Barkow Dominates Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship Team Repeats as Regatta Winners Not since the early days of US Sailing's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship when Betsy Alison began her streak of five wins has this regatta seen a performance from one sailor and her team as was witnessed this year in Annapolis. Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI) and her Team 7 crew clinched the title at the conclusion of day four with one race to spare. With a scoreline totaling 14 points in 10 races, Barkow topped a 42-boat fleet stocked with impressive competitors. Racing took place September 19-23 in Annapolis, MD. At the gala Rolex Awards ceremony, Barkow and her crew of Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, NY), Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, MI) and Annie Lush (Poole, England) were presented with US Sailing's Bengt Julin Trophy and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Stainless Steel and 18k gold Ladies Datejust. All four won the 2003 Rolex IWKC title. "We might make it look easy, but it's really hard work," said Barkow, who with all but one of her four-woman crew sails an Olympic Yngling in a campaign that takes the team around the world. "We love the J/22. It's easy for us to jump in it and go." Going into the final day, the fight seemed to be for second place. But without enough wind to settle the battle, the series results became final. Cory Sertl (Rochester, NY) with her team aboard Lucy-Dina Kowalyshyn (Annapolis, MD), Pease Glaser (San Diego, CA) and Suzy Leech (Avon, CT)-captured second place in the fleet. Jody Swanson (Buffalo, NY) and crew Debbie Probst, Abby Ruhlman and Maegan Ruhlman finished in third place. Fourth place was U.S. Olympian Carol Cronin (Jamestown, RI), who sailed her Team Spidey with crew Jamie Hanes (Newport, RI), Linda Epstein (Arlington, MA) and Kim Couranz (Annapolis, MD). The top foreign skipper was New Zealand's Sharon Ferris, who with her TeamOneNewport finished in fifth place overall. Sixth place was one of the regatta's standouts, Jo Ann Fisher (Arnold, MD). Fisher and her crew of Emma Jones, Kiri Key and 16-year-old Morgan Wilson made an impression on the fleet since this is Fisher's first regatta steering a J/22. The top Annapolis skipper, Lorie Stout, was awarded the City of Annapolis Trophy by Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer. Stout, who sailed her boat Stoutgear.com to an impressive seventh-place overall, topped the 13 other Maryland teams competing. Rounding out the top 10 places were Julie Sitzman (Orr's Island, ME), Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, VA) and Derby Anderson (Annapolis, MD). Complete results can be found at http://www.ussailing.org/riwkc/. Copyright © 2003, USA J/22 Class