing competition in the Swedish Match Cup women’s class.

Filling out the women’s draw this year are Sweden’s Marie Bjorling, the top-ranked women’s match racer in the world; Sweden’s Malin Millbourn, recently crowned Women’s Match Racing World Champion; Denmark’s Lotte Meldgaard-Pederson, reigning Nordic Match Racing champion; Betsy Alison of the USA, a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and 1998 Match Racing World Champion; Bermuda’s Paula Lewin, sixth in last year’s Bermuda Gold Cup main draw; France’s Claire Leroy, an up-and-coming match racer who is also training for the Olympic Yngling competition; Malin Kallstrom of Sweden, a finalist in the Swedish Match Cup women’s class in 2001 who is making a return to racing following maternity leave; and Denmark’s Annette Strom, a former member of three-time world champion Dorte Jensen’s crew, now helming her own entry.

After the first day of racing, Betsy Alison, Marie Bjorling and Malin Kalstrom all stand on top with three wins apiece, while Malin Milbourn and Anette Strom have two wins each.

The Swedish Match Cup women’s class resumes action this morning.

Results (Day 1)

Flight 1

Meldgaard-Pedersen def. Lewin

Bjorling def. Alison

Millbourn def. Leroy

Kallstrom def. Strom

Flight 2

Alison def. Lewin

Kallstrom def. Millbourn

Bjorling def. Medlgaard-Pedersen

Strom def. Leroy – DSQ

Flight 3

Bjorling def. Millbourn

Kallstrom def. Medlgaard-Pedersen

Lewin def. Strom

Alison def. Leroy

Flight 4

Strom def. Bjorling

Leroy def. Meldgaard-Pedersen

Alison def. Kallstrom

Millbourn def. Lewin