Monsoon Cup – Day Three Highlights

by Lynn Fitzpatrick on 30 Nov 2007 The breeze was on when sailors arrived at the Heritage Bay Club in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia for the last six flights of the round robin series to determine who would qualify for the quarter finals of the final stage of the 2006/07 World Match Racing Tour.

Tour scores are so close among the top six going into the regatta that any of the teams can win, so long as they make the first cut and go through to quarterfinals.

Twelfth Flight Highlights

The day started with the match that would elevate even a sloth’s heart rate – the face off between the number one and number two ranked teams on the World Match Race Tour - #1 Mathieu Richard and #2 Ian Williams. The pair used every play in the book during the pre-start sequence. Williams copped a penalty within seconds of the start after nearly boxing Richard off at the committee boat. Williams questioned the umpires immediately when the yellow flag went up indicating he was at fault. The two were evenly matched as they headed up the first beat.

Richard approached the weather mark on the starboard tack layline and held course as Richard barely squiggled by. Richard had a perfect set. Williams hoisted with an hour glass. Willams dropped the chute to clear the twist. Further down the leg, Williams rode high over Richard as Richard went to take down the spinnaker. There was a tangle, but no contact. Both came out of the incident with their spinnakers down. Williams took the left gate and Richard took the right gate. They rounded the first leeward gate dead even.

At the top of the beat, Richard laid the starboard layline with Williams behind by about two boat lengths. Williams was the first to gybe to the left and gybed back toward Richard. Richard gybed away as Williams came back with a gain. Williams gybed again to get to the right of Richard and gain an overlap, but did not get it. Richard took the right gate and continued to favor the right side on starboard tack. Williams and Richard were virtually even once again.

The match racing giants had another exciting and close beat and rounded the final weather mark with Richard in the lead. Richard hoisted and the Williams team did a spectacular set.

Williams gybed off toward the left side of the course and reminded the crew that they still have to offset their penalty. Only one boat length separated the boats. Richard blasted away in pressure while Williams maneuvered to the left.

Richard crossed the line a few boat lengths ahead and left Williams to clear his penalty before finishing.

The Radich-Minoprio match was close, but Radich lost. Sebastien Col handily beat Tiffany Koo and Paul Cian defeated Bjorn Hansen.

Thirteenth Flight

Torvar Mirsky has been involved in some very interesting pre-start engagements. In the thirteenth flight he corralled Jesper Radich close to the docks. In another move he left Radich off to the left, headed back to the line, cleared himself, headed up onto starboard and Radich, on port tack had all that he could manage to avoid a collision and another penalty. Radich counted down toward the starting gun knowing that he had two penalties to clear. One of them had to be cleared immediately after the start. The Dane started the race at a disadvantage as both boats headed toward the right side of the course.

Radich and Mirsky sailed evenly throughout the remaining legs. On the final run, Radich sailed a bit to the left to try to get out of the strong current coming out of the river, however, Mirsky kept a one and a half boat length lead and crossed well ahead after Radich cleared the penalty.

Sebastien Col handed Paulo Cian another loss. Bjorn Hansen picked up an easy win over Tiffany Koo and Adam Minoprio defeated Katie Spithill.

Fourteenth Flight

The battle of the Scandinavians was the featured match during the fourteenth flight. The Danes and the Swedes spent time down the river and near the dock during the pre-start. They had an even start, but the action took place about halfway up the beat when Sweden’s Hansen tacked to leeward of Radich, hung tough for a while and then luffed up underneath Radich. Radich, the windward boat, did not react enough and copped a penalty.

Radich sailed fast and smart on the next leg and a half so that he was able to extend his lead after the two boats rounded the final leeward mark. By starting the penalty turn on port, Radich was able to come out of it on starboard with rights, just in case Hansen was close afterward. Radich easily crossed Hansen shortly afterward.

Katie Spithill was able to hang close with Peter Gilmour, however she did trail throughout the race and Gilmour pick up his eighth win of the series. Tovar Mirsky picked up his second win of the morning.

Staffan Lindberg and Adam Minoprio had an interesting match. They were the first pair of the day, and possibly the regatta, to take off up the left side of the course during the first beat. They went to the left corner and came back on the port tack layline. Lindberg’s crew hoisted a few seconds ahead of Lindberg.

As we headed into the prayer break during the Friday Holy Day and three flights remaining for the afternoon Sebastien Col and Staffan Lindberg are on the bubble and in fighting to make it into the quarter finals.

Peter Gilmour 8-1