Wrold Match Racing Tour, Francesco Bruni avanza ai quarti di finale
Match RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 8 Luglio 2010 Zerogradinord 0
World Match Racing Tour – Marstrand – Il vento da sud ha reso la vita difficile ai protagonisti dello Stena Match Cup Sweden, impegnati quest’oggi nell’ultima serie di regate atte a definire gli accoppiamenti dei Quarti di Finale. Regate che hanno portato in dono non poche sorprese, vista l’eliminazione di alcuni dei favoriti al successo finale.
A salutare l’evento prematuramente sono stati due talenti come il campione del mondo Adam Minoprio, sesto nel Gruppo A con uno score di tre vittorie e quattro sconfitte, e il campione uscente Peter Gilmour, quinto nel Gruppo B con identico ruolino di marcia.
Al contrario, quasi perfetta è stata la serie di Jesper Radich, battuto solo una volta nel Gruppo A che ha dominato anticipando Mathieu Richard, Damien Iehl e il nostro Francesco Bruni. Davvero un cammino impressionante quello dello skipper danese, rientrato nel giro dopo una lunga assenza e finito subito secondo nel Match Race Germany. Lo skipper di Azzurra, invece, è passato ai Quarti di Finale grazie alla vittoria conquistata contro Staffan Lindberg, finito a pari punti con lui.
Dal Gruppo B avanzano invece Ian Williams e Torvar Mirsky, entrambi capaci di vincere sei dei match disputati, e, assieme a loro, Ben Ainslie e Magnus Holmberg, unico rappresentante del movimento svedese rimasto in gara.
I Quarti di Finale inizieranno domani: le pairing list verranno decise dalla scelta degli skipper meglio piazzati alla fine del Round Robin.
Group A
Jesper Radich, 6-1
Mathieu Richard, 5-2
Damien Iehl, 5-2
Francesco Bruni, 4-3
Staffan Lindberg, 4-3
Adam Minoprio, 3-4
Björn Hansen, 1-6
Mattias Rahm, 0-7
Group B
Ian Williams, 6-1
Torvar Mirsky, 6-1
Ben Ainslie, 5-2
Magnus Holmberg, 4-3
Peter Gilmour, 3-4
Johnie Berntsson, 2-5
Reuben Corbett, 2-5
Keith Swinton, 0-8
Video courtesy World Match Racing Tour.
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR, QUARTER FINALIST NAMED
[World Match Racing Tour Press Release] The wind spun round to the South today at Stena Match Cup Sweden altering the game plan for the final 5 flights of Stage 1 of the event. For some of the smug skippers of the World Match Racing Tour, Marstrand is their home of old and they therefore take clear advantage in the race course knowledge stakes. The change in wind direction enforced shorter legs to races with 3 rounds as the teams tracked the cutting gusts through the rocky outcrop of the archipelago.
Sweden’s tortuous round robin slaughtered the bookies’ favourites with Adam Minoprio, winner of this year’s Match Race Germany and Petp Sweden 2 years ago.
The quarter finals are now consolidated down to 8 skippers with Ian Williams and Jesper Radich winning each of their groups. Radich will be first to pick his opponent for the quarters which is a huge psychological boost as he gets to select his jousting partner out of Mathieu Richard, Francesco Bruni, Ian Williams, Damien Iehl, Torvar Mirsky, Ben Ainslie and Magnus Holmberg.
The bookies’ favorite for a podium position at all the 2010 Tour events and last year’s overall World Champion, Minoprio, booked a taxi to the airport earlier today flying out after an unfortunate blood bath at Stage 5 with his team winning only 3 matches. Gilmour has also been sliced and diced after 2 days. Chomping at the bit to get out this morning and knowing he had to win all 3 races to carry on into the quarters Gilmour seemed confident that the strong breeze and change in direction would assist his team as he is uniquely qualified to provide analysis having won 7 previous events here, “There are some major secrets to this wind direction with good geographic shifts, different things happen and there is quite a set pattern but it takes a while to work it out”.
Holmberg offers the surprise scenario just squeezing into the final 8 at 4-3 after a jaw dropping finale to his day. Corbett led their ‘winner goes through’ final match for 5 of the 6 legs but a wobble under pressure down the final run, gybing in front of Holmberg and picking up a penalty, gave Holmberg’s young Kiwi team the opportunity to stamp down fellow New Zealand nationals on Corbett and take the win, propelling them to the quarter finals, much to the delight of the local crowd. Holmberg has raced every edition of the Tour’s Swedish leg to date, “We managed to slip through in the very end and now need to shape up some more. It’s difficult here every day there are new conditions and if you make a few mistakes you are out”. Quoted yesterday as definitely wanting a Tour card next year, this iconic match racer is prized to fight.
Radich is hunting a first in Sweden this Sunday after finishing 2nd in May’s Match Race Germany but was quick to point out his niggling mistake of having controlled Lindberg in the pre-start then allowing the Finn take advantage of the shifting winds and slip past him, “We did amazingly well in this first round considering that this team has only sailed together now for 6 days. It’s too early to talk about final results yet but I think we can do really well here”. Radich is now looking through the list of skippers he needs to pick from this evening and finished with a final comment, “We have a lot of worrying ahead of us I think”.
Group A
Jesper Radich, 6-1
Mathieu Richard, 5-2
Damien Iehl, 5-2
Francesco Bruni, 4-3
Staffan Lindberg, 4-3
Adam Minoprio, 3-4
Björn Hansen, 1-6
Mattias Rahm, 0-7
Group B
Ian Williams, 6-1
Torvar Mirsky, 6-1
Ben Ainslie, 5-2
Magnus Holmberg, 4-3
Peter Gilmour, 3-4
Johnie Berntsson, 2-5
Reuben Corbett, 2-5
Keith Swinton, 0-8
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.