Portimao Portugal Match Cup five way fight

by Audrey Lakai on 25 Jun 2011 At the Portimão Portugal Match Cup going into the final qualifying session tomorrow five skippers are still faced with the prospect of elimination from further competition.

In order to ensure progress to the quarter finals, World Match Racing Tour skippers must reach at least six points during qualifying – but with just five races sailed today in fickle winds in the waters off Portimão, five Tour Card Holders have not yet made that tally.

Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team booked their places in the Quarter Finals with respective wins over Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi (FIN) Siragusawa Sailing Team and Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team. They join Mirsky and Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar in the next stage of the event.

Marinho’s defeat at the hands of Bruni ended his chances of progressing to the next stage, and he joins Lumijarvi and Reuben Corbett (NZL) AON Racing who are going home from the event with respective scores of 2-9 and 3-8.

Out of the six sailors who will race tomorrow, only Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat is safe. For the remaining skippers their fates hang in the balance and could go either way, depending on their results tomorrow.

With three more Qualifying flights to sail, Tour Card Holders Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners both need a win each to go through, while Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team need to win two of their matches to survive.

Standings after the third Qualifying Session:

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 7-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 7-4
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6.5-4
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 6-5
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-3
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee and Partners 5-3
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 4-4
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 4-4
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 4-4
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 3-8
Reuben Corbett (NZL) Aon Racing Team 3-8
Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi (FIN) Siragusawa Sailing Team 2-9

2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage Three):

1 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 59pts
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 48pts
3 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 41pts
4 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 31pts
5 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee and Partners – 28pts
6 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 27pts
7 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 27pts
8 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 24pts
9 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team – 22pts
10 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 21pts

World Match Racing Tour website
Portimao Portugal Match Cup website