Genny Tulloch and Crew Win Rolex Osprey Cup

October 25, 2010

Genny Tulloch of Tiburon, with crew Alice Manard Leonard of New Orleans, Jenn Chamberlin of Annapolis, and Alana O’Reilly of Charleston, SC, have won the 2010 Rolex Osprey Cup after a well-fought battle on Tampa Bay with defending champion Giulia Conti of Italiy. Giulia has won the event three times, in 2005, 2008, and 2009. She sailed with the same crew with whom she won the 2009 event.

“It was really great racing against Guilia's team,” said Tulloch after defeating the Italian team. Genny described sailing two very close races in the final series including one in which Giulia was behind with a penalty before she passed Tulloch on the downwind leg. “They spun it, which allowed us to lee-bow her and then luff her at the windward mark - leading to a very close downwind that we won. The following race we were leading the whole way (for the title if we'd won), but she kept bringing breeze down on the last downwind and actually passed us one boat length from the finish line which forced us to the sudden death match! Happily for us, after a close first upwind, we opened up a lead on the top layline and held it from there to the finish.”

The Osprey Cup, an ISAF Grade 1 women’s match racing event, was created and organized in 1996 by St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Sailed in Sonars, the event has been sponsored since 2000 by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information, including photos, please visit www.spyc.org.