World Match Racing Tour, la Monsoon Cup è di Adam Minoprio
Match RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 6 Dicembre 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=4769 w=300 h=204 float=left]World Match Racing Tour – Kuala Terrenganu – Si è conclusa questa mattina a Kuala Terrenganu la Monsoon Cup, ultimo evento del World Match Racing Tour che ha assegnato un montepremi complessivo di 454.000 Dollari.
Ad aggiudicarsi il successo, superando in finale Ben Ainslie con un secco 3 a 0 è stato il neo campione iridato Adam Minoprio. Una vittoria netta e meritata, costruita su pre-paretnze aggressive e messa al sicuro con un bordeggio molto attento, che alla vigilia dei Quarti di Finale appariva quanto meno improbabile vista la risicata qualificazione ottenuta dallo skipper kiwi, passato al turno successiva come ottavo.
Tutto ciò mentre nella finale di consolazione Peter Gilmour superava per 2 a 1 Sebastien Col, già numero uno della ranking list mondiale e timoniere di All4One.
Finali
Adam Minoprio vs Ben Ainslie, 3 a 0
Peter Gilmour vs Sebastien Col, 2 a 1
Semifinali
Ben Ainslie vs Sebastien Col, 3 a 2
Adam Minoprio vs Peter Gilmour, 3 a 1
Quarti di Finale
Ben Ainslie vs Damien Iehl, 3 a 0
Sebastien Col vs Phil Robertson, 3 a 2
Adam Minopio vs Mathieu Richard, 3 a 0
Peter Gilmour vs Torvar Mirsky, 3 a 1
Monsoon Cup, Day 3
Ben Ainslie, Team Origin, 8-3
Sebastien Col, French Match Racing Team/All4One, 7-4
Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team, 7-4
Phil Robertson, Waka Racing Team, 7-4
Torvar Mirsky, Mirsky Racing Team, 7-4
Peter Gilmour, Yanmar Racing, 6-5
Damien Iehl, French Match Racing Team, 6-5
Adam Minoprio, Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing, 3-1
Magnus Holmberg, Victory Challenge, 5-6
Francesco Bruni, Team Azzura, 4-7
Ian Williams, Team Pindar, 4-7
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan, Taring Pelangi Team, 0-11
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR, MINOPRIO DEFEATS AINSLIE AND WINS THE MONSOON CUP
[World Match Racing Tour Press Release] The Monsoon Cup, the final event of the World Match Racing Tour, with MYR 1.57 millon (approx US$ 454,000) prize money was sailed on the Pulau Duyong basin in Kuala Terengganu in Malaysia this week.
Yesterday Adam Minoprio and his Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing crew of Tom Powrie, David Swete, Nick Blackman and Dan McLean won the ISAF World Match Racing Championship on the way to the Monsoon Cup finals.
Today the new World Champion sailed against the legendary Ben Ainslie, 32 year old British sailor, three-time Olympic gold medallist and ISAF World Sailor of the Year in 1998, 2002 and 2008. Ainslie’s mainsheet hand is double Olympic Gold medallist Iain Percy and the balance of his crew Matt Cornwell, Christian Kamp and Mike Mottl are considered amongst the best in the world.
The drama started even before the pre-start when the New Zealand skipper Minoprio sailed out of the sailing area and ran aground. Crew member Dave Swete stripped to his shorts and went into the water to check the keel for damage and to clean off any of the river mud that may have stuck.
In the first match of the final, Minoprio entered on port but headed to the starboard end of the box and had the pre-start advantage.
Ainslie was over early and was penalized for failing to keep clear. Minoprio too was over early but was able to duck back while Ainslie almost stalled and was slow to get back.
Minoprio had a massive advantage; he was in the current and steaming around the top mark while Ainslie was 18 seconds behind. In a risky attempt to close the gap, at the bottom of the course Ainslie went right and sailed into softer air.
Minoprio extended on the left and headed for home with a massive ten boat length lead and crossed the finish line first.
Now all the pressure was on Ainslie and Team Origin.
Across the line Minoprio commented: ‘A good race. We wanted the pin and we got it. We won’t be happy until its 3-0’.
Ainslie could only say ‘Adam and his guys sailed a good race. Now we have to try and turn it round’.
But it got worse in the second match as Minoprio timed his start perfectly and headed left, leaving Ainslie staggering.
Ainslie’s summary of the situation ‘Sorry guys.’ He headed right but bailed and flopped left. The Olympic master was struggling against his young rivals who were now two lengths ahead at the top mark.
As Minoprio crossed the line to go two up in the first to three, he said to his crew ‘one more.’
Ainslie said ‘We were on the ropes initially in the pre-start, but we escaped and led on the right. We need to win the next three races; its not going well for us at the moment we have to regroup.’
Regroup was what Team Origin certainly needed to do but the young World Champions were not about to help them.
Just seconds before the third race start, Minoprio saw pressure coming in from the right and did not contest the previously favoured left hand side. Ainslie hit the current on the left but it was not enough, Minoprio was around the mark two lengths ahead.
The elation in the voices on the BlackMatch boat could be heard. ‘Is this a reversal of the last Bermuda?’ ‘Come on concentrate’ replied Minoprio.
Twenty seconds ahead at the bottom mark, the Kiwis headed left and the Brits followed. With breeze up, Minoprio extended his lead.
On the third lap and on the right, Minoprio had private current and the best breeze.
During the week Ainslie either won easily or lost narrowly. So for him the final was a giant turn around.
There was anguish on Ainslie’s boat as a halyard came unclipped and the spinnaker fell down. Ainslie threw his sailing hat down in despair.
Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing team had won the Monsoon Cup.
The clearly elated Minoprio said ‘That last breeze call was the defining moment. It’s been a very intense event for us. We came in thinking that if we focussed on winning the Monsoon Cup, the ISAF World Match Racing Championship result would look after its self.
Finals
Adam Minoprio vs Ben Ainslie, 3 a 0
Peter Gilmour vs Sebastien Col, 2 a 1
Semifinals
Ben Ainslie vs Sebastien Col, 3 a 2
Adam Minoprio vs Peter Gilmour, 3 a 1
Quarter Finals
Ben Ainslie vs Damien Iehl, 3 a 0
Sebastien Col vs Phil Robertson, 3 a 2
Adam Minopio vs Mathieu Richard, 3 a 0
Peter Gilmour vs Torvar Mirsky, 3 a 1
Monsoon Cup, Day 3
Ben Ainslie, Team Origin, 8-3
Sebastien Col, French Match Racing Team/All4One, 7-4
Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team, 7-4
Phil Robertson, Waka Racing Team, 7-4
Torvar Mirsky, Mirsky Racing Team, 7-4
Peter Gilmour, Yanmar Racing, 6-5
Damien Iehl, French Match Racing Team, 6-5
Adam Minoprio, Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing, 3-1
Magnus Holmberg, Victory Challenge, 5-6
Francesco Bruni, Team Azzura, 4-7
Ian Williams, Team Pindar, 4-7
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan, Taring Pelangi Team, 0-11
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