The competition
”Preem Lysekil Women’s Match for the Stena Bulk Trophy” is the most important competition for the world’s top-ranked match racing women with prize money of around SEK 400,000. This competition will now be held for the third time and after last summer’s resounding success, a large number of visitors are expected.

Participants
The line-up is very international with participants from Germany, Australia, Finland, the US, France and other nations and includes last year’s winner, Lotte Meldgaard Pederson from Denmark, and the winner in 2004, Marie Björling. Gothenburg is represented by Jenny Axhede, who has just advanced to fifth place in the world ranking, and Linda Rahm, who has reinforced her crew with the addition of Therese Torgersson and Vendela Zachrisson, bronze medallists at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. (For a complete list of the
competitors, go to www.lysekilwomensmatch.se.)

The boats
Six identical DS 37 boats (length: 11.25 m, width: 3.20 m, draft: 2.10 m and weight: 3,900 kg) will be sailed in the races.

Entertainment
Martin Stenmark, Tommy Nilsson and Markoolio will perform in Havsbadsparken during the week. Visitors will be able to test-and-try sailing and there will be sea rescue demonstrations. There will also be an opportunity to look at the East Indiaman Götheborg, which recently returned from China. “Twelve top ranking crews in women’s match racing will compete for the prize ”Preem Lysekil Women’s Match for the Stena Bulk Trophy”. We are happy and grateful to be able to be part of the races during the days ahead by virtue of our presence and sponsoring. We are also backing our own team headed by Linda Rahm. It will be a very tough competition,” says Ulf G. Ryder, President of Stena Bulk.

“Match racing is a very exciting competition form where the crews’ tactical ability and skill determine the outcome. This makes it very spectator-friendly. We are hoping for a large number of spectators during the week,” says Michael G:son Löw, President and CEO of Preem Petroleum AB.
www.lysekilwomensmatch.se, (Here, you will also find hi-res pictures)

PREEM PETROLEUM AB (publ) is the largest oil company in Sweden and accounts for 80 per cent of the Swedish refinery capacity and 30 per cent of the Nordic refinery capacity. A total of 17.3 million m3 of crude oil are refined at its two wholly owned refineries, making Preem the largest refiner in the Nordic region. Preemraff Lysekil and Preemraff Göteborg are two modern and highly efficient refineries, which are leading producers of environmentally classed petroleum products. More than 60 per cent of our production, with a value exceeding SEK 42 billion, is exported, making us one of the major exporters in Sweden. Preem has a nation-wide service network with 490 Preem filling stations and 160 diesel filling stations for heavy traffic. Invoiced sales in 2006 totalled SEK 68 billion.
www.preem.se

 
Stena Bulk – With offices in six countries, Stena Bulk is one of the world’s leading tanker shipping companies, supplying customers with innovative solutions to their transportation and logistics requirements and using, for example, its own technical design department. The company has a regulated fleet of approximately 70 tankers and operates throughout the tanker market. Stena Bulk is also responsible for marketing and operating the Concordia Maritime fleet. Stena Bulk is part of the Stena Sphere. The Stena Sphere is in excess of 16,000 employees and revenue of SEK 46 billion.
www.stenabulk.com and www.thenewsmarket.com/stenabulk

 
Concordia Maritime is an international tanker shipping company listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm. The company has ordered ten tankers, which are being built in accordance with the MAX concept. These vessels, P-MAX, are product tankers of about 65,200 dwt. The MAX concept means that the vessels are designed for maximum loading capacity in shallow waters. They have been designed according to a new concept for safer oil transportation with double main engines in two completely separate engine rooms, double rudders and steering gear, two propellers and double control systems. www.concordia-maritime.se