Video: Peter Gilmour gets black flag!

Peter Gilmour gets black flag in his race against Ian Williams. Kuala Terengganu, 5 December 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tour

Monsoon Cup - Day 2: Ian Williams is on a roll; leads undefeated 7-0

Despite the very light and tricky conditions that prevailed throughout the second day of the Monsoon cup, closing event of the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Championship, one skipper came out unscathed. Ian Williams, the British world match racing champion in 2007 and 2008, managed to weave his way through the Malaysian "minefield", as Jesper Radich called it, and finish the day at the top of the leaderboard with perfect 7-0 score.

To say that it was tough in Kuala Terengganu would be an understatement. While the rain might be a mere nuisance for the sailors, the fact it didn't let the breeze to go over 6-7 knots was frustrating. In addition, as PRO David Tallis put it, there was no pattern at all in the wind shifts. It could go right 90º at one moment and then back left a few minutes later. This led to very technical situations, putting a prime on calling the right tactics. Leads could extend or be reversed in a matter of minutes if the wrong side was chosen.

Highlights from day 2 of the Monsoon Cup. Kuala Terengganu, 2 December 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tout

Nevertheless, Williams showed he's in excellent form and didn't lose a single race. The amusing fact is that two days ago he was written off from the world title but if this qualifying tour is an indication of what will take place later on, he's on the right track.

The main contender to the title, Mathieu Richard, seems to be under pressure, sitting 7th with three wins and 5 losses. However, according to Richard, he reacted today going from a 4-0 down. However, he faces three of the toughest matches tomorrow with no others than Mirsky, Robertson and Minoprio. It might all come down to the last match of the qualifying series to decide who advances to the quarterfinals.

Results after 10 flights of the qualifying series

1. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 7-0
2. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 5-1
3. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 5-2
4. Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team 5-2
5. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Azzurra 4-2
6. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 3-3
7. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 2-4
8. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 2-4
9. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Team 2-4
10. Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 2-4
11. Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 2-5
12. Jeremy Koo (MAL) Koo Racing Team Evernew 0-8

Monsoon Cup - Day 1: Ian Williams shines while Mathieu Richard struggles

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar made an impressive start to his Monsoon Cup campaign by posting a 3-0 scoreline in the opening Qualifying Session in Kuala Terengganu whilst Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team did little to silence his rivals, losing both of his match races.

Richard, who has both defending champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN breathing down his neck in the race for the championship, needed a strong start here in Malaysia. An early defeat to Ian Williams was followed by a match against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team. Having picked up a penalty in the pre-start, Richard tried to wind it off at one of the mark roundings but forfeited his lead in doing so, allowing the Swedish skipper to take control of the race and finish 45 seconds ahead. It was a bad time to lose for the first time this season against the Swede.

Highlights from day 1 of the Monsoon Cup. Kuala Terengganu, 1 December 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tout

The Frenchman reflected: “Not the start we wanted at all today. We had two bad starts. In our first race again Ian Williams there was a shift before the start, so we suffered. Against Bjorn Hansen, he was sailing well today. We might have a strong record against Bjorn but he beat us today and that is the only result I care about. The only thing we can be sure of is that we must do much better tomorrow.”

Despite these defeats, the Frenchman will be buoyed by the mixed fortunes of his nearest rivals, with Minoprio losing to Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team and Ben Ainslie going down to the increasingly-impressive Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing to take the polish off his two opening victories.

Ainslie was earlier involved in an epic battle against this season’s most consistent skipper, Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team in what commentator PJ Montgomery deemed “match racing at its best.” Radich picked up a red flag penalty early in the race, allowing Ainslie to take what started to look like an unassailable lead. However, on the first run Radich got just ahead and when the two boats crossed the fireworks started. After two dial-downs in quick succession, Ainslie luffed Radich, pined a red-flag penalty on him and then held his lead to the finish.

Off the water, Terengganu Menteri Besar YAB Dato Seri Ahmad announced that discussions are already underway ensure the Monsoon Cup remains part of the World Match racing Tour beyond 2012. In what is already the richest event on the Tour, offering nearly $500,000 in prize money, Dato Seri Ahmad revealed that an increase in the prize purse is being considered:

“Obviously we want the Monsoon Cup to stay here beyond 2012. Perhaps we can offer more prize money if that will help us secure a longer contract. All the facilities are already in place and it will be a waste if we can’t extend the contract. The additional prize money will come out of the state’s budget as we want to keep the event in Terengganu as it has been a big boom for the state.”

Results after 3 Flights:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 3-0
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 2-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 2-0
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 1-0
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Azzurra 1-0
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 1-0
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 1-1
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 1-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Team 0-1
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
0-2Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team 0-2
Jeremy Koo (MAL) Koo Racing Team Evernew 0-3

Valencia Sailing goes to the Monsoon Cup

There will most probably be no updates during Monday as I'm travelling to Kuala Terengganu for the Monsoon cup, the closing event of this year's World Match Racing Tour.

It will undoubtedly be the closest and fiercest event with five skippers vying for the ISAF World Match Racing champion title. Any of Mathieu Richard, Adam Minoprio, Ben Ainslie, Torvar Mirsky and Ian Williams can be crowned world champion next Sunday and all the variables and possible scenarios couldn't be better described than the excellent, succinct table below.

We'll be back in full force on Tuesday morning, Malaysian time, with photos, videos and interviews from the official practice day.

Ben Ainslie and Torvar Mirsky dominate the round robin at Sunseeker Australia Cup

[Source: Sunseeker Australia Cup] Britain’s sailing superstar Ben Ainslie showed his class on the Swan River today, rising to the top of the leaderboard at the Sunseeker Australia Cup, to win the round robin stage of the regatta.

He won five straight races today, turning a fifth place at the end of day one, with a 3 – 2 scoreline, into first place with a scoreline of 7 – 2 this evening, sharing the top score with local skipper Torvar Mirsky, but taking the top spot on a tie-break.

Talking about his improved form Ainslie said, “that was a bit cleaner today, we had a little bit of rust yesterday, the guys were a bit tired having just flown in from Europe, but we felt a bit better today, and got things slightly smoother I think.”

Highlights from day 1 of the 2010 Sunseeker Autralia Cup. Perth, 24 November 2010. Video copyright Sunseeker Autralia Cup

Winning the round robin brings with it the privilege of choosing his quarter-finals opponent, and he has selected South African Ian Ainslie who finished fourth on the leaderboard.

One of the big areas of improvement for Ben Ainslie today was in his starting, generally getting off the line in control.

He commented, “it is difficult, because it’s so shifty, and with such a tight starting box, it really all happens in the last 30 seconds, but we pretty much got what we wanted in most of the starts.

“I guess they weren’t all perfect, they never normally are in match racing, but we ended up having control in most of the starts, and half way up the beat, but really on this course it’s so shifty it’s more about good speed, getting the shifts and good crew work when things are shifting around so quickly.”

It was Western Australian skipper Torvar Mirsky who defeated Ben Ainslie in the final of this event last year, so a repeat of this match in the final this year is still possible, no doubt with the British skipper hoping to reverse the result.

Another important game within a game being played out at this event is the fight for the last place available at next week’s Monsoon Cup, in Malaysia, the final and deciding regatta on this year’s World Tour.

The top placed skipper at the Sunseeker Australia Cup, who has not already qualified, will grab that slot.

Conditions on the Swan River’s Perth Water were very tough again today, with the seabreeze piping in at 15 to 20 knots, which on such a tight course is a real test of skill, fitness and agility.

The Sunseeker Australia Cup is hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and managed by Swan River Sailing.

RESULTS AT THE END OF THE ROUND ROBIN
1. Ben Ainslie (GBR) 7 – 2
2 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) 7 – 2
3. Ian Williams (GBR) 6 – 3
4. Iain Ainslie (RSA) 5 – 4
5. Keith Swinton (AUS) 5 – 4
6. Mathieu Richard (FRA) 5 – 4
7. Phil Robertson (NZL) 5 – 4
8. William Tiller (NZL) 3 – 6
9. Peter Nicholas (AUS) 2 – 7
10. Reuben Corbett (NZL) 0 – 9

Lights; Camera; Action; It's Sunseeker Australia Cup Time

[Source: Sunseeker Australia Cup] The superstars of sailing are here, the sun is shining and the fabled Fremantle Doctor is back from a week’s leave, bring on the Sunseeker Australia Cup 2010!

Sailing’s answer to Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Raffa are in town, Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams of Britain and Frenchman Mathieu Richard are the best in the world at what they do, race sailboats.

The skies over Perth are cloudless, and there is a strong wind warning for at least the next three days.

Compress these components into the confined space of Perth Water, right in front of the CBD, and you have a recipe for some serious action.

But it’s not all about the overseas “rock stars”, because last year Perth’s own up-and-coming world talent, Torvar Mirsky, beat the all these guys to collect the trophy, and it will take a crowbar to get it out of his hands.

There is also a trio of young Kiwis, bought up in the toughest match racing school on the planet, who have been making their mark on the world stage, these guys would love to win on Australian waters.

Throw in a South African and a couple of other talented locals, and the line up for the Sunseeker Australia Cup is red hot, and the Fremantle Doctor will only fan the flames.

Ben Ainslie, who has three Olympic golds and a silver, was the defeated finalist last year, beaten in two straight races by Torvar Mirsky, and defeat isn’t something that fits into his agenda, so expect a fight back.

Mathieu Richard has put in a big year on the International Tour, and has the world championship within his grasp, he will be looking to go into next week’s Monsoon Cup in Malaysia on a high, so a good performance in Perth is essential.

The Sunseeker Australia Cup will be four days of intense head-to-head competition that is too good to miss, hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, it is managed by Swan River Sailing.

SKIPPERS
1. Mathieu Richard FRA
2. Ben Ainslie GBR
3. Torvar Mirsky AUS
4. Ian Williams GBR
5. Reuben Corbett NZL
6. Ian Ainslie RSA
7. Phil Robertson NZL
8. Keith Swinton AUS
9. William Tiller NZL
10. Peter Nicholas AUS

Minoprio, Ainslie and Williams Face Survival Challenge in Bermuda

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORGIN and Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group all face a restless night with the knowledge that at least one of them will be a casualty tomorrow in the final Qualifying Session at the Argo Group Gold Cup. It will cap a remarkable few days in Bermuda, which also saw overall World Match Racing Tour leader Mathieu Richard ultimately knocked out of the competition by Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team.

In contrast to the 10-18 knot winds of the previous two days, today required sailors to adopt an altogether different skill set to deal with a very fickle and incredibly light wind. The reigning champion, Adam Minoprio has a second chance to qualify tomorrow for the Quarter-Finals having failed to qualify directly however he faces formidable competition – this group of six teams includes four of the top 10 names in the ISAF Match Racing Rankings. Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, Minoprio, Williams and Ainslie, are also joined by Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team (ranked 15), and Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing (ranked 21).

Highlights from day 3 of the Argo Group Gold Cup. Hamilton, 7 October 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tour

Competitors were not alone in finding the fickle conditions frustrating – PRO David Campbell-James was in a no-win situation, but did a great job with what he had: “It was a 360-degree day, with the wind swinging right round the compass as the day progressed.”

Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, one of the six skippers to qualify directly for the Quarter-Finals, reflected: “It was important for us to beat Marinho in Qualifying Session 3. We feel really confident about this week – we’re sailing well have yet to make a tactical mistake. It’s our fourth time here and we have similar boats at home so we are benefiting from having been able to practice there.”

Minoprio, Williams and Ainslie will take some comfort into tomorrow knowing they each won their first races in the Qualifying Play-Off however their toughest matches will come tomorrow. The morning will see a return of 12-18 knots of breeze but with tropical storm Otto heading towards Bermuda, the wind is expected to increase considerably later on, giving skippers in the Quarter-Finals an extra challenge with which to contend.

Quarter Finalists
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 6-0
Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team 6-1
Taylor Canfield (USA) 6-1
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team 5-1
Johnnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 5-1
Reuben Corbett (NZL) Black Sheep Racing 4-2

Qualifying Session Play-Off Standings
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 1-0
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 1-0
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group 1-0
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 0-1
Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing 0-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Racing Team 0-1

Torvar Mirsky is on fire, moving to the qualifiers undefeated. Hamilton, 7 October 2010. Photo copyright Subzero Images / World Match Racing Tour

A Touch of Luck Defines Day 4 of The St. Moritz Match Race

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] On a frustrating day for the six teams battling to reach the semi-finals of the St. Moritz Match Race, perhaps the biggest fight was off the water between the gradient northerly wind and the thermally induced southerly, which left the racecourse peppered with monumental wind shifts, holes and gusts.

The weather has tested the skippers’ mettle all week and today it created a spectacular sporting moment that had the crowd holding its breath. It looked as if it was all over for reigning ‘King of the Mountain’ Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing in his match against Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team. Iehl, looking to build on a remarkable previous day, had what seemed like an insurmountable lead however he hit a hole and unfavourable wind shift just before the finish line. At the same time, Minoprio caught a big gust that he rode all the way to the end, storming past Ihel just two boat lengths from the finish. The King of the Mountains clearly controls the wind however it was a hollow victory: “Damien did a really good job extending his lead around the course. Then, when it was almost all over, he sailed into a hole and we sailed round him. I really don’t feel good about it, but we need the points.”

Video highlights from day 4 of the St. Moritz Match Race. St. Moritz, 4 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT

No skipper was given Minoprio’s luck, forcing them to relentlessly pursue every possible advantage. A pre-start incident between triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team saw the umpires find in favour of the British team, as Ainslie explains: “It was a 50-50 situation in which we had to keep clear when Hansen luffed us hard. It was a difficult decision for the jury as to whether he had been too aggressive, or whether our response was too slow. Luckily they decided in our favour.”

Next up was a French derby between Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team against Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team. There was no love lost though as Richard tried to pin Pacé outside the line at the start. In a super-close rounding of the second mark, Richard had the favoured inside line, while Pacé collected a penalty for failing to give him space giving Richard the advantage which he held to the finish.

In what proved to be the final chapter of the day, Ainslie held a big lead over Hansen when a wind shift of such magnitude made it difficult for Hansen to hold the spinnaker. Despite vehement protest from Hansen’s team, the race was not abandoned giving Ainslie a second and decisive win to join Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar in the semi-finals.

Ben Aisnlie cruises to the semifinals. St. Moritz, 4 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT


The battle between the two wind systems continued through the afternoon, and despite supreme efforts by the race committee, racing eventually had to be abandoned for the day. The remaining quarter-final races to decide the two teams that will face Ainslie and Williams in the semi-finals, will take place at 1000 local time tomorrow morning.

Quarter-final results at the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: goes straight to semi-final
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAM ORIGIN: 2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 1
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 1
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 0
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 0
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 0

Mountains of Suspense at the St. Moritz Match Race

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] The tension was palpable deep in the Swiss Alps at the St. Moritz Match Race today as the final push to qualify for the quarter-finals reached fever pitch. While three teams were assured of their place, a further six started the day virtually tied on points, preparing to fight tooth-and-nail for the remaining four places and a chance to have a crack at taking the ‘King of the Mountain’ title.

At the head of the pack, Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team were majestic on the water, making light work of the tricky and shifty conditions that have characterised the racing on Lake St. Moritz. With their path to the next round soon assured, the scene was set for the other teams to front up and put their rivals on the next plane home.

What ensued was match racing at its most intense - the skippers pushed and often broke the rules of match racing and sportsmanship, keeping the on-water umpires fully occupied. Bill Edgerton, Chief Umpire, said: “The competition here is red hot, with sailors making quick-fire decisions and straying well into the interpretative part of the rules.”

Ian Williams is on a roll, leading the round robin and advancing directly to the semis. St. Moritz, 3 September 2010. Photo copyright Iain Roman / WMRT

The heavyweights of Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, lying second overall on the Tour before this event, America’s Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA and reigning ‘King of the Mountain’ Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, knew they each had a dogfight on their hands if they were to progress any further. Unfortunately for them, these three skippers faced a formidable challenge in the might of triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie, double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams, and current overall tour leader Mathieu Richard. Before going afloat, Mirsky summed up the challenge: “It’s a do or die day for us. We need to overtake at least one team but we’re up against Ainslie, Williams and Richard.”

In the first bout between Williams and Bruni, a constant mix of aggressive yet measured sailing created a fantastic spectacle in front of the grandstand, Williams eventually showing why he’s is a 2-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion by taking a closely-fought victory. The clouds were drawing in on the trio of increasingly apprehensive skippers, as Ainslie and Richard similarly outgunned Mirsky and Minoprio respectively.

Down but not out and with pride and the added incentive of substantial prize money at stake, the underdogs came back for more with renewed determination and eventually Bruni, Minoprio and Mirsky all led their opponents home.

The fight back meant four teams were then tied on 6-5 each, with the final three quarter-final places ultimately decided on count back, with Minoprio, Hansen and Iehl going through, while Bruni and Mirsky left to rue their missed opportunities.

A delighted Ainslie commented: “Conditions out there were very tough for everyone and we’re very happy to be going through to the quarter-finals. It was an interesting last race for us, we tried to offload a penalty by gybing on the layline to the windward mark instead of tacking but it didn’t work and Bruni got ahead.”

Ian Williams, added: “We’re very pleased to have a guaranteed top four position and a place in the semi-finals. We’ll be watching the quarter-finals very carefully, trying to learn more about how the breeze is structured on the course, and look for ideas to improve our boat handling.”

Elsewhere, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team and Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team both notched up a impressive victories to leave them each with a 6-5 scoreline whilst Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team took two bullets to secure his place in the next round.

Results after the Round Robin at the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 9-2
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAM ORIGIN: 8-3
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 7-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 7-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 6-5
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-5
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 6-5

Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA: 6-5
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 5-6
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 4-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-9
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-11

Damien Iehl scores 5 bullets on day two of the St. Moritz Match Race

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team was the aggressor on day two of The St. Moritz Match Race in Switzerland, storming through a run of five successive victories including a comprehensive defeat of the reigning 'King of the Mountain', Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing.

If the spectators expected the relative newcomer to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour to be apprehensive after a disappointing opening day, he did not show it. As the thermally-induced Maloja wind rushed in, the young Frenchman exhibited some deft moves on the water, leading Minoprio around mark one by three lengths and eventually extending his lead all the way to the finish.

Highlights from day 2 of the St. Moritz Match Race. St. Moritz, 2 September 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tour

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour has a rich history of nurturing the best match racing talent and Iehl looked every bit a champion in the making today. His next fight was against another super-tough opponent, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, currently ranked second in the Tour. The two skippers jostled and jabbed like boxers to gain the upper hand at the start with only inches separating them. This was toe-to-toe action. Mirsky gained the initial advantage, but Iehl read the subtleties of the wind to perfection, building what proved to be an insurmountable 10-length lead at the first mark.

With two victories under his belt Iehl was unstoppable, even by the might of triple Olympian and America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA. At the start the French team gained the favourable lee bow position and led the accomplished Italian round all three laps of the course.

Iehl, commented: "We had a clear game plan today which gave us the great starts we needed, as well as a strategy that delivered the best course through all the wind shifts. Our teamwork and manoeuvres were spot on too - it was a perfect progression for us from yesterday."

A classic French - British dogfight is developing between the front runners and if anyone is going to put a counter-attack together on Iehl, there's a strong chance it will come from Ian Wiiliams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar who leads the standings overnight, having won all three of his races today.

Triple Olympic gold medalist and America's Cup skipper, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN also demonstrated total dominance of his opponents with a clean sweep of victories, as did Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team.

With seven teams advancing to the next stage, three are confirmed as having made the quarter finals, but another six - including some veteran stars - are still in the hunt for the remaining four places.

Results after Day 2 of the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 7-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 5-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 5-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 5-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 5-4
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 4-4
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 4-4
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-7
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-8

All To Play For At The St. Moritz Match Race

[Source: World MAtch Racing Tour] The opening day of racing at the St. Moritz Match Race dawned bright but cold, with the surface of the lake covered in a thin layer of picturesque mist. However, the tranquil setting belied the intensity of racing that was to come most notably between the British and French teams.

The first start saw double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar pitched against local sailor Jérôme Clerc (SUI) Team CER Genève, who gained a wildcard invitation to the event. The young Swiss sailor proved from the outset that he has the talent to mix with sailing's biggest stars, taking the lead just after the start and holding it until tantalisingly close to the finish.

Clerc was next up against Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN. Approaching the first windward mark, Clerc held a small advantage slightly to windward of the British boat, but Ainslie pulled just far enough forward to slip above the Swiss skipper in a deft manoeuvre that cleared his way to round the mark first.
Clerc commented: "It was a lot of fun today - we're not really favourites, but we are really happy to be in contact with them and playing with them."

Adam Minoprio leads St Moritz Match Race 2010 after day one. St Moritz, 1 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT

Ainslie's fight with Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team saw the event's first piece of red-hot anger, including a collision, much shouting between the two teams, and a rapid succession of penalties even before the start gun was fired. With a red flag penalty - to be taken immediately - Iehl's race was effectively over at the start.

The Brits went on to dominate the first part of the day's racing, with both teams winning all their races, including Ainslie's match against current World Match Racing Tour leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team. "It's the start we wanted, even though we're a bit rusty having missed the last two events. The conditions were very tricky with 20-25 and even 30, degree windshifts and it was important to connect the gusts, especially downwind."

So what would happen when Ainslie and Williams went head-to-head? After close sparring in the pre-start, Williams held Ainslie out to the wrong side of the committee boat, winning the start by a length and a half. At the windward mark Williams misjudged his tack and collided with Ainslie, but maintained a tenuous lead. At the beginning of the final leg he had extended this to three-lengths, but still had a penalty turn to take before finishing - it was impossible to predict the result, until a gust allowed Williams to extend his lead 150m from the finish line.

Ian Williams,Team GAC Pindar, beats Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN in the round robin of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. St Moritz, 1 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT

The French teams came to the fore in the final races of the day. Ainslie and Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team were evenly positioned at the start, with Pacé at the left-hand end of the line. With the stronger gusts on the left-hand side of the course he quickly pulled out a small lead. Pacé, reflected: "Then we just tried to sail with the best wind, choosing the right side of the course and staying in phase with the wind shifts - it's easy to stay ahead of the other guy if you do that in these conditions."

The last race, between Mathieu Richard and Ian Williams, was also the closest. With 15 seconds to go the French skipper looked much too early, yet he found enough wriggle room to make a perfect start, much to the surprise of the spectator crowds. He led throughout the race by the tightest of margins - at the finish just one metre separated the two boats.

Richard, said: "The match with Williams was the most challenging for us today - it was so close all the way. We're very pleased with our results and the way we sailed, although we know we can still make small improvements."

It was also a good day for defending champion St. Moritz Match Race Champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, who top the rankings along with Williams at the end of day one, each of these skippers having won four races and lost one.

Results after Day 1 of the St. Moritz Match Race:
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing:4-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 4-1
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 4-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 3-2
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 3-2
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 2-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 2-3
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 2-3
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 1-4
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-5

Video: Highlights from Day 1 of the Stena Match Cup Sweden

Highlights from Day 1 of the Stena Match Cup Sweden. Marstrand, 6 July 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tour

Richard and Williams lead Stena Match Cup Sweden unbeaten

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] The wind switched on early for day one of Stena Match Cup Sweden. The 16 teams were separated into Groups A and B with flights concentrated into one morning race session. Five fast flights were completed in a stable 15 knots with stand out scores from Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar on a clean 4-0.

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team and Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team are next up at a respectable 3-1. The Swedish contingent experienced a brutal day afloat, both Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team and Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team are yet to score having lost all four of their races to date. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra are tied at 2-2. While Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing are both in a precarious position testing their fans nerves currently in cliff hanger spots at 1-3 which could see either of these Tour card holders leave Stage 5 earlier than anticipated.

Great start for Mathieu Richard with four straight wins. Marstrand, 6 July 2010. Photo copryight Loris von Siebenthal - myimage

Williams smiled his way back to the dock and ran through his final match of the day where he slammed a win over Gilmour, “We actually lost 3 out of 4 starts and in the last match against Gilmour we were behind up the first beat, he got good pressure out of the left to get ahead of us. I guess with Gillie having done well on the left we thought we would give it a try on that side and it came out well for us, we managed to get back into him and get a piece of him on port and then they put a leebow tack in onto port underneath us and we were then able to lift to windward. We got very close to the windward mark and he did a big luff and then we did a couple more luffs. When we eventually peeled away we did a slightly nicer job of the speed build and managed to cross him on port when we came back together at the top mark. We were then in the lead and defended from there”.

Ian Williams also caused some ructions in his match against Ainslie where he snuck past the triple Olympic gold medalist who finished in bottom position at Stena Match Cup Sweden last year. A bad spinnaker drop from Ainslie’s team allowed Williams to sail around the outside as they exited the mark which forced Ainslie to tack away. TEAMORIGIN Bowman Matt Cornwell then spent much of the second beat untangling the spinnaker. Ainslie commented on his equipment malfunctions today, “We had a couple of problems with the boat, the jib halyard wasn’t holding upwind and then we had an issue with the spinnaker at the bottom mark in the match against Ian which was a bit to do with the halyards and also user error. It was a frustrating race because we had a nice lead over him and we should win those but it happens sometimes”.

Ian Williams prevailed over Ben Ainslie and is now leading Group B with four straight wins. Marstrand, 6 July 2010. Photo copryight Loris von Siebenthal - myimage

A fatigued Richard, who is currently 17 points clear of Minoprio, on the World Match Racing Tour Championship leaderboard, commented after racing, “I don’t know if this will be another big points scoring event for my team yet because today it is just the beginning and in match racing the beginning is not as important as the end of the event. But it is always good to start well because with this format you need points at the start if you want to go through to the quarters. It will be tough for Minoprio I think for instance and this is why it is good to start well as there are only 4 spots in our group for the quarter finals”.

Bruni who has been in back to back match racing events since the start of the season thought that he hadn’t quite peaked in the performance stakes yet this week, “So far Sweden has been pretty good for us, we are on 2-2 so can’t complain. We had good starts out there but we missed a point against Richard due to a mistake from my side letting him get to the right of us, after which he managed to get a penalty on us. Apart from that it was good we always had good leads at the start. For this event we all want Richard to not be in the top 4 but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to play against him at all. It’s just a pity that we wasted a point against him in Portugal, but there is nothing we can do now, we have to move forward”.

The round robin stage at Stena Match Cup Sweden is considerably more pressurized than at previous Tour events. In each group of 8 teams only 4 will go through to the quarters resulting in seriously ramped up aggression in all the Swedish matches to date.

If only the French football team was as good as the French match racers in Match Cup Sweden. Damien Iehls beats Adam Minoprio and is second in Group A. Marstrand, 6 July 2010. Photo copryight Loris von Siebenthal - myimage

Day 1: Current Round Robin Standings

Group A
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 4-0
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-1
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 2-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 1-3
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 0-4
Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team 0-0
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team 0-0
Reuben Corbett (NZL) Black Sheep Racing 0-0

Group B
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 4-0
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 2-2
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 1-3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 0-4
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 0-0
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 0-0
Jesper Radich (DEN) Rudy Project Sailing Team 0-0

Video: Highlights from the 3rd day of the Portimao Portugal Match Cup

Video highlights from the 3rd day of the Portimao Portugal Match Cup. Portimao, 25 June 2010. Video copyright World Match Racing Tour

Williams and Mirsky tied at the top of Portimao Portugal Match Cup

[World Match Racing Tour] The breeze arrived early today on Day Three at Portimão Portugal Match Cup and by lunchtime a Mediterranean style chop developed off the mouth of the marina. The earlier racing changed tactics with crews having to keep their heads out the boat and look at the big picture. The wind stayed stable for the Tour sailors for the majority of race time with the start of white caps forming.

Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar had another outstanding set of matches at this latter stage of the Round Robin sitting pretty at 7-1. After 8 hours of back to back racing Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team was also satisfied sharing the same score as Williams after a physically demanding day of racing. Both of these top players have another 3 matches left to finish the Round Robin tomorrow.

After a very strong start to Stage 4, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ BlackMatch Racing, took a surprising dive today and he now has to win at least 2 of his remaining 3 matches to avoid an early trip home before the Quarter Finals even begin. As Minoprio commented earlier in the week it is easy to loose your focus here in such a holiday friendly environment.

Great performance by Torvar Mirsky. Portimao, 25 June 2010. Photo copyright Gareth Cooke / SubZero Images

A very positive Williams hit the dock today laughing with his crew, “It’s been pretty similar conditions to the rest of the regatta, nice and sunny and windy, it’s been good. We had some really tight tussles, Minoprio led us off the line but we had our heads out of the boat and managed to catch him up the first beat, get ahead and defend from there. All the others were pretty tight as well, but the key moments were always being able to stay ahead or just sneak ahead of the other guy”.

Mirsky, who seems to blossom in the Portuguese climate, chatted through his thoughts at this defining point in the event, “We feel comfortable in the SM40 boats, our crew work together is really good, we’ve been sailing as a unit for a few years now and it just feels easy that way. It’s just the Round Robin but to be leading this stage is really nice, there are still a few more races to go and we want to be first, hopefully we will get to race an easy person first in the quarters”.

Crews were quick to comment on the change in conditions that the early established breeze produced. Williams continued, “Yesterday the right paid with a starboard biased line and the right hand gate mark was favoured, today it was the opposite with a slightly biased pin and the gate was changing so I think that actually dictates the favoured sides a lot as well as the wind shifts.”

Ian Williams is on a roll in the 3rd day. Portimao, 25 June 2010. Photo copyright Gareth Cooke / SubZero Images

Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team, Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team and Manuel Weiller (ESP) Team Iberdrola are now out of the game and one more skipper has to fall. Each with three matches to sail the candidates are Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, Minoprio, Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, who will be rueing his loss against Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) Team Synergy. Hansen needs to win three to be safe, Minoprio has to win two. Gilmour and Richard have to win at least another race to go through. Whatever happens, the Round Robin result will go down to the wire tomorrow on Day 4 of Portimão Portugal Match Cup.

Day 3: Current Round Robin Standings

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 7-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 7-1
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 7-4
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge* 7-4
Manuel Weiller (ESP) Team Iberdrola 6-5
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing* 5-3
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-3
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 4-4
Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 4-7
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 3-5
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 1-10
Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) Team Synergy 1-10

* Deducted 0.5 point for damage

Mathieu Richard wins the 2010 Korea Match Cup

Going from strength to strength Mathieu Richard, the current leader of the ISAF World Match Racing Championship, prevailed over Britain's Ian Williams 3-1 and claimed the 2010 Korea Match Cup. "Third time lucky" didn't apply to Williams today as he found an opponent that mastered the light and shifty conditions off Jeongok Marina, and in particular the timing of the starts.

Mathieu Richard has now extended his lead in the World Match Racing Tour standings with 65 points, followed by Adam Minoprio on 39 points and Ian Williams on 30 points.

In the petit final, Sweden's Bjorn Hansen had no problem taking on Torvar Mirsky 2-0 and grabbing third place overall in the 2010 Korea Match Cup.

Race 1: It was a painstakingly slow race with a breeze that probably never passed the 4-knot barrier. First blood went to Ian Williams but it wasn't without pain. He got off the starting line with a clearly faster pace a couple of boatlengths ahead of Richard but the French found that slight puff on the right during the first beat and rounded the top mark ahead. Yet, the very light breeze played out in favor of Williams who regained the lead in the first run and held it until the finish line.

Mathieu Richard, the 2010 Korea Match Cup winner. Jeogonk Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Race 2: Mathieu Richard started the second race on a better foot as he managed to force a penalty on Williams just 30 seconds after the entry for a port-starboard incident. In addition, the French hit the starting line on much better pace, ahead of Williams that stayed very close, yet unable to close the gap with the French, let alone force a penalty on him or offload his and get ahead.

Race 3: Richard went from strength to strength and took the third race. Although the prestart was absolutely eventless, Richard had his timing on the spot while Williams gybed and stalled half a minute before the start in order to avoid being early. Richard was ahead by a boatlength on the pin end of the starting line and head all the way to the left, getting as close as possible to the exclusion zone. With just one tack in the first beat, Richard rounded the first weather mark half a minute ahead of Williams. The breeze had gotten a bit stronger and steadier and as a result, Williams couldn't count on its whims to find a passing opportunity. Richard kept his half-minute lead almost through the entire race.

Race 4: In the fourth race it seemed we were in the middle of the "Groundhog Day", reliving the action that took place 20 minutes ago. Once again, Richard was perfect in his timing and, once again, Williams missed his. Richard crossed the starting line on the pin end, two boatlengths ahead of Williams and again head to the left, rounding the top mark ahead. Not only did Mathieu held on to its lead in the 1st run, he saw the right shift coming in the 2nd beat, took advantage of it and stretched his lead.

Ian Williams and Mathieu Richard advance to the Korea Match Cup finals

The semifinals of the 2010 Korea Match Cup have just been completed and Ian Williams and Mathieu Richard will now fight for the title after beating Bjorn Hansen and Torvar Mirsky, respectively. Both skippers advance to the finals with a 2-0 score but all 4 races were much harder than the scores would imply.

Conditions, especially in the first flight, were, unfortunately, extremely light, and as Richard stated it felt more like sailing on lake Geneva. The first flight started with a breeze around 2-3 knots while the second one was sailed under a slightly stronger seabreeze that built up to, probably, 6-7 knots. The very low tide and wrong wind direction, perpendicular to the narrow channel, in the first flight meant PRO Harold Bennet had to work hard but he pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and finally made it.

Bjorn Hansen vs Ian Williams: The first semifinal race between Hansen and Williams got off under extremely light conditions, I doubt the breeze topped 4 knots. After a split start, Williams opted for the left while Hansen went right. As Hansen stated, under these conditions you might have one puff coming from the left then randomly another one from the right. According to the Swede, you needed some luck in order to win the race and it seems luck alternated. Williams was leading at the first weather mark, then trailing at the bottom mark, then regained his lead at the 2nd top mark and led until the finish line.

With the breeze slightly picking up to 6-7 knots, Williams showed that it is not luck but skills that eventually took him to the 2010 Korea Match Cup final. He had a great start, hitting the line on the pin end, ahead of Hansen, and opting for the left side of the course he comfortably led until the finish line.

Ian Williams leads Bjorn Hansen in the 2010 Korea Match Cup semifinal. Jeongok Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Gareth Cooke / SubZero images

Mathieu Richard vs Torvar Mirsky: The first race between the French match racing maestro and the young Australian star was probably the least exciting. Richard had an exceptional start and built an advantage of more than 4 boatlengths right off the starting line. Mirsky struggled to find anything that would allow him to close the gap and Richard crossed the finish line with a very comfortable lead.

The second race was by far more exciting with a handful of lead changes and a photo finish. Mirsky had an absolutely great start and squeezed Richard at the pin end. The young Australian was off the line at a good pace while his French opponent was stalled. Mirsky tacked and went to the right, apparently seeing something there, while Richard went to the left. Richard's call was right on the spot and a nice puff pushed him ahead, giving him the chance to get inside Mirsky at the top mark and round ahead of the Australian. In the first run, Mirsky again stuck to his strategy to stay on the right and got what he was looking for. The right paid and Mirsky rounded the bottom mark ahead. He managed to keep his lead in the 2nd beat and most of the last run. Nevertheless, it ain't over 'til it's over. Richard, despite an awful gybe, halfway the run, found another good puff on the left side of the course and passed Mirsky a couple of boatlengths before the finish line. It was a very close finish but Richard was ahead.

Mathieu Richard beats Torvar Mirsky and is a finalist in the 2010 Korea Match Cup. Jeongok Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Gareth Cooke / SubZero images

Williams, Richard, Hansen and Mirsky advance to the Korea Match Cup semis

To say that the 4th day of the 2010 Korea Match Cup was tough and testing would certainly be an understatement. Not only did the 8 quarter finalists had to face the usual shifty and puffy wind conditions off the Jeongok Marina, the 8 crews got soaked by the pouring rain for the best part of the day. Yet, there was close action aplenty, drama, comebacks and many flags flying.

Ian Williams was the first to advance to the semis, beating Pacé 3-0, Björn Hansen climbed from being down zero to beat Gilmour 3-2, Richard beat Bruni 3-2 after 5 intense races full of penalties while in the battle between the two young guns, Mirsky prevailed over Minoprio, sending the world's top-ranked match racer back home.

The semifinals and finals will take place on Sunday, closing day of the 2010 Korea Match Cup. Ian Williams picked Björn Hansen as his opponent, meaning that Mathieu Richard will have to face Torvar Mirsky.

My apologies for not having taken any pictures but it was really pouring, non-stop during the entire day!!

Ian Williams vs Bertrand Pacé: Williams showed he was in top form already in the first race. After a close prestart, Pacé crashed on Williams' yacht and got a penalty right on the start line for tacking too close. Although the French match racer rounded the weather mark ahead, Williams rolled over him in the first run and led until the finish line. In the second race, Williams had a great start on the pin end, going on the favored left side. He managed to maintain the lead, Pacé had some opportunities but was unable to close the gap.

If anyone had any doubts about Williams, he made sure they were dissipated in the third race. Pacé got off the start line in a stronger position and led the race until halfway down the final run, with Williams close behind. While the French had chosen to cross the finish line at the pin end, Williams had seen the committee boat bias and opted for the right, got ahead of Pacé and beat him by a second.

Ian Williams had no problems eliminating Bertrand Pacé. Jeongok Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / SubZero Images

Peter Gilmour vs Bjorn Hansen: The first race proved to be very tough for Hansen. He was handed a red flag at the start, so he had to immediately offload it but when executing it he got another one. From there it was an easy victory for Gilmour who stayed on top form in the second race, with a great start while Hansen blew his chances by being early over the line. There was little the Swede could do, Gilmour sailed smoothly, didn't make any dumb mistakes and kept the lead until the finish line.

While it seemed as an easy walk for Gilmour, Hansen was about to stage a formidable comeback, despite the penalties he received. In the third race, Hansen had a good start, stayed ahead but got a penalty in the run downwind for gybing too close to Gilmour. Still, Hansen stretched his lead and scored his first comeback point after offloading the penalty and crossing the line ahead of Gilmour. The fourth race was again about penalties but this time on Gilmour. The Australian got another one in the prestart on a port-starboard incident, handing the race over to Hansen. Gilmour got another penalty in the prestart of the final race but got the upper hand off the starting line. Still, both sailors were handed another penalty each, in yet another close incident in the final run but the balance didn't change. Hansen finished ahead of Gilmour and moved to the semifinals.

Amazing comeback performance by Bjorn Hansen. Jeongok Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / SubZero Images

Mathieu Richard vs Francesco Bruni: The first of the five titanic clashes between the French and the Italian was won by Bruni after Richard completely missed one of the yellow fixed buoys in the course, driving directly into it and completely tearing his spinnaker. Richard had to retire and hand the first point to Bruni. The roles reversed in the second race and the French match racing champion had a comfortable victory over Bruni. The Italian, on port side, got a penalty in the prestart when his stern collided with the stern of the French yacht. There was nothing Bruni could do and the point went to Richard.

Richard had an average start in the third race and gave Bruni the chance to get ahead. He tried to attack but the Italian sailed flawlessly, winning the race. Bruni started the fourth match strong off the line and was leading at the weather mark but a great comeback by Richard on the run gave him the opportunity to sneak inside Bruni at the bottom mark and force a penalty on him for not giving room. Richard got ahead and managed to keep his lead until the end. The fifth and decisive race was a nail-biting match racing exhibition but despite all the tricks Bruni tried to throw at Richard, the French stayed ahead until the finish line.

Torvar Mirsky was on fire in his races against Adam Minoprio. Jeongok Marina, 13 June 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / SubZero Images

Torvar Mirsky vs Adam Minoprio: The battle between the two young guns was a one-sided story. Mirsky prevailed in both races, from start to finish, comfortably winning two points against the world's top-ranked match racer that seemed to be completely out of form. Minoprio finishes a disappointing 6th in the Korea Match Cup.

Richard, Minoprio and Williams Lead on opening day of Korea Match Cup

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] The world was welcomed today to South Korea’s Province of Gyeonggi, host to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour’s 3rd Stage of 2010. The global sailing series is bringing the world to Gyeonggi and Gyeonggi to the world by profiling this ambitious venue as an elite match race destination.

During a visually stimulating opening ceremony, which included; a black belt taekwondo demonstration, naval gun salute, rendition of Abba, World Match Racing Tour teams parade and group singing of the Korean national anthem in a colossal open air stadium which saw Korea Match Cup commence.

The Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea addressed the 3000 strong crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of Korea Match Cup and the Korea International Boat Show, after a note of thanks to the Tour his speech confirmed the power of South Korea’s maritime leisure industry, “The ISAF World Match Racing Tour has inspired the people of Gyeonggi, it is one of Korea’s largest annual sporting events and is a powerful event for this region. It is rewarding to host such a high calibre set of sailors and will continue to create young talent for South Korea’s next generation of sailing sport enthusiasts”.

Opening day of the Korea Match Cup. Jeongok Marina, 9 June 2010. Photo copyright World Match Racing Tour

Gyeonggi has a vast international pull and has secured over 2,900 overseas companies to trade in this province, it is noted as ‘the foundation to Korea’s national economy’. Korea Match Cup annually inspires pro-racers from Europe, Asia and Australasia to travel to the race destination. The Northeast Asian hub is focusing on marine leisure and the tourist industry for its future growth, having recently attracted the world’s largest ‘Universal Studio Theme Park’ to take up residence.

The Tour takes in 10 international destinations around the world and allows the global recognition of each venue to grow through this unique sports platform. The WMRT venues have the ability to build an extensive profile and ‘communicate with the world’ through the professional sailing series.

Patrick Lim, Executive Chairman, ISAF World Match Racing Tour, accepted thanks from the Governor of Gyeonggi and highlighted Korea Match Cup as the biggest event on the 2010 Tour programme, “Stage 3 is a high profile event in the Tour annually attracting 300,000 spectators to watch some of the world’s top America’s Cup teams in action. Global fans will also be able to experience the action via live television coverage reaching 600 million households and live internet newsfeeds going to over 183 countries”.

Impressive opening ceremony of the Korea Match Cup. Jeongok Marina, 9 June 2010. Photo copyright World Match Racing Tour

Racing started after the formalities with a light breeze which saw slow tactical boat manoeuvres by the top helms. It was definitely a day for demonstrating the power of the local hero after Park GunWoo (KOR) Busan Match Team, noted as an ‘unknown quantity’ previous to Korea Match Cup, stole the limelight from esteemed match racer Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing. GunWoo, wildcard entry to Korea Match Cup, has racing experience in dinghy fleets but only started the match racing discipline in November 2009. This 28 year old helm has a fantastic potential and is a face that the seasoned skippers will need to take note of.

When asked how he felt after beating a legend today, an excited GunWoo responded, “I just can’t believe it, all the guys racing here are world famous skippers and we are just happy to have an entry and sail against these pro-racers. We sailed well and are very happy”. Gilmour was on hand to offer his congratulations to the new Asian racing star adding, “GunWoo sailed a very good race and provided no openings”.

The big names that have dominated the first two Stages of the 2010 Tour; Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/Black Match Racing and Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar have continued their consistency into Korea Match Cup all winning 3 out of 3 races on the first day’s racing.

Day 1: Current Round Robin Standings
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-0
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 3-0
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 3-0
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 2-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Gill Global Team 2-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 1-2
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 1-2
Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 1-2
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 1-2
Park GunWoo (KOR) Busan Match 1-2
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 0-3
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team 0-3

Williams and Mirsky Dominate Day Two of Match Race Germany

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Lake Constance transformed itself today into a match racing idle on the second day of Match Race Germany, Stage 2 of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT). As the clouds lifted, the sun shone down on the racing and the teams completed an impressive 9 flights. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, who started his 2010 Tour campaign here and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, dominated day 2 of the match race.

Meanwhile, Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team has kept up his consistent performance and is on level with Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team. On these short courses the trend is for victors to take a slight lead from the start and then work to be in an established position in front by the top mark, maintaining this to the finish.

Ian Williams couldn't have started the 2010 season in a better way. Langenargen, 21 May 2010. Photo copyright World Match Racing Tour

Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, enjoyed day 2 of racing, “The breeze and the sun were back today and we had 5 straight wins so we are very pleased. The team kept relaxed today and we picked up the good shifts. I was leading into the top marks which made our position easier to defend than yesterday”.

Williams is definitely taking a different approach to this year’s campaign, “Match Race Germany is our first event on the ISAF World Match Racing Tour for 2010 and we are a little behind as we didn’t compete in Marseille. This year I am approaching the Tour in a more laid back fashion and keeping positive, we are planning on taking one event at a time which is something we haven’t done previously”.

Mirsky related day 2 through his eyes, “The day was better than we expected. We had 5-10 knots of breeze when we were only expecting 2-3 knots, so in that respect it was a good day. We are really emphasizing on preparing for our starts here because if you aren’t the team out in front following the start it can be hard to get ahead. They are fairly short courses here and in these light winds it is simpler to keep the lead if you have a strong start. We lost two starts today and lost two matches”.

Mirsky still had to contend with the ‘Master of the World Match Racing Tour’ Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and today the Apprentice, Mirsky, was beaten “I said before the regatta that the tough competitor at this event would be Gilmour. He loves it here, the tricky wind conditions and the German built Bavaria 35 Match.

Gilmour was in fighting spirit as he hit the shore this afternoon saying, “From our point of view, we are in the early days of the regatta and are delighted to have beaten Mirsky today as he has been sailing very well with a good team. We often say that we start off slow and then we get a rumble on as things get going and we have done that today”.

Mathieu Richard, current circuit leader, sits 3rd after day 2. Langenargen, 21 May 2010. Photo copyright World Match Racing Tour

“There are several teams sailing very well here in Langenargen. It comes down to strategy and handling close matches. You have to be cool under fire and, of course, the extra decade of added experience helps!” he added.

Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, currently top on the Tour leader board after Match Race France, had a day of mixed fortunes. “We had a good morning winning both our matches. This afternoon we lost to Magnus Holmberg in our third match and our fourth match resulted in a protest against Jesper Radich which we lost”.

For many of the Tour Card Holders the sport of sailing is now their main occupation, having made the decision to pursue their passion and develop it into a career. The sailors rely on the water and the power of the racing world as their main source of income. With prize money for the 2010 Tour now valued at over US$1.5 million, the rewards of being a winning skipper on this year’s circuit are significant.

Day 2: Round Robin Result

Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 7-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 5-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 5-2
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 5-3
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 3-5
Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Proximo 2-5
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge 2-5
Kathrin Kadelbach (GER) EWE Sailing Team 2-6
Mads Ebler (DEN) Ebler Matchracing 2-6
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Gill Global Team 1-6