Jesper Radich ready for Danish Open MR 2007

source by: Flemming Vitus

America’s Cup skipper Jesper Radich had not really planned to compete at Match Racing’s Danish Open 2007. After the long commitment to the Spanish America’s Cup project ”Desafio Espanol 2007” the idea was to take a break and enjoy time with the family in their new house in Helsingor.

But Jesper’s better half, Sara, was quite clear that she didn’t think that that was such a good idea.”Sara simply said that I should get a crew together and enjoy myself instead of being frustrated and sitting around on shore.” As a result Jesper and his new crew have already been in action at the beginning of July at the Match Cup Sweden - Marstand Regatta and are now ready for the Danish Open 2007 (9th-12th August.

Read more at Match Race Events

Liz Baylis about WIMRA's activity!

Hi Everyone,

Women's match racing is growing into strenght! Passion to match racing and amazing increase in interest to this format of racing spreads the world in rapid pace.
More and more nations perceive in match racing the opportunity to show the values of our sport to media and sponsors. Competitors on the other hand enjoy exciting game one-to-one that is more accessible than fleet racing.
Women's International Match Racing Association founded in 1996 has focused on women's activity in field of match racing. Is it successfull in its goals?
Today we talk to Liz Baylis, Executive Director of WIMRA and Women's MR World Champion from 2002.

What is the main goal of WIMRA activity in your strategic plan?
The long term objectives of WIMRA are to promote women's international match-race sailing; work for the inclusion of a Women's Match-Racing Event in the Olympic Games; and coordinate and encourage mixed-gender match racing and female participation in such events. To these ends, we are actively working with sailors and MNAs to help promote match racing events and clinics as well as organizing the sailors to contact their MNAs and ISAF Representatives to let them know that the sailors want Women’s Match Racing in the Olympics.

Where do you see the biggest advantages of women’s match racing that could encourage new sailors and MNAs to get involved?
Match Racing is accessible for all nations primarily because it is less expensive to mount a campaign and easier to get started...

Click here for the whole interview

We encourage you to reading the interview and await any comments.
Best regards,
Sofia

Troia Portugal Match Cup Day 1 results

Source: worldmatchracingtour.com

At the end of the first day’s racing in the Troia Portugal Match Cup, only three of the twelve skippers have unbeaten records. Gavin Brady (NZL) of the BMW Oracle Racing Team won all three of his matches in the round robin, as did Peter Gilmour (AUS) of the Pizza-La Sailing Team.

Results:

Group A:
Gavin Brady (USA) 3-0
Sebastien Col (FRA) 2-1
Mathieu Richard FRA) 2-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) 2-1
Sally Barkow (USA) 0-3
Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) 0-3

Group B:
Peter Gilmour (AUS) 3-0
Ian Williams (GBR) 2-1
Philippe Presti (FRA) 2-1
Paolo Cian (ITA) 1-2
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 1-2
Alvaro Marinho (POR) 0-3

WIMRA Clinics - INVITATION!

WIMRA World Wide Women’s Match Racing Clinics
Series of Introductory Clinics Scheduled

The Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) has scheduled a world wide series of introductory match racing clinics for the later part of 2007. The schedule and venues are as follows:

Izola, Slovenia August 17 - 19
Manhasset Bay, New York, USA August 31 - September 2
Auckland, New Zealand September 14 - 16
Rio de Janiero, Brazil September 14 - 16
Cape Town, South Africa September 21 - 23
St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles September 28 - 30
Tortola, British Virgin Islands October 4 - 5
Buenos Aires, Argentina October 16 - 18
Korea (Location and Date To Be Announced)

The clinics are intended to foster interest in women’s match racing. As WIMRA Executive Director Liz Baylis explains, “We’ve seen a ground swell of interest in match racing and we are working to ride that wave. Our intent is to attract sailors and racers curious to learn the about this exciting facet of our sport. At the conclusion of each clinic, we expect them to be converted from ‘sailors’ to ‘match racers’ and be excited about joining the ranks of match racers competing around the world.”

The clinics will be taught by match racing champions, including Liz Baylis, Dave Perry, and Katie Spithill, in conjunction with North U, the educational branch of North Sails. The curriculum will include 2 full days of training, drills, and races and conclude with a day long (grade 5) regatta.

Full information, curriculum and registration details are available on the Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) web site: http://www.wimra.org

North U. runs a full range of on-the-water programs geared towards accelerating the education of sailors. http://www.northu.com/

For more information, please contact the WIMRA Press Office at PressOffice@wimra.org

Axhede succeeds in Troia!

source by: Bob Fischer

Jenny Axhede of Sweden emerged the triumphal victor of the Troia Portugal Women’s Match Cup, defeating Sally Barkow of the United States by three races to one in an action-packed final the finished shortly before sunset. It was a final in which wind shifts and penalties played their part.

Read more at Match Race Events

Final Classification with Prize Money:

1. Jenny Axhede (NED) $20,000.00
2. Sally Barkow (USA) $12,000.00
3. Claire Leroy (FRA) $8,000.00
4. Klaartje Zuiderbaan (NED) $5,000.00
5. Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) $3,000.00
6. Rita Gonçalves (POR) $2,000.00
7. Lotta Thorelius (SWE)
8. Julie Bossard (FRA)

Troia Portugal Match Cup

The third event in this year’s World Match Racing Tour begins tomorrow with the opening round robin of the Troia Portugal Match Cup. Twelve skippers will meet each of the others once and the top scoring eight helmsmen will progress to the knock out stages of the competition, beginning with the quarter-finals that will begin as soon as the preliminaries are complete.

ENTRY LIST
Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team — Leading the World Tour standings
Paolo Cian (ITA) Shosholoza
Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar
Björn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net
Sébastien Col (FRA) Areva Challenge
Staffan Lindeberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team
Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST Sailing Team
Gavin Brady (NZL) BMW/Oracle Racing
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth.pt
Team Philippe Presti (FRA) Luna Rossa Challenge
Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS) Lord of the Sail Team

ISAF Match Racing World Championship Leaderboard (Top 8) (After Stage 7 of 16)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team, 78 points
2. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza, 66 points
3. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar, 62 points
4. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net, 49 points
5. Sébastien Col (FRA) Areva Challenge, 47 points
6. Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany, 45 points
7. Ed Baird (USA) Alinghi, 40 points
8. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, 40 points

Barkow on the lead at Troia Portugal Women's Cup

source by: Bob Fischer
www.portugalwomenscup.com

The United States skipper, Sally Barkow, was the leader at the end of the second round robin of Grade 1 event at the Portuguese resort at Troia - Troia Portugal Women's Cup. She began the day with three wins that took her total to 12 for only one defeat.

The first race was an enthralling one in which an early mistake by Barkow and her crew almost wrecked her chances.
Read more here

Final scores after 20 flights (total of 14 rounds):

Sally Barkow (USA) 12-2
Klaartje Zuiderbaan (NED) 10-4
Jenny Axhede (SWE) 9-5
Claire Leroy (FRA) 8-6 *
Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) 8-6
Rita Gonçalves (POR) 5-9
Lotta Thorelius (SWE) 2-12
Julie Bossard (FRA) 2-12

Peter Wibroe - MR European Champion

Photo (c) Juerg Kaufmann go4image.com click on image to see more

source: http://www.yachting.com.pl/

Danish team of: Peter Wibroe (skipper), Jeppe Rasmussen, Phillip Guhle, Jonas Hviid-Nielsen has beaten in the MR Europeans' final French skipper Pierre Antoine Morvan 3:1 and became the MR European Champion.
Bronze medal of Toyota Sopot Match Race Eurosaf Europeans went to former European Champion Staffan Lindberg. Finnish team managed to beat Slovenian skipper Jure Orel in petit final 2:0

Final result of Toyota Sopot Match Race Eurosaf European Championship 2007
1. Peter Wibroe (DEN)
2. Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA)
3. Staffan Lindberg (FIN)
4. Jure Orel (SLO)
5. Przemysław Tarnacki (POL)
6. Eric Monnin (SUI)
7. Dario Kliba (CRO)
8. Andreas Willim (GER)
9. Rui Boia (POR)
10. Marek Stańczyk (POL)
11. Jacopo Pasini (ITA)
12. Andriej Arbuzov (RUS)

MR Europeans, Wibroe leader after round robin todaty start with QF

Peter Wibroe still on the lead, Przemysław Tarnacki in the quarter-final Sopot, 20th of July - Today the Rond Robin of the European Championship Toyota Sopot Match Race 2007 has been finished. Przemyslaw Tarnacki benefit the most of the light wind blowing today, as he finished second in the overall.

Standings after the second day:
1. Peter Wibroe ( DEN ) - 10 points
2. Przemysław Tarnacki ( POL ) - 7 points
3. Pierre Antoine Morvan ( FRA ) - 6,5 points
4. Eric Monnin ( SUI ) - 6 points
5. Jure Orel ( SLO ) - 5 points
6. Staffan Lindberg ( FIN ) - 5 points
7. Dario Kliba ( CRO ) - 5 points
8. Andreas Willim ( GER ) - 5 points
9. Rui Boia ( POR ) - 4 points
10. Marek Stańczyk ( POL ) - 4 points
11. Andriej Arbuzov ( RUS ) - 4 points
12. Jacopo Pasini ( ITA ) - 4 points

It has been a fantastic day fo Przemysław Tarnacki ( POL ) who had won 5 out of 6 races. He lost only with Peter Wibroe ( DEN ), who is still leading, as he had the same result today ( 5 wins out of 6 races ) The sx top crews will challenge tomorrow in the quarter-finals. Marek Stanczyk ( POL ) finished 10th. In the morning it seemed that no racing will be held, but luckily shortly after 10 a.m. the wind appeared. Throughout the day it reached up to
5 m/s. The track was once again parallel to the pier, thanks to the wind direction, so all supporters could watch the regattas directly from the Sopot Pier.

Sopot Match Race EUROSAF Europeans

EUROSAF Match Race Europeans sponsored by Toyota started! 12 teams from 11 countries will fight until Sunday in Sopot for the European Match Race Champion title. Yesterday the wind conditions allowed the Race Committe to run 10 flights of 1st stage of Round Robin. The ambisious plan to run Double Round Robin was unfortunately submitted to change and today we are going to try to finish single Round Robin and go straight to quaterflinals.
After 10 flights Danish skipper Peter Wibroe and his team are on the lead. They won all matches they sailed yesterday and look for more to come today.
The organization of EUROSAF Match Race Europeans is really outstanding. German skipper Andreas Willim commented it this way: "If I knew how well prepared events are taking place in Sopot I would try to be invited here much earlier".
A bit of bad luck are having the hosts of MR Europeans team of Marek Stańczyk and Przemek Tarnacki. Both of them have 2 wins so far.
The complete results afetr first day of racing can be found above. To make them bigger just click on the photo.
Today wind is being a bit tricky from the morning. The weather forecast is also not promising and there is not too much wind on the horizon but let's see the outcome of the day.
Both Juerg and myself are here so we will keep you informed!
Stay with us
Sofia

Hayama International

The Japan Yacht Match Racing Association and Hayama Marina Yacht Club jointly organizes an All Japan Yacht Match Race Championship/Hayama International Match in Hayama, Japan from 22- 25 Nov 2007.
We wish to invite some skippers coming from outside from Japan.
If you are interested in this proposition and to take part in this event, please let us know as soon as possible. We will send you NOR as soon as it is ready.
It is anticipated that the event grading will be ISAF grade 3, and the entry fee will be around 100,000 yen. The amount of prize money is not decided(depend on the sponsor). Accommodation will be provided by the organizers during the event. The boat to be used are Yamaha 30s. There is no limit to the number of crews but the weight limit for a team is at 350Kg.

We look forward to hearing from you soon,

Toshio Toya
Japan Yacht matchrace Association
http://www.matchrace.gr.jp/

James take the Trofeo Tombini in Ravenna

See more pictures click here

Luna Rossa helm James SPITHILL (AUS) won the 13th edition of the ISAF Grade 1 Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy, defeating Paolo CIAN (ITA) of Shosholoza 3-0 in the final. It is a memorable victory for SPITHILL, who becomes the first skipper to win for a third time and, according to the rules, he is awarded the Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy.


Top 4 of this edition:
1: James Spithill
2: Paolo Cian
3: Damian Iehl
4: Philippe Presti