FRENCH APPRENTICE TURNS ON THE STYLE AS THREE TEAMS REACH QUARTER-FINA

by Monsoon Cup 2010 on 27 Sep 2010 St Moritz, Switzerland (Sept 3, 2010): France’s Damien Iehl (French Match Racing Team) was the aggressor on day two of the St. Moritz Match Race in Switzerland, storming through a run of five successive victories including a comprehensive defeat of the reigning ‘King of the Mountain’, New Zealand’s Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing).

However, 2007 Monsoon Cup champion and two-time ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) winner, Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) led two other teams into the next round of the competition. The Briton has recorded seven victories from eight matches while following closing behind is compatriot Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) and current WMRT leader Frenchman Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) who both have a 6-2 tally.

Triple Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup skipper, Ainslie and Richard also demonstrated total dominance of their opponents with a clean sweep of victories, winning all four of their matches on Day 2. With seven teams advancing to the next stage, another six – including some veteran stars – are still in the hunt for the remaining four places.

The St Moritz Match Race is the sixth leg of the 2010 WMRT season, which climaxes with the prestigious Monsoon Cup, to be held in Pulau Duyong from Nov 30-Dec 5.

The race to be crowned world champion is certainly heating up with Richard’s strong showing today giving him hope of collecting the top prize in Terengganu in three month’s time. The Frenchman leads the standings with 77 points and enjoys a 17-point lead over Monsoon Sailing School coach, Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team).

The Australian, who was runner-up to Minoprio in last year’s WMRT, is still in the running to reach the quarter-finals in St Moritz, but needs to buck-up after compiling a 4-4 record. Minoprio, who has 60 points to lie third in the WMRT standings, has a 5-3 record and should earn one of the quarter-final tickets still up for grabs in St Moritz. Rounding up the top five in the world standings are Williams (52 points) and Ainslie (45 points).

Meanwhile, if the spectators expected Iehl to be apprehensive after a disappointing opening day, he did not show it. As the thermally-induced Maloja wind rushed in, the young Frenchman exhibited some deft moves on the water, leading Minoprio around mark one by three lengths and eventually extending his lead all the way to the finish.

The ISAF WMRT has a rich history of nurturing the best match racing talent and Iehl looked every bit a champion in the making. His next fight was against another super-tough opponent, Mirskyr. The two skippers jostled and jabbed like boxers to gain the upper hand at the start with only inches separating them. This was toe-to-toe action. Mirsky gained the initial advantage, but Iehl read the subtleties of the wind to perfection, building what proved to be an insurmountable 10-length lead at the first mark.

With two victories under his belt Iehl was unstoppable, even against the might of triple Olympian and America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA. At the start the French team gained the favourable lee bow position and led the accomplished Italian round all three laps of the course.

Iehl, commented: “We had a clear game plan which gave us the great starts we needed, as well as a strategy that delivered the best course through all the wind shifts. Our teamwork and manoeuvres were spot on too - it was a perfect progression for us from yesterday.'

A classic French - British dogfight is developing between the front runners and if anyone is going to put a counter-attack together on Iehl, there’s a strong chance it will come from Williams.

Results after Day 2 of the St. Moritz Match Race
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 7-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 5-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 5-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 5-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 5-4
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 4-4
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 4-4
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-7
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-8