Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine Pipe Glands

GKSS Match Cup Sweden - Day 3

by World Match Racing Tour 6 Jul 2018 18:31 PDT 4-8 July 2018
GKSS Match Cup Sweden day 3 © Paul Wennerholm

A building breeze on Marstrand, the rocks lined with race goers, and a program of racing to wet the appetite of any sailing fan all added to what was a spectacular Quarter Final Stage, worthy of a Finals performance.

All the expectation and hard-talk appeared to be in vein as Ian Williams took a decisive victory in the first two matches against Taylor Canfield, moving the pair to match point and a possible clean sweep by the British six-time World Champion. After a short lunch pause to re-group, the US One team clearly had a strong re-think as they came out with a refreshed playbook, nailing the start just bow ahead of WIlliams in the third.

Exchanging the lead as they passed on the upwind multiple times, Williams had starboard advantage coming into the top gate. Canfield put in a last minute down-speed tack which allowed Williams back into it. The two gybed boundary to boundary at speed, with Canfield eventually making it in one less gybe which gave him a comfortable lead and he was able to carry to the finish.

"Obviously getting off the line ahead in a short race track with a lot of manoeuvres is key. We just need to get off the line well and do our jobs well. We just gotta win the next two, we've done it before and we will do it again." Said Taylor Canfield from the water before heading into race four. And sure enough the American won, squaring the series at 2-2 to setup a sudden death match.

Unfortunately for Canfield, Williams was able to nail the final race and the 2011 Match Cup Sweden winner will lives another day to fight for the 2018 title. "Psychologically I think its quite hard when the other team gets to regroup." Said Williams, referencing the midday intermission in racing. "Of course Taylor and his team came out really, really strong for the afternoon session and they pushed us all the way."

Yann Guichard had the choice of the fleet and decided to take on local hero Johnie Berntsson in his Quarter Final pairing. Despite facing the force of an island cheering against them, Spindrift Racing took three straight victories over the Swede and continued a winning streak in which the French team has looked in a league of their own at times.

The other Swede in this competition, local Gothenburg skipper Nicklas Dackhammar, is now flying the flag solo after he beat Sam Gilmour in three straight matches, a scoreline which didn't truly reflect the racing. Dackhammar said, "They really gave us tough matches. We had three straight wins but in the second and the third, it could've gone either way."

In an all-Australian battle, reigning Match Racing World Champion Torvar Mirsky was racing Sydney's young match racing sensation, Harry Price. Price, in his first season as a Tour Card holder, was the underdog on paper but didn't let the pressure get to him. Before the racing he stated, "Torvar might be the World Champion, but this isn't the Worlds. Its another regatta and its anyone's game."

Price's team of Down Under Racing lived up to their promise as they cruised to victory in the opening match, surprising many watching from the shore. They went on to lead the next race until over-cooking the layline on the first upwind, allowing Mirsky just to leeward to sail past. Around the weather mark they pounced and rolled back into the lead.

On a run which totalled five gybes as Mirsky fought to keep hold, both finally headed for the right turn mark, with Mirsky gaining an overlap at the zone to round inside and lead up the final beat. Price tried to pull Mirsky into a tacking duel, but the World Champ didn't bite, taking the right side and holding the lead until the end.

Mirsky came back to take the fourth, sending the pair to a sudden death battle. In the final race, Price misjudged his final run back to the line and was just over at the gun and was forced to pull back, allowing Mirsky an easy ride to the lead. Although the pair were at close quarters, Mirsky held a lead though the first lap. On the final upwind Price hit the top right corner where the breeze lifted him to the layline and caught out Mirsky on starboard tack. Already down speed from the previous tack, Mirsky was forced to tack again with his gennaker out. The low speed move gave Price all the opportunity he needed to grasp the race and lead home to the finish.

In an interview just moments after crossing the finish line Price was speechless. "Tell you what. Going up against Torvar, the reigning World Champion. It's just...I'm speechless." He continued, "The boys put in a great effort, a lot of comebacks from behind. But it ain't over until it's over."

The action from today has setup another stellar lineup of racing tomorrow as Guichard and Dackhammar, both winning their Quarter Final 3-0, make up one side of the draw with Williams and Price having gone the distance today will complete the Semi Final Stage lineup.

The Women's Class resumes tomorrow following a break today. New Zealand's Olivia Mackay made a surprise pick of opponent in Anna Östling, the most experienced M32 racer in the fleet. That left Clare Costanzo to battle Renee Groeneveld, Costanzo with the youngest team at the competition but flying as the highest ranked female team on the World Sailing Open Match Race Rankings and Groeneveld with her experience as an Olympic match racer and former Nacra sailor.

Semi Final Stages in both classes will run side-by-side tomorrow starting at 10:00 here in Marstrand where more of the same is hoped for.

Quarter Final Results:

Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE), Essiq Racing Team 3-0 Sam Gilmour (AUS), Neptune Racing
Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar 3-2 Taylor Canfield (USA), US One
Yann Guichard (FRA), Spindrift Racing 3-0 Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Berntsson Sailing Team
Harry Price (AUS), Down Under Racing 3-2 Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team

For detailed results see wmrt.com

Related Articles

GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D4
High stakes for semi-finalists as the final four teams in each division are locked in The third day of racing at GKSS Match Cup Sweden saw the completion of the quarter-final match-ups in both the Open and Women's class, locking in the final four teams in each division for Friday's semi-finals. Posted on 3 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D3
Surprise exits in Marstrand as Quarter-Finalists decided The qualifying round-robin stages at GKSS Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand finished today with the surprise departure of defending champion USA's Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing and Switzerland's Eric Monnin/ Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team from the Open Class. Posted on 2 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D2
A challenging southerly breeze and short three-lap course put teams to task A challenging southerly breeze and short three-lap course put teams to task on the second day of racing at the GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand, Sweden. Posted on 1 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D1
Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day of the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, official championship stages of the World Match Racing Tour and Women's World Match Racing Tour. Posted on 1 Jul
WMRT adds first ever Ireland stage
Dublin Match Cup joins the 2025 tour season as a tier 2 world tour event The World Match Racing Tour is pleased to announce the addition of its first ever tour stage in Ireland with the launch of the Dublin Match Cup. Posted on 16 May
Maxime Mesnil wins Ficker Cup
Field complete for 60th Congressional Cup After a weekend of fierce competition, the field is set for this week's 60th annual Congressional Cup. Maxime Mesnil (FRA) won the Ficker Cup, but it is Nicole Breault (USA) and Peter Wickwire (CAN) who have advanced to the main field. Posted on 29 Apr
Ficker Cup sets stage for Congressional Cup
Eight international match racing teams prepare to do battle Eight international match racing teams will prepare to do battle at the Ficker Cup this weekend, 25-27 April, an official qualifying event of the World Match Racing Tour, hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club. Posted on 25 Apr
WMRT celebrates 25th Anniversary season
The 2025 season features a 16-event schedule across 10 countries The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) today announced its complete 2025 championship season, which started at the inaugural Macao Match Cup last month. Posted on 21 Feb
Macao Match Cup overall
Great Britain's Ian Williams and his team victorious Great Britain's Ian Williams and his Pindar by Manuport Logistics Team of Richard Sydenham, Jon Gundersen and Gerry Mitchell have been crowned champions of the inaugural Macao Match Cup, the opening event of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour. Posted on 13 Jan
Macao Match Cup day 4
Final four set eyes on inaugural title The penultimate day of the Macao Match Cup saw the completion of the Quarter-finals stage of the event with Great Britain's Ian Williams, USA's Chris Poole and Gavin Brady, and New Zealand's Nick Egnot-Johnson securing wins in their respective matches. Posted on 11 Jan
Selden 2020 - FOOTERBarton Marine Pipe GlandsSea Sure 2025