Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Ficker Cup - Leading the way to the semifinals on Day 2

by Rich Roberts on 19 Mar 2011
Instead of erasing a penalty at finish, Bob Hughes (l.) ran over his spinnaker, giving David Chapman the win - Ficker Cup, Day 2 - Long Beach YC Rich Roberts http://www.UnderTheSunPhotos.com
How about cooking up a bit more international flavoring to next week's 47th Congressional Cup?

While the Cup may add even more spice to the granddaddy of the match racing game that already has seven nations and the U.S. Virgin Islands entered when it winds up Saturday to advance its winner to fill the tenth entry slot.


Simone Ferrarese of Italy and Will Tiller of New Zealand sailed through their round robins with 6-1 records enhanced by 2-0 wins in the quarterfinals Friday, and Ferrarese won the privilege of picking his semifinals opponent by dealing Tiller his only loss in the last two weeks, including an 11-0 effort in the Butler Cup earlier this month.
 
Be assured the Italian, ranked twenty-first in the world,  won't pick the Kiwi, who is ranked 35th, so it will be either Chris Nesbitt  from Balboa Yacht Club down the coast or Bob Hughes from Michigan's Macatawa Bay YC. Both are 6-4 overall through the quarterfinals.
 

'Maybe Nesbitt,' said Ferrarese, who had just swept the overwhelmed and winless Mike Komar, a late recruit to drive the boat Oyster Bay, N.Y., 2-0.
 
A brisk and bone-chilling breeze blew southwest to west up to 14 knots through the afternoon, perhaps an encore to Saturday's forecast for rain.
 
Ferrarese beat Tiller by one and a half boat lengths in the closest match of the day but may have had a little help from an intruder along the way.
 
'A boat from another match took us out,' Tiller said, and Ferrarese agreed.
 
Hughes drew a pre-start penalty against Australia's David Chapman but sailed a solid race to put himself in strong position to erase it at the finish line and clinch their quarterfinal sail-off. But as he was dropping his spinnaker near the race committee boat and starting his 270-degree turn, the plan went awry.
 
The on-water umpires quickly ruled that he hadn't completed his turn properly, and as he turned to re-cross the finish line he ran over the spinnaker and went dead in the water as Chapman breezed past for the win.
 
No matter. Hughes won the deciding race to reach the sail-offs.
 
The spectator-friendly competition is running directly off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier in east Long Beach. Daily starting times---approximately noon---will be determined by weather conditions.


Standings
 
7 round-robin flights  
1. Tie between Simone Ferrarese, Italy, and William Tiller, New Zealand, 5-0.
3. Tie between Chris Nesbitt, Balboa YC, Calif., and David Chapman, Australia, 3-2.
5. Bob Hughes, Macatawa Bay YC, 2-3.
6. Tie between Dustin Durant, Long Beach, and John Horsch, Treasure Island Sailing Club, San Francisco, 1-4.
8. Mike Komar, Oakcliff Sailing Center, 0-5.
 
Quarterfinals
Hughes def. Chapman, 2-1.
Nesbitt d. Horsch, 2-1.
Tiller d. Durant, 2-0.
Ferrarese d. Komar, 2-0.

Website: www.concup.com




X-Yachts X4.3RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Related Articles

4 Ultim rocketships to contest Rolex Fastnet Race
The giant 32m long by 23m wide flying trimarans are taking part in the 100th anniversary edition While the 50ft flying catamarans competing at SailGP Portsmouth this weekend will be impressive, charging out of the opposite western end of the Solent will be giant 32m long by 23m wide flying Ultim trimarans taking part in the 100th anniversary edition.
Posted today at 6:45 pm
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators.
Posted today at 5:41 pm
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s.
Posted today at 4:14 pm
McIntyre Mini Globe Race Leg 3 Preview
The race to South Africa starts from Vuda Marina Fiji on 26th July In a world-first sailing challenge, 15 solo sailors from eight countries are navigating identical 5.8-meter (19-foot) self-built plywood yachts around the globe— The fleet has enjoyed a five week stopover in Fiji at the end of Leg 2.
Posted today at 1:26 pm
Third time Finn World No.1 for Alessandro Marega
Maintaining the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List Italy's Alessandro Marega maintains the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List for the third consecutive release. He remains World No. 1 with an 80-point lead over France's Laurent Hay.
Posted today at 1:18 pm
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return.
Posted today at 9:08 am
Oman Kite Festival kicks off from Barr Al Hikman
With the official opening ceremony and race launch The Oman Kite Festival 2025 launched on the 15th of July on the scenic shores of Barr Al Hikman in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, welcoming more than 90 athletes from Oman and around the world.
Posted today at 8:43 am
2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth Day 2
A classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and drizzle The second day of the WASZP Pre-Games served up a classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and with a hug of fresh drizzle.
Posted today at 5:25 am
Moth take a big step forward at Garda Worlds
The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than NZ The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than the 2024 World Championship, held just six months ago in New Zealand.
Posted on 17 Jul
Dates set for 2026 Congressional Cup & Ficker Cup
2026 will mark the 61st edition of the iconic Congressional Cup event The LBYC and World Match Racing Tour today announced the dates for the 2026 Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup and Ficker Cup, both official stages of the World Match Racing Tour, the longest running global professional sailing series.
Posted on 17 Jul