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Breaking News
NewBlogEntry
4 September 2010
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World Champs Update - Tom Ashley chases a medal in Denmark
4 September 2010
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Black Match Report
3 September 2010
Hi all from BlackMatch,
Day two of the St Moritz Match Race saw us involved in only 3 matches and we could only manage a single victory over the local team, skippered by Jerome Clerc. We suffered at the hands of two French teams today losing out to veteran Betrand Pace and the ever consistent Damien Iehl.
The infamous shifty conditions of the St Moritz Match Race were in full force today, as shown in our match against Betrand Pace. Despite forcing a penalty on the wily Frenchman, he sailed very well around the course to etch out enough of a lead to complete his penalty turn. It was also very hard to defend your lead today and despite being almost 8 boat lengths in front of the local team at one stage during our match, they closed the gap right up at the top mark and we had to defend hard to protect our lead.
We have 3 races remaining in the round robin and with one more win needed to secure a spot in the next stage of the event, we still have a lot of work to do. Tomorrow we face arguably the three most formidable competitors in Britains Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams also the Frenchman Mathieu Richard. All three of these teams have been showing awesome form this week and their reputation precedes them, however we are confident we can get the wins needed.
For any media or results please visit www.worldmatchracingtour.com.
We would again like to say a special thank you to our sponsors FedEx Express and Events Clothing/Line 7. Owen Rutter from Events Clothing has supplied us with new sailing gear this season, keeping the boys looking very sharp and also warm up here in the cold mountains. The ongoing support of our sponsors is helping make this opportunity possible for the BlackMatch boys. We would also like to thank Emirates Team New Zealand and Steinlager Pure.
BlackMatch Racing this week is Adam Minoprio, Tom Powrie, David Swete and Nick Blackman
And the official report
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World Champs Update - Into the business end
3 September 2010
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Date: 3 September 2010
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Dan Slater at the Gold Cup
2 September 2010
Hi
Well not great news but I did have good starts. The breeze was late today so we were postponed for an hour then it came in quite quick to about 12knots and topped out at 16knots during the second race.
In race one I just couldn't hold my lanes and really struggled to point well upwind. I rounded the first mark 40th and gained boats on every leg to finish 25th but was really frustrated with the height problem.
Race 2 I had a change of Tactics and I started down the pin end and with 3 others we tacked and crossed most of the fleet. By the top mark I was 9th or 10th and and with good pointing it should have been a top 5 rounding. Not to much changed down the first run and the fleet split at the gate. On the second beat I went out to the left and I picked up some places to round the top mark 6th. Then on the final 2 reaches I was able to take another two boats and finish 4th.
The 4th was a good result but I was a bit lucky that things fell into place as I was still struggling for height upwind. I know have a bit of work to do in the next 4 races but will fight till the death on this one.
Dan
Dan Slater
BlackMatch in St Moritz
2 September 2010
Hi all from BlackMatch,
Today was the opening day of the 2010 St Moritz World Match Racing Tour Event and with 4 wins from our 5 races, it was a great start for BlackMatch Racing. This event is the 6th leg of the World Tour and really marks the business end of the season. Held on a lake 1800 meters above sea level and with the Swiss Alps providing the back drop for the action on the water, it is without a doubt the most stunning event on the World Tour and also one of the trickiest.
With temparatures plummeting to zero degrees Celsius overnight, we were greeted with an eerie mist over the lake this morning, however without a cloud in the sky and with the sun shining it was an amazing day of sailing, although extremely shifty. We had decisive victories over Torvar Mirsky, Francesco Bruni, Johnnie Berntsson and local talent Eric Monin, while our loss came against Swede Bjorn Hansen, who also finished the day with only a single loss.
We have 6 races remaining in the round robin with the format seeing the top 7 teams progressing through to the next stages of the event, while the top qualifier proceeds directly through to the semi final. This provides a great incentive to finish the round robin on top and avoid the 6 boat quarterfinal, while the magic number looks to be 6 wins to make the final seven.
For any media or results please visit www.worldmatchracingtour.com.
We would again like to say a special thank you to our sponsors FedEx Express and Events Clothing/Line 7. Owen Rutter from Events Clothing has supplied us with new sailing gear this season, keeping the boys looking very sharp and also warm up here in the cold mountains. The ongoing support of our sponsors is helping make this opportunity possible for the BlackMatch boys. We would also like to thank Emirates Team New Zealand and Steinlager Pure.
BlackMatch Racing this week is Adam Minoprio, Tom Powrie, David Swete and Nick Blackman
All To Play For At The St. Moritz Match Race
2 September 2010
St. Moritz, Switzerland - 1 September 2010 - The opening day of racing at the St. Moritz Match Race dawned bright but cold, with the surface of the lake covered in a thin layer of picturesque mist. However, the tranquil setting belied the intensity of racing that was to come most notably between the British and French teams.The first start saw double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar pitched against local sailor Jérôme Clerc (SUI) Team CER Genève, who gained a wildcard invitation to the event. The young Swiss sailor proved from the outset that he has the talent to mix with sailing's biggest stars, taking the lead just after the start and holding it until tantalisingly close to the finish.
Clerc was next up against Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN. Approaching the first windward mark, Clerc held a small advantage slightly to windward of the British boat, but Ainslie pulled just far enough forward to slip above the Swiss skipper in a deft manoeuvre that cleared his way to round the mark first. Clerc, commented: "It was a lot of fun today - we're not really favourites, but we are really happy to be in contact with them and playing with them."
Ainslie's fight with Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team saw the event's first piece of red-hot anger, including a collision, much shouting between the two teams, and a rapid succession of penalties even before the start gun was fired. With a red flag penalty - to be taken immediately - Iehl's race was effectively over at the start.
The Brits went on to dominate the first part of the day's racing, with both teams winning all their races, including Ainslie's match against current World Match Racing Tour leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team. "It's the start we wanted, even though we're a bit rusty having missed the last two events. The conditions were very tricky with 20-25 and even 30, degree windshifts and it was important to connect the gusts, especially downwind."
So what would happen when Ainslie and Williams went head-to-head? After close sparring in the pre-start, Williams held Ainslie out to the wrong side of the committee boat, winning the start by a length and a half. At the windward mark Williams misjudged his tack and collided with Ainslie, but maintained a tenuous lead. At the beginning of the final leg he had extended this to three-lengths, but still had a penalty turn to take before finishing - it was impossible to predict the result, until a gust allowed Williams to extend his lead 150m from the finish line.
The French teams came to the fore in the final races of the day. Ainslie and Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team were evenly positioned at the start, with Pacé at the left-hand end of the line. With the stronger gusts on the left-hand side of the course he quickly pulled out a small lead. Pacé, reflected: "Then we just tried to sail with the best wind, choosing the right side of the course and staying in phase with the wind shifts - it's easy to stay ahead of the other guy if you do that in these conditions."
The last race, between Mathieu Richard and Ian Williams, was also the closest. With 15 seconds to go the French skipper looked much too early, yet he found enough wriggle room to make a perfect start, much to the surprise of the spectator crowds. He led throughout the race by the tightest of margins - at the finish just one metre separated the two boats.
Richard, said: "The match with Williams was the most challenging for us today - it was so close all the way. We're very pleased with our results and the way we sailed, although we know we can still make small improvements."
It was also a good day for defending champion St. Moritz Match Race Champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, who top the rankings along with Williams at the end of day one, each of these skippers having won four races and lost one.
Photo copyright Loris Von Siebenthal / St. Moritz Match Race: 1) Björn Hansen, current joint leader of St. Moritz Match Race alongside Adam Minoprio and Ian Williams
Results after Day 1 of the St. Moritz Match Race: Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing:4-1
You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00
A preview of the St Moritz Match Race will be aired on 1 September on SF1 at 22:20.
A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.
The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html *Note: times are subject to change without notification - Ends -
2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 5 of 9)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 77 Points 4. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 52 Points 8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 40 Points
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World Champs Update: NZL features strongly in top ten at Laser Worlds
2 September 2010
Date: 2 September 2010
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Podium finish for Georgia in Hamilton Island Grand Prix IRC Division
1 September 2010
Moderate Hamilton Island conditions were close to ideal for the IRC52 Georgia, with the boat placing second in the Grand Prix IRC Division, and helping New Zealand take home the South Pacific Cup.
Consistency was the name of the game for Georgia, helmed by Jim Farmer and Chris Meads, with tactical support from America's Cup veteran Chris Dickson.
In the 16 boat fleet, Georgia never finished lower than sixth, also clocking up a win and two other podium finishes in the week-long racing event.
"We had very good team work with very few mistakes," says owner Jim Farmer. "This week the boat proved it is a very good all-round performer in all winds."
Georgia finished on 28 points, 15 points behind the Reichel Pugh 63 Loki which was almost untouchable throughout the regatta, and 3 points clear of third prize winner, Wild Oats X.
Throughout the event conditions were generally moderate, with 12-15 knots of breeze and small waves.
"It was exciting to see how the boat accelerated in that situation. It was quick to surf down the quite small waves we had most days, other boats around us didn't seem to do that," says Jim.
While a couple of 'average' starts, and a ripped spinnaker required the crew to fight hard at times in order to recover, they also provided opportunities for brilliance to shine through:
"In the last island race, after a poor start, Chris Dickson took us up the other side of an island - which was not a marker - and got us back into the race. On the long run back, he kept us gybing out to sea and we made a lot of ground to come in 4th," says Jim.
The skipper also tells of a time when the integrity of Georgia's gel coat was very nearly tested: "In one windward-leeward race, after a good start, we were dumped on by a 100 footer which forced us to tack away from where we wanted to be. This put us behind a number of boats going into the top mark. The position was compounded by a boat on port tacking in our water within 3 boat lengths of the mark - a collision was avoided by inches by my turning the bow up. Only a boat owner could have taken such swift evasive action."
They went on to have a very good downwind run and finish second on corrected time in that race.
It was Chris Dickson's third regatta aboard Georgia - he also raced in the 2009 HSBC Premier Coastal Classic just after the boat was launched and was on the winning crew in the New Zealand IRC Championships in Wellington in February.
"Chris is extremely competitive and is not happy unless the boat and crew are performing to their best. He is therefore a hard task master but one who all the crew respect and respond positively to. Personally, I have learned an awful lot about helming the boat, having him behind me talking to me," says Jim.
A number of the Georgia crew - in particular, George Hendy and daughter Emma Hendy, Saun Mason, Chris (Curly) Salthouse, Chris Dickson and Emirates Team New Zealand bowman Jeremy Lomas, also sail on the Corby 43, Full Metal Jacket, which has campaigned throughout Asia but is currently sitting in Melbourne. Full Metal Jacket's owner, Chris Meads, took them helm for half of the races in Hamilton Island.
"This worked very well as it meant that each of us was actually able to watch and enjoy the races when we were not steering," says Jim.
Young and up and coming sailors included bowman Saun 'Geeza' Mason, mastman Tom Blampied, and Kieran Henderson - credited with doing a magnificent job running the middle of the boat. Leo Farmer, also under 30, trimmed the main with great skill.
"I do think we are still learning how to sail our boat optimally - it is still a new boat," says Jim, who confesses to finding Loki, and her sistership Limit, which beat Georgia in the Bay of Islands in January, formidable competitors - not only are they blessed with a rating edge that IRC seems to give boats of that size - but they are also well sailed. Both in the Bay of Islands and at Hamilton Island each of them however also enjoyed the big advantage of being able to sail in clear air at all times away from the start line because of substantial size differential from them of both bigger and smaller boats. With Limit returning to Australia shortly and thereafter in future regattas going head to head with Loki, that advantage will disappear, Jim says.
"Possibly changing the mast rake in different conditions will make us a little quicker up wind. At the moment, I think our edge over the other 52s is downhill. It was satisfying to beat bigger, well performed, boats such as Wild Oats X (Reichel Pugh 66), Black Jack (66), Living Doll (Farr 55), which won last year, and the former Sydney-Hobart winner Yendys (Reichel Pugh 55), as well as three 3 very well performed 52s - Scarlet Runner (second at the 2009 Hamilton Island Race Week), Shogun and Secret Men's Business (which won Geelong Race Week this year).
Georgia will now travel south to Sydney where it will take part in the Rolex Big Boat Regatta in December, and may decide to compete at Geelong Race Week in January.
"The fleet in Australia is highly competitive and exciting," says Jim.
Dan Slater at the Finn Gold Cup
1 September 2010
Hi
Well not the best start to a World Championships. I have had 3 out of 4 starts that have been really crap and on a one way track up the first beats for those 3 races its been all over as there are very little passing opportunities.. Today In the second race I had a good start and was heading to the favoured right hand side of the course for the first time since we have been racing the breeze didn't head as we went towards the right so I rounded in the top 20 but not that great during the remainder of the race I gained and finished 11th.
So far everyone has had a bad race and we have only sailed 4 of 11 so I think we will have some high scores. I have got my bad ones out of the way now and I know I can be up the front end of the fleet and with a few good starts and lanes Im sure I can turn this regatta round and start climbing the ladder.
Tomorrow will maybe be the windiest day so far not that its been light air so far as we have had up to 16-18 knots every race. Tomorrow they are saying over 20 knots maybe so that will keep everyone honest
I hope to have some better news tomorrow.
Dan
Dan Slater
HIGH PERFORMANCE SAILING