World Match racing Tour, un Torvar Mirsky da applausi
EnglishMatch RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 12 Maggio 2011 Zerogradinord 0
Marsiglia – Grazie a una serie di match particolarmente ispirati, Torvar Mirsky, giovane talento australiano dell’uno contro uno, ha preso in mano le redini del girone di qualificazione del Match Race France, tappa d’apertura del World Match Racing Tour 2011. Mirsky, che attualmente vanta uno score di sette vittorie e tre sconfitte, è primo a pari punti con Damien Iehl, assieme al quale condivide la soddisfazione di aver già superato il primo turno.
“Sono davvero soddisfatto di come abbiamo regatato: i ragazzi sono stati perfetti – ha commentato Mirsky una volta tornato in banchina – Solo ieri non potevo certo immaginarmi un avvio del genere: credo di essere molto fortunato nel poter scegliere l’avversario da affrontare ai Quarti di Finale. Dal prossimo turno si inizia a fare sul serio“.
Mentre Iehl e Mirsky attendono solo di sapere chi tra i due sarà il primo a scegliere l’avversario, a tal proposito sarà determinante l’ultimo match del Round Robin, Ian Williams ancora non sa se la sua avventura nel Match Race France avrà altre pagine da scrivere. Il due volte campione mondiale di match race, nonchè grande favorito della vigilia di questa prova, sta faticando più del previsto a mettersi in carreggiata e, visto il suo score di quattro vittorie e sei sconfitte, è in una situazione nella quale sa di dover vincere tutti e tre i match rimanenti per tenere accesa la fiammella della speranza.
Davanti a Williams sono ben cinque gli skipper fermi a quota cinque punti: Francesco Bruni, Peter Gilmour, Alvaro Marinho, Pierre Antoine Morvan e Phil Robertson. Va sottolineato che, di questi, Bruni e Robertson hanno disputato una regata in meno degli altri a causa del repentino ritirarsi della brezza e che proprio questo match attribuirà un punto molto importante ai fini della classifica generale.
Una graduatoria che, a parte i verdetti relativi ai primi della classe e alla situazione piuttosto tranquilla che stanno vivendo il terzo e il quarto della classifica, Bertrand Pacé e Jesper Radich, resta aperta a ogni possibile risultato: l’unica certezza è che una sola ulteriore sconfitta condannerebbe Ian Williams a una prematura eliminazione.
Le regate valide per il Match Race France riprenderanno domani alle 9.30.
Match Race France, Day 2
1. Damien Iehl, 7-3
2. Torvar Mirsky, 7-3
3. Bertrand Pace, 6-5
4. Jesper Radich, 6-5
5. Francesco Bruni, 5-5
…
Video courtesy World Match Racing Tour.
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR, MIRSKY SHINES AS WILLIAMS STRUGGLES
[World Match Racing Tour Press Release] A steely performance in the second Qualifying Session from Torvar Mirsky has changed his fortunes at Match Race France, where a victory against the plucky French qualifier, Pierre-Antoine Morvan, will see him top the standings ahead of Damien Iehl after the Qualifying stages.
By his own admission, Mirsky had ‘an average result’ after the first Qualifying Session and knew his team had ‘to be consistent to make it to the Quarter-Finals’. Despite an early defeat at the hands of four-time World Champion Peter Gilmour, The Wave Muscat team went on an undefeated run of five matches including notable wins against Damien Iehl and Jesper Radich, two of the five teams to have secured their places in the Quarter-Finals.
“I’m pleased with the boys, we performed well,” said Mirsky as he stepped onto the pontoon. “We were rusty yesterday but I’m really pleased to be in a good position at the end of Qualifying [as it] helps picking your opponent. This is where the real sailing starts.”
Bertrand Pace and Damien Iehl are perhaps the better known French sailors here however it was their compatriot Pierre-Antoine Morvan who also stole the limelight, putting in a series of gutsy performances to finish undefeated in the second Qualifying Session against stellar competition. A final match win against Mirsky awaits and if he wins and Iehl loses his final race, he will have the first pick in the Quarter-Finals.
One team who are far from certain to reach the Quarter-Finals despite being widely tipped as favourites to win here is Ian Williams. A run of defeats in the second Qualifying Session meant the two-time World Champion had the sizeable challenge to win his three remaining races to enter a tie-break. Robertson and Bruni were duly dispatched however as the Race Committee chose to delay the final flight with the thermal breeze fading, his future in Match Race France will be decided tomorrow: “Today was the opposite to yesterday in terms of results. It was a big day for being smooth and fast and we weren’t. We gave half a length here and half a length there and it cost us dear. Tomorrow we need to go out and try and win it.”
Although Qualifying is far from decided, one man who is entering ominous form is Jesper Radich, last season’s most consistent performer with three seconds and a third from four wildcard appearances. As the thermal breeze kicked in creating 10-12 knots of wind by early afternoon, Radich put in a huge match performance against 4-time World Champion Peter Gilmour. Both teams suffered yesterday however it was the Dane who came good, leading the Australian after crossing on the first beat to open a 5 boat length gap which he held to the finish. It was a comprehensive win that set the tone for his day and a warning shot to the competition.
“Yesterday was tough but the wind today suited us,” said Radich. “We are a new team… individually we are all good sailors and I like the direction we are going. Yesterday evening we had a good debrief and today on the water we improved exactly what we had talked about. We’re on a steep learning curve but that’s exciting.”
The final flight could yet throw up multiple sets of tie-breaks within the top 10 of the standings – the only surety is if Williams loses he is out of Match Race France and it’s scenarios like this that make the World Match Racing Tour so compelling to watch.
For tomorrow, watch the build-up to the final flight of Qualifying on the ‘WMRT Morning Show’ from 09.30 CET, live coverage of all the action between 13.00 and 15.00 CET and a review of the day’s action on the ‘WMRT Today Show’ from 19.30.
Match Race France, Day 2
1. Damien Iehl, 7-3
2. Torvar Mirsky, 7-3
3. Bertrand Pace, 6-5
4. Jesper Radich, 6-5
5. Francesco Bruni, 5-5
…
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