World Match Racing Tour, Minoprio, Williams, Richard, Mirsky: chi vincerà?
Match RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 20 Giugno 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=2858 w=300 h=204 float=left]World Match Racing Tour – Troia – Saranno Adam Minoprio, Ian Williams, Mathieu Richard e Torvar Mirsky i semifinalisti del Troia Portugal Match Cup, evento di match race valido come quarto appuntamento del World Match Racing Tour. I quattro skipper hanno ottenuto il diritto a disputare il penultimo atto della manifestazione lusitana al termine di quattro Quarti di Finale particolarmente combattuti. Quattro nomi che gravitano tutti nelle prime posizioni della ranking list mondiale di specialità.
La curiosità della giornata sta nel fatto che proprio il match tra il più giovane e il più vecchio – Adam Minoprio vs Peter Gilmour – sia stato quello che ha richiesto la disputa di 5 duelli prima di giungere a un verdetto definitivo. Gli altri, invece, si sono chiusi sul 3 a 1. E’ con questo punteggio che Philippe Presti, dominatore del Round Robin, ha lasciato il passo a Torvar Mirsky e che il numero uno, Sebastien Col, si è inchinato davanti al due volte iridato Ian Williams.
Match comunque molto combattuti, anche grazie alla brezza sugli 8-10 nodi e all’impiego degli SM 40, barche perfette per la disputa di duelli uno contro uno.
L’evento si concluderà domani, con la disputa delle semifinali e delle finali.
Quarti di Finale
Mirsky vs Presti, 3-1
Richard vs Hansen, 3-1
Col vs Williams, 1-3
Gilmour-Minoprio, 2-3
Round Robin Results
1st Philippe Presti (FRA), French Match Racing Team
2nd Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team
3rd Peter Gilmour (AUS), Yanmar Racing
4th Ian Williams (GBR), Bahrain Team Pindar
5th Adam Minoprio (NZL), ETNZ/BlackMatch
6th Sebastien Col (FRA), French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge
7th Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing
8th Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Team Onboard
9th Phil Robertson (NZL), Waka Racing
10th Alvaro Mourinho (POR), Seth Sailing Team
11th Ian Ainslie (RSA), Team Proximo
12th Andrew Arbuzov (RUS)
FOUR ON TOP AT TROIA PORTUGAL MATCH CUP
[World Match Racing Tour Press Release] After a long first-to-three point Quarter-Final series, four teams have emerged on top to compete in tomorrow’s Semi-Final stage of the Troia Portugal Match Cup, the fourth stage in this year’s World Match Racing Tour. Out of the four pairings of Quarter-Finalists, only one went to five matches before being decided, whilst the others were all completed after four.
The four Semi-Finalists are Adam Minoprio (NZL) and his Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch team, Ian Williams (GBR) and his Bahrain Team Pindar, Mathieu Richard (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team, and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and his Mirsky Racing Team. All four are currently lying in the top eight of the World Championship standings, holding, respectively, the first, third, fourth, and eight positions on the leaderboard.
There may be some metaphorical value in the fact that the one pair that went to five had the oldest and youngest skippers doing battle against each other, with both also being from the Southern hemisphere. In his matches against Tour veteran Peter Gilmour (AUS) and the Yanmar Racing Team, Minoprio had some highly spirited encounters to keep Chief Umpire Shane Borrell and his International umpire team busy with numerous whistles and penalty flags in nearly all their matches.
One of the reasons for this high level of aggressiveness was not just the usual incentive to win Tour points and a piece of the 50,000 Euro prize money purse, but that the 8-10 knot wind conditions were perfect for tight manoeuvring in the Swedish Match 40’s used in this event. Also, in the Rio Sado course area just north of the Troia Resort venue a strong flood current early followed by a strong ebb later in the day made the pre-start fight for the favoured end all the more intense in each match.
Another particularly aggressive pair was the match-up between Ian Williams and Sebastian Col (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge. Col had a good start to the series, winning their first match, but this ignited Williams determination, taking three straight by showing an aggressive style and smooth teamwork appropriate for the reigning two-time World Match Race Champion. Col won this event last year, and finished last year’s Tour overall as runner-up to Williams, but has been having problems finding his stride as yet this year.
So, tomorrow will be the final day of match race action on the Rio Sado at Troia Resort, with results and reports of the Semi-Final and Final rounds available online at www.wmrt.org.
Quarti di Finale
Mirsky vs Presti, 3-1
Richard vs Hansen, 3-1
Col vs Williams, 1-3
Gilmour-Minoprio, 2-3
Round Robin Results
1st Philippe Presti (FRA), French Match Racing Team
2nd Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team
3rd Peter Gilmour (AUS), Yanmar Racing
4th Ian Williams (GBR), Bahrain Team Pindar
5th Adam Minoprio (NZL), ETNZ/BlackMatch
6th Sebastien Col (FRA), French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge
7th Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing
8th Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Team Onboard
9th Phil Robertson (NZL), Waka Racing
10th Alvaro Mourinho (POR), Seth Sailing Team
11th Ian Ainslie (RSA), Team Proximo
12th Andrew Arbuzov (RUS)
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