WMRT Match Race Germany Triple winner Gilmour still tough to beat
by YANMAR Racing Media on 22 May 2010
Martin Berntsson YANMAR Racing bowman - Match Racing Germany 2010 Day 2 Gareth Cooke - Subzero Images
http://www.subzeroimages.com
Match Race Germany Day 2 being sailed on Lake Constance is the second round of the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour.
In their first match of the day, Australian Peter Gilmour’s YANMAR Racing team, with crew Christian Ponthieu, Nils Bjerkäs, Yasuhiro Yaji and Martin Berntsson, were pitted against the 2009 ISAF World Match Racing Champion New Zealander Adam Minoprio and his ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing team.
Ponthieu, YANMAR Racing's mainsail trimmer and tactician reported ‘Minoprio took the best start at the pin end, we started at the race committee boat a few boat lengths above them but slower. ‘We couldn’t avoid their tack on the port lay line and they rounded the first top mark two lengths ahead of us.
‘We did a good job on the first downwind leg and at the bottom rounding mark we were inside of them. However they were faster than us and they forced us to tack early without speed and took an advantage. ‘They rounded the top mark one boat length ahead of us and just kept this lead until the finish.’
The second match of the day for YANMAR Racing was against the German sailor Kathrin Kadelbach (EWE Sailing Team).
Gilmour blocked Kadelbach in the pre-start then won the start by two lengths with better speed. YANMAR Racing controlled the EWE Sailing Team on the first upwind leg, gaining at each tack and rounded four lengths ahead at the top mark. Gilmour extended down the run and was 10 lengths ahead at the leeward mark sailing on to win comfortably.
After a break, YANMAR Racing returned to the water at 4pm for three new flights. Their first match was against 2007 and 2008 World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams and his Team GAC Pindar crew.
YANMAR Tactician Ponthieu resumes his report. ‘We wanted the left side of the course but Williams did too. They won the start and went to the left. They crossed three or four lengths ahead of us. After two tacks we reduced their lead.
‘We sailed well down the run and we rounded the leeward mark just behind them. But they again kept the left side of the course and increased their advantage, and they controlled us until the finishing line.'
The battle of the Western Australians - Peter Gilmour versus Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) shaped as one of the highlights of the afternoon's racing.
The Master, the silver haired Gilmour, as always was aggressive in the pre-start, with just a minute to go his second in the world ranked 'Apprentice' Mirsky appealed for a penalty, was denied and was then slow on port.
As the two crews fought for speed, Mirsky and Gilmour separated. Gilmour tacked onto port ahead of Mirsky and laid the windward mark.
Gilmour rounded three boat lengths ahead and extended down the run. At the first cross on the second beat, YANMAR Racing held a five boat length lead.
Gilmour remained comfortably ahead as they headed towards the windward mark for the second time and went on to take the match decisively.
Ponthieu again. ‘The last match of the day for us was against Paolo Cian and his Italian team (Team Italia).
‘An equal start; we were at the race committee boat and Cian was a length leeward. We chose the right side of the course because the wind was now similar everywhere.
'Initially the Italians had the advantage (lee bow tacks forcing us to tack again) but they couldn't ever cross so we rounded the first mark just ahead of them.
'We gained one length when we hoisted the spinnaker and kept this advantage the entire race long.
'In total - five wins and three losses. We have three matches tomorrow to finish the round robin.'
Dockside Torvar Mirsky smiled. ‘We had a good day, we are 6-2 now. But I said before this event Peter Gilmour was going to be tough to beat! He got a better start than us. With light winds, a short course and boats than don't accelerate, that means that it is hard to overtake.’
YANMAR Racing pitman Yasuhiro Yaji commented ‘Today there was nice wind; we enjoyed the 10-12 knots this afternoon. Our boat speed is good and our crew work is getting better. We were lucky against Mirsky; we need better starts tomorrow.
The veteran skipper, triple winner of Match Race Germany, Peter Gilmour commented 'It's still early days of the regatta, it seems we often start off slow and then we get a roll on as things get going and we have done that today.
'We were delighted to have beaten Mirsky today as he has been sailing very well with a good team.
Gilmour concluded 'There are a lot of good teams sailing very well here in Langenargen. So it comes down to strategy and handling close matches. You have to be cool under fire and, of course, our extra decade of added experience helps!'
Day 2: Round Robin Result
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 7-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 5-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 5-2
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 5-3
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 3-5
Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Proximo 2-5
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge 2-5
Kathrin Kadelbach (GER) EWE Sailing Team 2-6
Mads Ebler (DEN) Ebler Matchracing 2-6
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Gill Global Team 1-6
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: www.worldmatchracingtour.com
And to discover more about YANMAR Marine go to: www.yanmarmarine.com.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/69811