Match Race Germany -YANMAR Racing’s Peter Gilmour looks for top result

by Yanmar Racing Media on 26 May 2011 The second stage of the 2011 World Match Racing Tour, Match Race Germany commenced today at Langenargen with the first qualifying session on Lake Constance.

YANMAR Racing’s skipper Peter Gilmour holds the ‘best winning record’ at this event having earned victories here in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but in recent years the team has been mid-fleet.

With his regular crew of Yasuhiro Yaji, Kazauhiko Sofuku, Thierry Douillard and Cameron Dunn, the same crew that won the Portimão Portugal Match Cup in 2010, Gilmour and YANMAR Racing were looking for a good start to the round robin series.

Their first up match came in the fourth flight when they were pitted against Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team.

Iehl is in top form. He won Match Race France but Gilmour beat him in the round robins and they had a close match in the quarter finals. The big Bavaria boats appear to suit the four times World Champion Gilmour and this match up was much anticipated.

The conditions were very tricky, with the very light wind making it extremely difficult for teams to time their starts perfectly.

Gilmour led off the line but Iehl crossed ahead and rounded the top mark in front. It was very close racing and at the bottom mark for the first time, Iehl was only ahead by half a length. Gilmour tried every trick; splitting away, looking for leverage and then trying to engage but a small lead and then a penalty against Gilmour for touching a mark, allowed Iehl to hold on for a first up win.

YANMAR Racing’s second match was against the 2002 and 2003 Match Race Germany winner Jesper Radich (DEN), Adrian Lee & Partners.

Gilmour came off the line with a great position but having hit the start mark, he had a penalty against him. Radich kept the racing close and Gilmour was unable to extinguish his penalty before Radich crossed the finish line.

In flight six it was Gilmour against Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Mekonomen Sailing Team. Hansen won the start and crossed well ahead, just before the top mark. With a wind shadow on the course, Hansen held a huge lead and was never headed.

It was not looking good for YANMAR Racing, down 0-3, and certainly not the start the team wanted.

Their next up match was against Eugeney Neugodnikov (RUS), Team Synergy. After a good start Neugodnikov crossed Gilmour and at the spinnaker hoist was ahead by four lengths.

However YANMAR Racing seemed to have consistent down wind speed. Gilmour gybed early and with separation, closed to within a boat length at the bottom mark.

Up the beat for the second time Neugodnikov lee-bowed Gilmour near the starboard tack lay line but picking up a shift Gilmour led around the top mark and went on to win.

In their last match of the day YANMAR Racing sailed against William Tiller (NZL), Full Metal Jacket Racing.

Gilmour was well placed off the line and held a slight advantage. As the two boats approached the top mark Gilmour jumped into a good lee-bow position on the lay line, so Tiller was in bad air all the way into the mark.

Gilmour rounded four lengths ahead, held his advantage down the run and kept a loose cover on the second lap to take his second victory for the day.

Dockside Peter Gilmour was smiling. ‘A lovely sunny day, though the winds were very light.

‘We had two wins and three losses for the day. We lost our first three races having led in two of them, which is a bit frustrating.

‘These Bavaria 40S yachts are certainly very heavy and difficult to manoeuvre in the typically light conditions here on Lake Constance.

‘I think to take the opportunities at the right time, is what the game is all about.

‘It seems that even though the boats are around about 10 tonnes and are big boats, it will take a while to get up to speed on some of the basics of match racing (in them) such as starting well and having a good first leg strategy is still pretty important.

‘Even though our results probably don’t reflect how we are feeling, we are quite upbeat about how the event’s going and we are looking forward to more sailing tomorrow.’

At the end of the first day Iehl the winner here is 2008, has stamped his authority on the round robin series. Francesco Brui (ITA), Mascalzone Latino and Phil Robinson (NZL), WAKA Racing Team have made good starts but for the rest of the teams, including YANMAR Racing, tomorrow will be critically important.

Standings after the First Qualifying Session:
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-0
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Mascalzone Latino 3-0
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team 3-0
Eugeney Neugodnikov (RUS) – Team Synergy 3-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) – French Match Racing Team 2-1
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 2-3
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 2-3
Eric Monnin (SUI) – Team Ocalys Corum 1-2
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) – Berntsson Sailing Team 0-4
Stefan Meister (GER) 0-4
William Tiller (NZL) – Full Metal Jacket Racing 0-5

For more news and information on YANMAR Racing, please visit http://www.yanmar.co.jp/en/racing/

To discover more about the World Match Racing Tour see http://www.wmrt.com

And to discover more about YANMAR Marine go to http://www.yanmarmarine.com/