World Match Racing Tour - YANMAR Racing leads Korea Match Cup 2011

by Yanmar Racing Media on 9 Jun 2011 Four times ISAF World Match Racing World Champion Peter Gilmour and his YANMAR Racing crew of Cameron Dunn, Yasuhiro Yaji, Thierry Douillard and Martin Berntsson were atop the Qualifying Round leader board after Day One of the Qualifying Rounds of Korea Match Cup yesterday.

After sitting dockside for the first three flights, YANMAR Racing had five matches in a row winning four of them.

Sailing in six to 12 knot breezes in one of their favourite match racing boats, the Bakewell White 36, the YANMAR Racing Team had a close match and a first up win against Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing. That was followed by another, more comfortable win, against Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Berntsson Sailing Team.

In the duel between Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Gilmour there was a big wind shift after the start, which delivered Richard the lead at the top mark. Gilmour gained down the run and closed the match up but YANMAR Racing were unable to find a way past the French team.

Then came the match against fellow West Australian Torvar Mirsky (AUS), The Wave Muscat.

Here is Gilmour’s take on that match.

'Torvar really had us wrapped up in the pre-start. We got a backing down penalty against us in the pre-start but we had the better of him just in the final few seconds of the start, and we led him off the start and round the first mark.

‘Coming down to leeward mark he gybed a little bit before the lay line, inside us, tried to run down to the mark and then we gybed later and started to come up to luff him. Torvar didn’t respond to the luff and the two boats bounced against each other multiple times.

‘Torvar received a double penalty for that which took off our penalty and we just managed to keep it close to him the whole way through to the finish.'

The final match of the day for YANMAR Racing was against Paul Campbell-James (GBR) Dream Team. Gilmour won a close start. Responding to a water call soon after, YANMAR Racing had to tack away and a penalty was awarded against the young British sailor. Gilmour went on to win.

Dockside the big Australian was smiling. '‘All in all very happy after day one but it's early days. Our focus is to get through to the quarter final rounds and we will try and keep things going.

'Mind you this is very brutal racing, a few years ago at this event we topped the leader board and then crashed out in the quarter finals. Make one mistake and you can be gone.

'This event is shaping up as a major one on the Tour overall. Korea Match Cup is doing a fantastic job.'

Standings after the First Qualifying Session:

Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 4-1
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 3-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 3-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-2
Bjorn Hansen (DEN) Mekonomen Sailing Team 2-2
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 2-2
Paul Campbell-James (GBR) Dream Team 2-3
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 2-3
Reuben Corbett (NZL) AON Racing Team 1-2
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 1-4
Sung Wook Kim (KOR) Busan Match Team 0-3

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/