World Match Racing Tour, in Germania il re è Ainslie
Match RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 1 Giugno 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=2625,300,204,,left]World Match Racing Tour – Langenargen – Sopravvissuto ad un avvio piuttosto impegnativo, il pluri medagliato olimpico Ben Ainslie ha conquistato questa mattina la sua prima vittoria in un evento del World Match Racing Tour.
Ainslie, qualificatosi per la finale grazie al quinto posto ottenuto nel Rond Robin e in virtù dei seguenti successi ottenuti contro Ian Williams (3-2.25 dopo essere stato sotto 0-2 e aver perso in mare il suo tattico Iain Percy) e Peter Gilmour (3-2), ha fatto suo il Match Race Germany battendo per 3 a 1 Damien Iehl, giunto al duello conclusivo dopo aver eliminato Francesco Bruni e il connazionale Mathieu Richard.
Passato sul 2 a 0, il campionissimo della classe Finn, mentre Gilmour chiudeva terzo battendo Richard 2 a 0, ha concesso a Iehl il punto della bandiera, ma non ha sprecato il secondo match point e ha incassato l’assegno riservato al primo e i 25 punti utili a balzare tra i primi della classifica generale del circuito, che mai come quest’anno è parso equilibrato e divertente.
Dopo due tappe, infatti, Ainslie è al quarto posto della graduatoria, dietro ad Adam Minoprio, vincitore a Marsiglia ma eliminato già nelle battute iniziali in Germania, e alla coppia Richard-Iehl, portacolori di una Francia che con il match race pare proprio andarci a braccetto.
La prossima prova del World Match Racing Tour avrà inizio tra solo due giorni in Corea.
Final
Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team 3-1
Petit Final
Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing vs Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Team 2-0
Semifinals
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team vs Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Team 3-1.5
Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing 3-2
Quarter finals
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team vs Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Joe Fly 3-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar vs Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin 2.25-3
Round Robin
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Team
2. Peter Gilmour (AUS), Yanmar Racing
3. Francesco Bruni (ITA), Team Joe Fly
4. Ian Williams (GBR), Bahrain Team Pindar
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR), Team Origin
6. Damien Iehl (FRA), French Team
7. Adam Minoprio (NZL), ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
8. Sébastien Col (FRA), French Team/K-Challenge
9. Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Team Onboard
10. Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team
11. Eric Monnin (SUI), Team Search.ch
12. Carsten Kemmling (GER)
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR, AINSLIE WINS IN GERMANY
[WMRT Press Release] An estimated 45 000 people have experienced the sights and sounds of Langenargen this week as the town played host to the second stage of the World Match Racing Tour. Match Race Germany ended today with Ben Ainslie (GBR) and Team Origin taking 1st place in a first to three points final against Damien Iehl (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team.
Ainslie drew first blood in the final. He then went on to defeat Iehl in the second match, however Iehl was not going to let his Match Race Germany title go without a fight. He secured the third match only to be out mastered by Ainslie in the fourth and final match. This is the first event for Team Origin on the Tour this year and the win catapults Ainslie to 4th place on the World Tour standings with 25 points. However the 20 points gained for being runner up takes the Frenchman to joint 1st place with fellow country man Mathieu Richard on the Tour standings.
Ainslie’s crew included Iain Percy (tactics), Christian Kamp (trimmer), Mike Mottl (mainsheet) and Matt Cornwell (bow). They finished the regatta with 25 points towards the Tour standings and won $10,000 of the $50,000 prize purse.
In the petit-final Peter Gilmour defeated Mathieu Richard 2 -0.
Mathieu Richard: “I am very happy I am tied for first place on the Tour with my very good friend Damien, this is great for the French Team.”
“Ben made the right decisions on picking the shifts and winning the starts and it is disappointing to not have won but we are still number one on the Tour standings” said a delighted Damien Iehl.
Ben Ainslie added: “It’s been difficult conditions all week with the shifty breeze but I have a great team around me and it’s all been about team work. The competition has been tough but it has been a great week. We look forward to coming back next year.”
With the second stage of the Tour now complete, sailors could be seen hot footing it to the airport en route to the Korea Match Cup where the third stage will start in a couple of days time.
Final
Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team 3-1
Semifinals
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team vs Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Team 3-1.5
Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing 3-2
Quarter finals
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team vs Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Joe Fly 3-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar vs Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin 2.25-3
Round Robin
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Team
2. Peter Gilmour (AUS), Yanmar Racing
3. Francesco Bruni (ITA), Team Joe Fly
4. Ian Williams (GBR), Bahrain Team Pindar
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR), Team Origin
6. Damien Iehl (FRA), French Team
7. Adam Minoprio (NZL), ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
8. Sébastien Col (FRA), French Team/K-Challenge
9. Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Team Onboard
10. Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team
11. Eric Monnin (SUI), Team Search.ch
12. Carsten Kemmling (GER)
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