By Lynn Fitzpatrick of World Regattas

December 5, 2009 (Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, ISV) - Katy Pilley-Lovell (USA) and her team executed a perfect final jibe and stayed powered up in their own breeze to pass Liz Baylis (USA) and cross the finish line with yet another win. Pilley-Lovell’s team punched their ticket into the semi-finals and made it mathematically impossible for their Baylis to carry on.

The number one Women's Match Racing team, Claire Leroy (FRA); US Champion, Genny Tulloch; and number 6 ranked, Julie Bossard (FRA) had already secured their opportunities to move on to the Semi-Finals.

In the Franco-American Semi-Finals Leroy selected Pilley-Lovell and Tulloch waged battle with Bossard. The women sailed two semi-final flights in strong winds on Saturday afternoon. Tulloch was infallible during the pre-starts and had control of each of her races against Bossard well before the starting gun sounded.

The Leroy and Pilley-Lovell pre-starts were not as one-sided, but the results were the same. Both Leroy and Tulloch came off the water this afternoon with two wins leaving their opponents facing sudden death in tomorrow's first race.

Petite-Final and Finals will be sailed Sunday. The wards presentation will be in the vicinity of presenting sponsor, Trident Jewels & Time at Yacht Haven Grande.

Scores following the completion of two races in the first to three wins Semi-Final of the 2nd Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race

Leroy (FRA) 2 wins vs. Pilley-Lovell (USA) 0 wins

Tulloch (USA) 2 wins vs. Bossard (FRA) 0 wins

Final Round Robin Scores in the Women's Division of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race

Leroy (FRA) - 12

Tulloch (USA) - 10

Pilley-Lovell (USA) - 10

Bossard (FRA) - 9

Baylis (USA) - 6

Decnop (BRA) - 3.5

O'Brien- Uszenski (ISV) - 3

Ramires (POR) - 0

Katy Pilley-Lovell (USA) to windward of Claire Leroy (FRA) during the Semi-Final of the Women's Division of the 2nd Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race. Photo by Lynn Fitzpatrick