Hellenic Match Racing Tour 2014 - Paros highlights
by Icarus Sailing Media on 1 May 2014
Hellenic Match Racing Tour 2014 Alen Photography & Zagas Photography
Hellenic Match Racing Tour 2014 - Leading personalities in the Greek sailing world are embarking on a fierce duel against each other as they pitch their skills in the Hellenic Match Racing Tour, a series of match racing events in Greece.
Eight teams, made up of the crème de la crème of the sailing world, will race against each other in a series of match races to determine the best crew. Match racing is a one-on-one duel of strategy and tactics and the objective is simple - to be the first boat to cross the finish line.
Racing will take place against the magnificent backdrop of the islands of Paros and Andros, before the 2014 series concludes in Piraeus, right in the heart of Athens.
The 'Hellenic Match Racing Tour' is a new sailing league organized by 'Icarus Sailing Media' under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and supported by the Greek National Tourist Organization. The series of events will promote the sport of sailing in Greece and provide an increased media profile for leading Greek sailors. By highlighting the beauty of the Greek coastline and plethora of islands, Greece will also be promoted as a unique and alternative sports tourism destination.
Olympic medallists, world champions and up-and-coming sailing talents are on the entries list: Sofia Bekatorou, Alexandros Tagaropoulos, Theodoros Tsoulfas, Panagiotis Mantis, Stratis Andreadis, Iasonas Spanomanolis, Maria Christina Kontogiannopoulou and Jurek Strzemiecki are the skippers participating in the event. The teams will participate in a series of Match Races with Platu 25.
Hellenic Match Racing Tour – First stop in Paros 11-13 April
From 11-13 April, the first leg of the Hellenic Match Racing Tour kicked off in Paros. Ideal weather conditions and a fiercely fought series of match races, set against the dramatic scenery of the Parikia Gulf, contributed to the spectacular racing.
Superb weather over three days of racing, with sunshine and winds of around six-eight knots kept the full programme of matches on track. The qualifying round saw all the teams compete against each other in a round robin programme. After 14 flights of 28 races, the team heading up the leaderboard was 'Dark ‘n Stormy' skippered by Stratis Andreadis, followed close by the 'Ursa Minor' team of Iasonas Spanomanolis, and then 'VMG' team with Panagiotis Mantis driving. A well-known face not in the top three at this early stage of the racing was Olympic Gold medallist Sofia Bekatorou helming 'Hellenic Wind', whose suffered from an inconsistent performance forcing them out of the top four places.
The quarter-final stage followed on Saturday, with more close battles. The teams of Stratis Andreadis and Iasonas Spanomanolis again easily overwhelmed their opponents, but the duel between World Champion Panagiotis Mantis and Olympian Sofia Bekatorou was a close run battle. Mantis’ 'VMG' team finally got the upper hand to advance through to the next round. A breathtaking match race between Theodoros Tsoulfas team and Hellenic Police, saw them finally claim the final ticket through to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, 'Dark ‘n Stormy' crossed their swords with Tsoulfas team and 'VMG' had to outfox 'Ursa Minor'. After the first three races, the cards looked stacked for a finals showdown between 'VMG' and 'Dark ‘n Stormy', as both carried leading scores of two-one. But in a last minute move for glory, Iasonas Spanomanolis and Theodoros Tsoulfas made a solid counter attack to take the advantage and claim the slots in the finals. So the battle for third place turned out to be an epic duel between 'VMG' and 'Dark ‘n Stormy', which saw a superb display of boat handling and tactics. Ultimately, the upper hand went to Panagiotis Mantis and his team with a three-two victory. On to the finals and Iasonas Spanomanolis was the ultimate winner, with his team knocking out a solid performance to overcome Tsoulfas Team, who were more than happy with their second place.
The event wrapped up with the Medal and Closing Ceremony hosted by the Nautical Club of Paros. The next stop will be the island of Andros on 2-4 May.
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