2011 World Match Racing Tour

[MLovett]

Mixed Bag for Aussies at Stena Match Cup Sweden

July 7, 2011 – Marstrand, Sweden: It was the Australian duo of Peter Gilmour and Keith Swinton who dominated the headlines on day two of Qualifying at Stena Match Cup Sweden – but for very different reasons.

After eight flights of racing it was young skipper Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing who emerged as one of the form sailors with three straight wins in tricky conditions boosting him up to the business end of the standings. But it was disappointment for Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing who wound up at the bottom of the table after failing to bag any wins in what was a frustrating day for the four-time World Champion match racer.

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, the third Australian competing on the waters of Marstrand Fjord, overcame yesterday’s defeat by local skipper Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team to add three wins to his tally, suffering only at the hands of Portimao Portugal Match Cup winner Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, the day’s other stand-out skipper.

Buoyed by a win over fellow Antipodean Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing in day one of Qualifying yesterday, Swinton came out firing this morning with a dominant display against Match Race France winner Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team, winning the start and commanding the left side of the course. There was no catching Swinton who opened his scorecard for the day with a big win over his French rival.

The starts were key to Swinton’s success, bossing opponents Rasmus Viltoft (DEN) Team Viltoft and Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team around the box in the pre-start sequence to gain the upper hand in both races. Victories against both teams shot Swinton to the head of the leaderboard after eight flights, with 13 more to sail.

“We had a great day on the water today,” said Swinton, who spends his time off the Tour coaching women’s match racing in nearby Gothenburg. “We did a reasonable job in the starts, sailed well and tried to stay relaxed. It seemed to pay off for us. We’ve got a great mix on the boat – two Australians and three Swedes – and we mesh really well together. We’re having a good time too which is really important. We’re now just going to try to win as many races as we can. It’s a tough field and we have a lot more races to go so we will just see how it goes.”

Swinton chats to WMRT about his success on the racecourse today in this video.

It couldn’t have been a more different story for Peter Gilmour, who after eight flights had failed to score a win from four matches. Gilmour, currently lying second in the overall World Match Racing Tour standings behind Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni, suffered successive defeats to Mirsky, Marinho, Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team.

With racing still continuing, don’t miss The Today Show with Hannah White for a wrap-up of the days’ action at www.wmrt.com from 2030 local time (GMT+2). Tune in tomorrow for The Morning Show for a preview of the third Qualifying Session with live streaming on the WMRT website from 1400 to 1600.

Results after the second Qualifying Session Flight 8:
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 4-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 4-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 3-1
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 3-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 3-2
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 2-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 2-2
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 2-2
Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing 2-3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 2-3
Rasmus Viltoft (DEN) Team Viltoft 1-4
Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team 1-4
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 0-4

[MLovett]

Gilmour on the Ropes at Stena Match Cup Sweden

July 8, 2011 – Marstrand, Sweden: Peter Gilmour is in danger of becoming one of the big-name casualties of the Stena Match Cup Sweden as the intensity ramps up in Marstrand. After 17 flights the four-time match racing World Champion had scored only three wins but suffered six losses on the waters of Marstrand Fjord.

Even if Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing wins all three of his remaining matches his future in the Cup would still hang in the balance and his continuation to the Quarter Finals would be decided by a tie-break situation. With just 28 points separating Gilmour – currently second on the overall World Tour leaderboard – with tenth place an early exit from the competition could be seriously damaging to his campaign for a fifth world title.

Even before racing started today the pressure was on for Gilmour, with five back-to-back losses from yesterday’s Qualifying Session. A win over Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing, one of yesterday’s form skippers, gave Gilmour’s team a much needed boost, followed up by a convincing win against Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing in the next flight thanks to some aggressive tactics.

But his fortunes turned in his race against Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar as the Portimao Portugal Match Cup winner came from behind on the second windward leg to snatch a narrow victory. Last year’s Stena Match Cup Sweden runner-up Jesper Radich then inflicted more misery onto Gilmour with a solid performance in the strengthening breeze.

A win over Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team saved Gilmour from certain exit but now Gilmour must win all three of his remaining matches – including one against current Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – to remain in contention. It is lining up to be a great fight, with Bruni also teetering around the danger zone with just four wins to his name.

The third Qualifying Session is still underway and an update will be provided at www.wmrt.com once racing is finished for the day.

Results after the second Qualifying Session Flight 17:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 9-2
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 8-2
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 6-4
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6-4
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 5-3
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 5-5
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 4-6
Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing 4-5
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 4-5
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 4-6
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 4-6
Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team 3-6
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 3-6
Rasmus Viltoft (DEN) Team Viltoft 2-7

2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 4):
1 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 81pts
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 58pts
3 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar - 46pts
4 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team - 45pts
5 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 45pts
6 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 43pts
7 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 40pts
8 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 35pts
9 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 31pts
10 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team - 30pts

[MLovett]

Gilmour and Hansen Storm into Semis at Stena Match Cup Sweden

July 9, 2011 – Marstrand, Sweden: Peter Gilmour staged an incredible comeback today to book his place in the Semi Finals of Stena Match Cup Sweden. Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, the World Match Racing Tour’s elder statesman, proved experience is everything as he sent fellow countryman Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat packing in a fine Quarter Final display.

Gilmour turned his fortunes around on the waters of Marstrand Fjord defeating Mirsky, one of the form skippers in qualifying, in three straight wins. Gilmour’s hopes of his first event win of the 2011 season are still alive – but first he must face Portimao Portugal Match Cup winner Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar in the Semi Finals tomorrow. The pair have met six times so far this season, with Williams winning on every occasion.

It will be a Scandinavian scrap in the other Semi Final pairing as Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team, winner of the 2007 Match Cup Sweden, takes on last year’s runner-up Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners.

Four-time match racing world champion Gilmour was below par in the Qualifying Sessions, only just scraping into the Quarter Finals after scoring two crucial wins this morning against World Match Racing Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing and Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team. At the end of Qualifying Gilmour was caught in a five-way tie for the three remaining places in the Quarter Finals, sneaking in on a countback that saw Berntsson and Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing sent home.

More than 30 years of match racing experience then came into play as Gilmour and his team refocused their efforts and came out firing against Mirsky, swiftly taking his tally to 2-0. With Mirsky on the ropes Gilmour continued to apply the pressure – and it worked to great effect, the young Australian’s temper boiled over at the first mark in response to two successive penalties from the on-the-water umpires.

Mirsky was left with no option but to take his penalty turns allowing Gilmour to stretch to an unassailable lead and sail into the Semi Finals. Despite a relatively low win rate – just 45% going into this event – Gilmour continues to win the matches that count. A win for Gilmour would see him overtake Tour leader Francesco Bruni, who failed to make the Quarter Finals in Sweden, in the overall Tour standings.

Watch a video from onboard The Wave Muscat as they collide with Gilmour's YANMAR Racing here.

Gilmour said: “We sat down and had a team talk last night. We knew if we sailed well in our last two matches there was a chance we could still make the Quarter Finals. This morning’s wins proved to be crucial and we scraped through into the quarters. Going into the Quarter Finals is a complete restart and if you don’t shift your way of thinking you can really lose your mojo. It’s really important to just start again. I’m quite good at being able to clear my head of everything that has gone before me.

“In race one against Torvar I saw him tighten up a bit – he’s usually much smoother. He went 2-0 down and then he had a John McEnroe moment at the judges so we knew he was riled and we kept grinding away at him and won the third race. We’re delighted to be in the Semi Finals.”

It is the second time in two events Mirsky has been strong in Qualifying but then eliminated in the Quarter Finals.

“I’ve never felt so hard done by by the umpires,” Mirsky said, still reeling from the decision. “They let Gilly get away with murder. From that moment on it was race over. The Tour is getting on a bit now and we haven’t had the results we were looking for so far. We are all pretty down about that. We really feel we are sailing well and that we’re on top of things on the water but maybe when things heat up and the pressure is on we aren’t up to scratch. We have a full-on sailing programme this year so we’re always learning and we’ll be back in St Moritz to vie to be King of the Mountain.”

Mirsky talks about his second consecutive Quarter Final exit in this video.

Thousands of spectators packed the shoreline to watch Swedish sailing star Hansen defeat Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing in back-to-back wins. Hansen has been open about his desire to hold a Tour Card – and his performance here in Sweden is doing his campaign no harm.

Hansen, the top ranking skipper after Qualifying, said: “We felt uncomfortable in the last race of Qualifying and the first race of the quarter final. The winds were shifting and Phil did a good job at coming back at us time and again. We then seemed to click and really enjoyed the remaining races. Our goal this year was to find a consistent team. We’ve raised our level since the first couple of regattas. We’re now calmer on board and enjoying our sailing.”

Hansen now faces a Semi Final battle with Jesper Radich, who put on a dominant performance to defeat Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-1. The Semi Finals will kick off tomorrow morning with the Final taking place in the afternoon. The Morning Show with Hannah White will preview what is set to be a fantastic day of racing at www.wmrt.com from 0900 local time (GMT +2). Live action and analysis from the Final will be streamed at www.wmrt.com from 1300, and Hannah will be talking with the 2011 Stena Match Cup winner on the Today Show as soon as racing is over.

Quarter Final results:
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team defeated Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing 3-0
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar defeated Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-1
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners beat Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-1
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing defeated Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 3-0

2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 4):
1 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 81pts
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 58pts
3 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar - 46pts
4 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team - 45pts
5 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 45pts
6 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 43pts
7 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 40pts
8 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 35pts
9 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 31pts
10 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team - 30pts

[MLovett]

Williams Secures Back-to-Back Wins After Lifting Stena Match Cup Sweden

July 10, 2011 – Marstrand, Sweden: Ian Williams ensured Stena Match Cup Sweden stayed in British hands today as he scored his second consecutive win of the 2011 World Match Racing Tour. Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar picked up where 2010 event winner Ben Ainslie left off, coming from behind to defeat local hero and arch rival Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team in an exciting five-match finale.

After his victory on the waters of Marstrand Fjord last year Ainslie went on to win the World Championship – and Williams will be aiming to pick up his third world title after closing the gap at the top of the overall Tour standings. The win moves Williams within three points of second-placed Peter Gilmour (AUS) and within ten points of Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing.

“It was an incredible final,” Williams said. “We improved throughout and in that last deciding race, we were racing smoothly which allowed us to stay close to them and we took our opportunity when it came at the top mark.

“It’s unbelievable to come through in that style – to come from behind. The team is new this year, we needed time to settle in so while we won some other match race events before the start of the Tour, we’re now improving with every race.”

In 2007 Hansen became the first Swede to win Match Cup Sweden – but his dreams of a second title were shattered this afternoon by Williams’ on-fire team. It’s the second time in two events that Hansen has been beaten in the knockout rounds by Williams.

A devastated Hansen said: “We sailed well all week – we know it’s not easy to beat Ian but right now we’re disappointed. We felt he should have had two penalties and before we knew it, it was us who carried two [penalties]. It’ll take a bit of time and a few beers to get over it but that’s match racing.”

Swedish sailing star Hansen delighted the home crowds with a win in the opening match of the Final, stretching out just enough of a lead on the final sprint to the finish line to take a penalty turn and sneak across the line just metres ahead of Williams.

Williams responded, taking total control of the prestart and forcing Hansen over the start line. With Williams charging off to the first mark it looked like bad news for Hansen but the Swede made great gains up the left side of the course to claw his way back into the match. Hansen attacked but Williams defended well and was looking good until the last 70 metres of the final run when Hansen picked up a puff of breeze working down the course. Accelerating towards the line it looked like Hansen could steal the win but Williams escaped a last-ditch luff and rolled round Hansen’s bow to claim the victory and equal the scores.

The third match saw Williams nail the start with a full boat-length lead over Hansen. Once again Hansen fought back and soon had Williams pinned into the light winds on the far side of Marstrand Fjord. Halfway up the first leg Hansen found himself in front and it was a lead he would defend until the finish line to take the scores to 2-1. The pressure was on Williams to score to stay in contention – and score he did. It was Williams’ textbook start which proved crucial in match four, and Hansen never recovered.

With racing poised at two wins each the final – decided by the first team to reach three points – went to sudden death. It seemed the Nordic gods were on Williams’ side as he escaped a penalty call in the prestart and again at mark one. Despite trailing Hansen for the first lap of the decider, Williams all but sealed the victory at the last mark forcing two penalties on to Hansen. With Hansen left with no choice but to take an immediate penalty turn his dreams of a second Stena Match Cup Sweden title were fading fast. Hansen could do little as Williams passed him and sailed the final leg to victory.

Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners secured third place, his best result of the 2011 season, with a 2-1 victory over Gilmour in the Petit Final. After an opening win for Gilmour, Radich levelled the scoring in match two. Gilmour’s bid for third took another blow as he was then docked one point for a collision earlier in the match. With just one more win needed to secure the final podium position, Radich led off the start line and never looked back, winning by a huge margin.

Radich said: “This is our best result of the year. We have struggled this week – I made a few mistakes but the good thing about this sport is that it’s not about the skipper but the team around you. I know we still have some more in the bag and we will get stronger as we progress.”

With five stages complete and three more remaining, the 2011 World Match Racing Tour couldn’t be more exciting. Just 28 points separate first and eighth, while six points separate fourth and eighth place on the leaderboard. The next stage of the Tour will see racing head to St Moritz in Switzerland from August 30 to September 4 where the skippers will vie for the title of King of the Mountain.

Stena Match Cup Sweden Final:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar beat Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 3-2

Petit Final
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners beat Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 2-1

2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 5):
1 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 81pts
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 74pts
3 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar - 71pts
4 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 59pts
5 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 59pts
6 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 57pts
7 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team - 57pts
8 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 53pts
9 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 39pts
10 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team - 34pts

[Bessie11]

fantastic
Ian Williams Wins Stena Match Cup Sweden, Stage 5 of the World Match Racing Tour