Phil Robertson is the brand new NZ Match Racing Champion

Phil Robertson was today crowned the Telecom New Zealand Match Racing Championship beating Josh Junior 3-1 in the final. Robertson joins Dean Barker, Chris Dickson, Gavin Brady & Rod Davis on the list of names engraved on the New Zealand Match Racing Cup.

For the first time in the Championships, a strong southerly breeze greeted the four skippers as they headed out on to the Waitemata Harbour to contest the finals. In the petit final, William Tiller was 1-0 up on Reuben Corbett. Corbett was a little too eager to get the match back on level pegging, crossing the start line early and gifting Tiller 3rd place overall.

Robertson started the day knowing he was 1 up on Josh Junior and his crew were determined to increase their 18 match unbeaten streak. However it was obvious Junior was not going to let Robertson have it all his own way and make the finals a clean sweep. Their matches produced toe to toe racing with both skippers sailing well in conditions more suited to the Wellington based skipper Josh Junior.

The brand new New Zealand Match Racing champions. Auckland, 21 November 2010. Photo copyright Brad Davies

Junior in keeping the pressure on Robertson in the first race of the morning copped a penalty leaving Robertson 2-0 up going into the 3rd flight. Junior pounced when an unusual slip in Robertson’s crew work led to a bad kite hoist. Despite Robertson having a real crack at Junior on the last downwind leg, there was not enough run way to get past and Junior crossed the finish line a mere 2 seconds ahead of his rival. 2-1.

In what turned out to be the last race of the day, Robertson and his crew had a great start, but with Junior bringing the breeze with him all the way down the course and slowly closing the gap it was a nervous skipper & crew who finally crossed the finish line 6s ahead to claim the win and the Championships, 3-1.

“We had a lot of fun out there, but it was hard work. We had some tight matches, despite what the deltas might show. We sailed well today in the final, but we had to, as there was a strong breeze today and you are vulnerable if you go hunting penalties in that breeze – it’s just not worth it” said Robertson after being presented with the New Zealand Match Racing Cup.

Phil Robertson sails to victory in the New Zealand Match Racing championship. Auckland, 21 November 2010. Photo copyright Brad Davies

I’m proud of where we finished in the Championships” said Junior. “I only put together our crew 5 weeks ago and we have been practising about 3 times a week since. We feel we really stepped it up coming in to the finals and we’re very pleased with our result. Phil sailed well and he was tough to beat. Coming 2nd for us is a great end to our Championships.”

Robinson will be feeling buoyed by his team’s performance. Next week they’re off to compete in their Sunseeker Australia Cup in Perth in which Tiller & Corbett are also competing. That will be the last match racing event in their build up to the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia in December.

FINAL RESULTS

1st - Phil Robertson
2nd - Josh Junior
3rd - Will Tiller
4th - Reuben Corbett
5th - Chris Dickson
6th - David Wood
7th - Dan Pooley
8th - Samantha Osborne
9th - Byeong Ki Park

Phil Robertson leads NZ Match Racing Championship

This morning’s raising of the AP flag on the Committee Boat, as she wallowed on the flat & glassy waters of the Waitemata Harbour had everyone wondering whether the predicted wind would actually arrive. Even the two national flags on top of the Auckland Harbour Bridge were limp. But with a delay of only an hour, Race Officer Megan Kensington was able to lower the AP flag and the first matches of the Telecom New Zealand Match Racing Championships were underway.

Conditions remained perfect for the remainder of the day. The 10-12 knot northerly breeze was so consistent that the set race course remained the same for the entire day and none of the marks required adjustment. With little tide, unusual in these waters, even the offset mark was not required.

Kensington, along with International Umpire Jeff Borland of the US, remarked on the day’s perfect conditions commenting that it was one of the easiest days of match racing they had ever managed. Seven flights were completed in Round Robin 1 and for what must be a record in match racing, only one penalty awarded (for a port/starboard in a pre-start).

There were no upsets until the 4th match of Flight 3 when Dan Pooley, skipper of the young team from the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, beat seasoned match racer Chris Dickson. Providing extra motivation, included in Dickson’s crew was their coach, Guy Pilkington, their 17 second win understandably the highlight of their day.

Bottom placed Samantha Osborne also caused an upset with her 18 second victory over top ranked Reuben Corbett. Korean skipper Byeongki Park also claimed the scalp of Phil Robertson in a tight race by just 10 seconds.

However, it was only a matter of time before the tally of wins grew for the more experienced match racers with Dickson and Robertson tied in first position with 5 wins and 1 loss each at the end of the day’s racing.

Reuben Corbett will be hoping for a better day tomorrow to complete Round Robin 1. Ranked 12th in the world, he is currently sitting in 5th place with 3 wins and 3 losses.

Racing continues on Friday with the first start scheduled for 1000 hours. Conditions are once again expected to be light.

Current Standings
Robertson 5 wins/1 loss
Dickson 5/1
Junior 4/2
Tiller 4/2
Corbett 3/3
Pooley 2/5
Park 2/4
Wood 2/5
Osborne 1/5

New Zealand Match Racing Championships start on Thursday

Race 1 of the Telecom New Zealand Match Racing Championships 2010 gets underway at 1000 hrs on Thursday 18th November, a day later than originally scheduled. This is due in part to Emirates Team New Zealand match racing in Dubai and other skippers competing on the World Match Racing Tour. The delay however affords those competing two days of practice in the Farr MRX yachts .

Whilst last year’s winner Laurie Jury is unavailable to defend his title, five skippers return from 2009, each hoping to improve on their performance. Reuben Corbett from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) finished 2nd in 2009 and is one of the favourites hoping to have his name engraved on the New Zealand Match Racing Cup. Corbett, currently ranked 12th on the ISAF World Match Racing ranking list knows his competition will be strong. Chris Dickson (3rd in 2009), Josh Junior (5th), representing Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and Will Tiller (6th) will all be hoping it is their name on the Cup at the end of the Championships.

Both Corbett & Tiller (ranked 34th in the world) have tasted match racing success in 2010 and no doubt their matches will be hotly contested. Corbett was first in the 2010 Sail of the White Knights, Grade 1, National Congress Palace Cup in Russia and the York Cup in Toronto, Canada whilst Tiller defended his title in the Governor’s Cup in Balboa, California and won the Warren Jones U25 Regatta in Perth.

Phil Robertson will also be providing stiff competition. Robertson (ranked 18th) won the 2010 BMW Sailing Cup World Final in Auckland as well as the Knickerbocker Cup in New York and will be eager to ensure he comes out in the top 4 at the end of the two round robins, having narrowly missed out on the semi finals when he last competed in 2008.

The other competitor returning this year is the Championship’s only female skipper, Samantha Osborne. Osborne is part of the Yachting New Zealand Womens Match Racing Olympic Squad and will be aiming to improve on her performance of 10th in 2009 and challenge the boys on the water. Osborne is sailing with a mixed crew, calling on the RNZYS Commodore Ross Masters as her pitman.

Byeongki Park from Korea is the Championships’ only international entry. Park, ranked 356th and his Korean crew, representing Geoje-si Yacht Club arrived in New Zealand on Friday and have been enjoying the City of Sails whilst overcoming jet lag. They were among the first to register today and spent the day practising in the 20 knot northerly breeze on the waters in front of the Squadron.

Skippering the Squadron’s Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme entry this year is Dan Pooley. No doubt Pooley and his young crew will be keen to beat coach Guy Pilkington who is crewing with Chris Dickson and other Youth Training Programme members.