A Race Day To Remember
1459 entries / 1323 finished / 52 retirements / 6 OCS / DSQ
Saturday 1st June was certainly a day to remember, a day of highs, and more highs and, it was a day for Round the Island Race records to tumble. It was the day when Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie and his all-British crew aboard J.P. Morgan BAR, trounced the existing Round the Island Race multihull record, held for 12 years, by an impressive 16 minutes.
In the monohull fleet the biggest boat in the IRC classes, Mike Slade’s 100ft ICAP Leopard was not far behind. He crossed the finish line 40 minutes after Ainslie, shaving almost ten minutes off the monohull race record he had set back in 2008.
Title sponsor J.P. Morgan Asset Management, summed up their team’s thoughts on the day. Jasper Berens, Head of UK, J.P. Morgan Assert Management, commented: “It’s so fantastic to be here and to raise such superb amounts for the Race charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. It was a vintage year in terms of weather and the racing and it was incredible to see so many happy, smiling faces in Cowes. The fact that Ben and his team on J.P. Morgan BAR achieved the Round the Island race multihull record, just topped it off. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.”
On behalf of the Island Sailing Club, Dave Atkinson, Race Safety Officer, had little cause for concern during his long day that started at 0245 and finished at 2350. He commented: “We had the least number of incidents to deal with for a very long time and nothing major occurred out on the water. The entire Race team, that numbers around 170 people on the day and ranged from spotters to results teams, cannot be praised highly enough.”
Today, Sunday 2nd June, wrapped everything up nicely with more great weather and the Race Prize giving which was held at the Island Sailing Club where the Commodore Rod Nicholls was joined on stage by Corrie McQueen from J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to hand out the gold and silverware to the deserving prizewinners.
The most coveted prize, the Gold Roman Bowl and JPMAM Salver for First Overall IRC went to 5 West, the TP52 owned and helmed by Sir Keith Mills and Robert Greenhalgh.
The Silver Roman Bowl and JPMAM Salver for Second Overall IRC went to Pace and Johnny Vincent. The Observer Trophy and JPMAM Trophy for First Monohull to finish went to Mike Slade and ICAP Leopard.
Next year, the Race is held on Saturday 21st June and the Island Sailing Club, the title sponsor J.P. Morgan Asset Management and the family of Race Partners all look forward to welcoming everyone back to Cowes.
Article by Peta Stuart-Hunt the race press officer
Photos courtesy of Barry James Wilson
Cilck on Image to Enlarge
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- Multihull (Photo by Barry James Wilson)
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- Round the Island yacht racesunrise by Barry James Wilson
The first race took place in 1931 with 25 entries and it was indeed one of the smaller boats that won. The successful skipper, Peter Brett, competed in a 22 foot Cornish fishing boat Merry Conceit. He had bought it, in partnership with his friend Henry Trefusis, from the builders in Looe, for the sum of £45. (Photo by Kirk of Cowes)
It’s Friday! It’s pre-Race day!
The final part of the 2013 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race Video Series, ‘Top Tips from the Experts’, has been published on the Race website with winning tactical advice from some well-known names and faces associated with this iconic annual event. Watch the latest Winners Tips video here http://rtir.me/videos
Weather Briefing
All Race competitors are invited to the Island Sailing Club (ISC) at 1800hrs this evening for the all-important Raymarine Weather Briefing. Competitors are given the latest weather and tidal information live, combined with expert tactical advice from professional meteorologist and Met Office-trained Chris Tibbs. In addition, competitors can evaluate the weather prior to the Race by viewing the course overview and tidal strategy video here:http://www.raymarine.co.uk/view/?id=7418.
The Weather Briefing is replayed on the RTI Race website from 2000hrs.
20 years …&, we hope, still going strong
We make special mention today of Yvonne Margerison and her long-term partner Mike Flint who are racing in their 20th Round the Island Race.
The couple entered their first Round the Island Race back in 1993 in their boat Charis and we believe they have entered every year, apart from one when the mast was broken awaiting repair, and another when they sold Charis and were waiting to buy their new boat Gernee (S31) which is entered this year.
The couple are passionate about sailing, have been very active members at Rutland Sailing Club – Mike is a Past Commodore – plus they are both Past Commodores at the Newparks Cruising Association Club. There’s been talk of retirement from racing – let’s hope that they won’t be retiring until after tomorrow’s Race and, meanwhile, the Race organisers wish them all the very best.
A tribute to Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson
The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race pre-Race Press Conference will take place at 12 noon today, hosted by the Island Sailing Club. There is a terrific line up of guests including Dame Ellen MacArthur and Alex Thomson. There will be a short tribute to Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson whose memorial service and private funeral is also being held today. The ISC will fly the ensign at half-mast from 1150-1400hrs.
This is an invitation-only event but organisers have agreed to stream it live on the Race website http://rtir.me/pressconference and on Event TV throughout Cowes.
How to follow the Race Day action
Here are some useful links to the Official Race website to help keep spectators fully up to speed on the racing as it unfolds from 0500hrs.
The Blog rtir.me/liveblog
The Tracking rtir.me/livetracking
The Weather rtir.me/weather
The Latest News rtir.me/news
The Results rtir.me/results
The Race Facebook page will be maintained with news and the Race Twitter feed will be fully fed. For those wishing to contribute to the Twitter news as they sail around the Island, please use hashtags #RTIR and/or #raceforall to raise another £1 for the Official Charity, The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.
Official Race website:
Photo by Artemis Offshore Academy
In brief
• 130 days of competitive short-handed racing planned this year for the Academy Squad – a 20% increase on 2012
• Academy recruits inspired by recent Vendée Globe, as 3rd placed finisher Alex Thomson extols the virtues of the Academy: “In England we are very fortunate in having the Artemis Offshore Academy for short-handed sailing.”
• Mark Andrews, Ed Hill and Jack Bouttell continue their solo Figaro training in France with Team GBR Finn coach Matt Howard and seven time Solitaire du Figaro veteran Nico Berenger. Read Matt Howard’s final report on his week with the Academy squad here.
• Nikki Curwen kick starts her Mini training in Lorient with her sights firmly set on the 2013 Mini Transat
• Academy graduates Sam Goodchild and Henry Bomby train at Pole Finistere, the elite French offshore training centre
• Part-time Squad sailors training in double-handed racing to compete in the RORC’s offshore race programme
In full
The 2012/13 Vendée Globe race has proved to be record-breaking for the top three skippers, beating the previous 84-day record. At the age of 29, François Gabart (Macif) sailed into the record books as the youngest winner and fastest skipper ever to finish the race in an incredible time of 78 days, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds. The race was also the closest ever as just 3 hours later fellow Breton skipper Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) crossed the finish line to take 2nd place. Taking 3rd place to set a new British Circumnavigation record was Gosport based Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) who finished after 80 days and 19 hours on the course. Commenting at his press conference Thomson said: “In England we are very fortunate in having the Artemis Offshore Academy for short-handed sailing. They have supported the sport well and there are some good people coming through the ranks.”
The Artemis Offshore Academy squad followed the race day by day and have found inspiration from the performance of these great sailors. The Academy is developing British short-handed sailing talent by providing an intensive training programme for aspiring sailors who want to follow in the footsteps of British Vendée Globe sailors Dame Ellen MacArthur, Alex Thomson and Mike Golding. The Academy programme is designed to bring these ambitious sailors up through the ranks into the demanding world of short-handed offshore racing, and in 2013 the Academy will one again be competing on the world stage in over 130 days of competitive racing, a 20% increase from 2012, with the Solitaire du Figaro, Rolex Fastnet Race and Mini Transat being the highlight events of the year for the Figaro and Mini classes respectively.
Academy graduates Sam Goodchild and Henry Bomby have recently begun their 2013 training at the elite Pole Finistere offshore training centre in Brittany France. Sam and Henry are training alongside the likes of Francois Gabart and Armel Le C’leac’h as they focus on the main event of the season, the Solitaire du Figaro. “The great thing about joining the Pole Finistere centre is that we’ll train with many of the greats in Figaro and solo offshore racing to really develop our skills further and learn from the best of the best” explained Sam. Read Henry and Sam’s recent blogs about training at the elite Pole Finisterre here.
The Artemis Offshore Academy 2013 race programme. Download the programme here.
“The Solitaire du Figaro would be the highlight race of the year for me, but there is a lot to learn beforehand,” reported squad sailor Jack Bouttell, who is hoping to secure a place in the four-stage Solitaire du Figaro alongside Sam, Henry and Nick Cherry. The 44th Solitaire du Figaro will start from Bordeaux on the 2nd of June. “As well as the Solitaire du Figaro we also have the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race, followed by the Mini Transat in the calendar, these races combined with the other Figaro, Mini and double-handed events make it our most comprehensive race programme to date,” expanded John Thorn, Artemis Offshore Academy Performance Director.
Jack Bouttell © Lloyd Images
“The full-time Squad of Mark Andrews, Ed Hill and Jack Bouttell are currently training at the Centre d’Entrainement Méditerranée under the guidance of seven-time Solitaire du Figaro veteran Nico Bérenger as they prepare for their first solo race of the season, the ICOM CUP in March. While full-time Mini sailor Nikki Curwen has also moved to France to train in the Lorient Grand Large Mini group led by renowned solo coach, Tanguy Le Glatin, before she too moves south to Italy and prepares for the Roma Mini Solo,” explained John. Read John’s latest blog here.
Academy soloists Jack Bouttell, Mark Andrews and Ed Hill in La Grande Motte © Artemis Offshore Academy
Mini sailor Nikki Curwen, was born with Class Mini blood in her veins – her father Simon Curwen finished in a brilliant second place in the 2001 edition of the Mini Transat beating pro’s like Brian Thompson and Sam Davies. Simon still holds the accolade for highest placed British competitor. Nikki is focusing on qualifying for the 4,020nm Mini Transat from Douarnenez, France to Pointe á Pitre, Guadeloupe in October: “The Mini Transat is the ultimate challenge – being on your own in a tiny little 21ft boat with no communication to land for over 30 days. The mental aspect and preparation is as great a challenge, as is the physical ability!” Firstly, Nikki must complete her qualification miles – 1000nm racing in the Roma Mini Solo and the Gran Premio d’Italia, as well as 1000nm solo passage on her boat Mini 438. Nikki hopes to have qualified by mid-May, however, simply qualifying does not guarantee her a place on the starting grid, she will join the short waiting list of eager Mini sailors vying to compete , whilst spending the summer months raising the final part of required funding that she needs to compete, and follow in her Father’s footsteps.
Nikki Curwen and the newly refitted Mini 6.50 © Artemis Offshore Academy
Meanwhile part-time Academy sailors, Robin Elsey, Sam Matson, Dyfrig Mon, and Alex Gardner, will be training throughout the year in a double-handed racing season from Cowes, UK, as Alex reports: “Our double-handed programme this year is all focused towards doing the RORC Fastnet race in August, and hopefully the Tour de Bretagne in early September.” For this group of sailors the first race of the season is the RORC Cervantes Trophy in May. “I am really looking forward to our first race, and at 140nm the race won’t be the longest of the year, but a perfect way to start what will be a pivotal season for me.”
Part-time Academy squad member Alex Gardner © Lloyd Images
This is an exciting time for all members of the Artemis Offshore Academy as training intensifies both on and off the water. A series of interviews with the Academy sailors will be published online over the coming weeks to look at their campaigns in more detail.
Read Team GBR Finn coach Matt Howard’s final report on his week with the Academy squad here.
Follow the Academy on Facebook and Twitter for real time news.
Artemis Offshore Academy 2013 Race Programme
ICOM MED CUP – Figaro – Solo – 6–12 March
Roma Mini Solo – Mini – Solo – 15–18 March
Solo Arimer- Figaro – Solo – 9– 13 April
Gran Premio d’Italia – Mini – Solo – 13 – 21 April
Solo Concarneau – Figaro – Solo – 4-9 May
RORC Cervantes Trophy – Figaro – Double-handed – 4-5 May
UK Solent 6.50 – Mini – Double-handed – 5-7 May
UK Fastnet 6.50 – Mini – Double-handed – 12-18 May
RORC Myth of Malham – Figaro – Double-handed – 25-26 May
Round the Island Race – Figaro – Fully crewed – 1 June
Solitaire du Figaro – Figaro – Solo – 2-23 June
Trophée Marie-Agnés Péron – Mini – Solo – 13-15 June
RORC De Guingand Bowl – Figaro – Double-handed – 14-16 June
Mini Fastnet – Mini – Double-handed – 23-27 June
RORC Morgan Cup – Figaro – Double-handed – 28-30 June
RORC Cowes-Dinard-St Marlo – Figaro – Double-handed – 12-14 July
RORC Channel Race – Figaro – Double-handed – 27-28 July
Cowes Week – Figaro – Fully crewed – 3-10 August
RORC Rolex Fastnet – Figaro – Double-handed – 11-18 August
Le Grande 8 – Mini – Solo/Double-handed – 18-25 August
Tour de Bretagne – Figaro – Double-handed – 1-7 September
RORC Cherbourg Race – Figaro – Double-handed – 6-8 September
Mini Transat – Mini – Solo – 13 October till approximately 23 November
Artemis 23 Skippers, Nick Cherry and Sam Goodchild (Photo © Alexis Courcoux)
At 13.00 CET on Saturday 21st April, Artemis Offshore Academy sailors Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry set off on the 3890nm race across the Atlantic in the 11th edition of the Transat AG2R La Mondiale; from Concarneau to Saint Barthelemy. Flying the flag for Great Britain and the youngest crew in the fleet, Sam and Nick are taking on the some of the finest competitors in the Beneteau Figaro 2 class.
After a final weather briefing, the sailors headed down to the docks for the last time: “We’ve just rigged the boat for windy conditions. Conditions at the moment are clear skies, sunshine and the forecasted 20 knots of wind, so similar conditions to the prologue.” At 11.00am CET, the 16 Figaros said their final emotional goodbyes, and headed out of the harbour one by one to the applause of a growing crowd of spectators who provided a great atmosphere and added to the emotion of the departure.
Artemis 23 round the first mark in 4th position (Photo by Artemis Offshore Academy)
Nick Cherry and Sam Goodchild on board Artemis 23 © Artemis Offshore Academy
The fleet crossed the start line at 13.00 CET, with Goodchild and Cherry setting off in great shape. Artemis 23 made a great start as Artemis Offshore Academy performance director, John Thorn details: “The race started with a chilly North Westerly wind of around 15 knots, (gusting up to 25 in the rain squalls) Conditions were sunny, with patches of heavy rain. The spectator boats have turned out in force off Concarneau churning up the sea, and cheering on the double handed sailors as they head out to open ocean. Sam and Nick set of in great spirits buoyed on by a good first leg and rounded the first windward mark in 4th position. Nearing the next mark, Artemis 23 is creeping into 3rd. As usual for a race start in France, there are masses of spectator boats, creating rough and confused waves making it a very difficult race start, especially for the boats
Prior to the race, Goodchild reported: “I’m feeling good, looking forward to getting out there after months of preparation. We have fairly bad weather predicted for the next three days, so I’m looking forward to getting through that and eventually seeing the Caribbean on the horizon.” To which Cherry added: “Conditions from tomorrow (Sunday) are looking pretty heinous, with strong winds and rough seas.” Weather conditions are set to take a turn for the worse with rain, big waves and winds of up to 50 knots setting in off Cape Finistère, a point on the course notoriously difficult at the best of times.
The masses of spectator boats made for a difficult start.
These conditions are expected to moderate somewhat by the time the fleet arrive there on Monday. After which the course turns South from Cape Finistère and heads off towards a virtual turning mark near the Canary Islands; the temperatures will increase and as the wind turns and comes from behind, the downwind spinnaker conditions should make for much more comfortable sailing.
La Transat AG2R La Mondiale is famous for it’s varying and challenging weather conditions and the claustrophobic living conditions will only add to the pressure. After leaving Concarneau at 13.00 CET on Saturday 21st April, the fleet hope to cross the Atlantic in 23-25 days.
For daily updates on the race and Artemis 23’s progress visit www.artemisoffshoreacademy.com and the Transat AG2R La Mondiale official race tracker.
Get all the latest news and track the race on your phone or ipad with the La Transat AG2R La Mondiale app or visit the official La Transat AG2R La Mondiale website.
You can also follow the Artemis Offshore Academy on Facebook and Twitter.
Race: La Transat AG2R La Mondiale, start time 1300 CET
Route: Finistère, Concarneau to Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy
Distance: 3890nm
Specification: Double-handed, one design transatlantic crossing
Yacht: Figaro Beneteau II
Length: 10m
Teams: Artemis, Banque Populaire, Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Performance, Cercle Vert, Cornovaille Port de Peche, EDM/Pays Basque Enterprises, GAES, Gedimat, Hotel Emeraude Plage Saint-Barthelemy, La Solidarité Mutualiste, Les Recycleurs Breton, Nacarat, NC1, NC2, One Network Energies, Sepalumic, Skipper Macif, Vendee
Competing Nationalities: French, British, Spanish
Current weather conditions for the start 21.04.12 - NW winds of up to 20 knots
Artemis 23 race towards 3rd position nearing the second mark © Artemis Offshore Academy
Artemis San Diego (USA,CA) America's Cup World Series (© 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget)
Artemis Racing has advanced into the Semi Final of the AC World Series Match Racing Championship in San Diego, beating a red-hot Aleph team to join the final four. The last match of the day was a cat and mouse affair, the result in doubt until the very end, but finally, Artemis Racing prevailed.
“It was never over, until it was over,” said a relieved Terry Hutchinson, the skipper of the Swedish boat after racing. “It was dicey out there… We had to hang tough. It’s a testament to the team that we were able to get through.”
“We did a good job in both starts, had a nice lead, but it really didn’t count for much,” agreed Artemis tactician Iain Percy, speaking about the conditions. “You don’t always get dealt a good hand.”
The day dawned with a thick fog enveloping San Diego Bay but it had burned off by mid-morning, allowing a light 7-10 knot sea breeze to build. By early afternoon however, the fog settled in again, dropping the temperature and keeping the wind light and shifty in the bay.
Aleph In San Diego Match Racing (© 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget)
Aleph skipper Pierre Pennec led his crew into battle five times on Thursday (although only four counted), bullying his way through the fleet from the lowest seeded pair. After dispatching China Team, Team Korea and ORACLE Racing Coutts, Aleph ran out of magic in the match against Terry Hutchinson and Artemis.
The final result was heartbreaking for Aleph, who saw the first attempt at the match against Artemis Racing abandoned just as Pennec and crew had overcome an early penalty to take the lead. An external technical issue had caused the race course boundaries to disappear, affecting the race on the water and giving the Race Committee no choice but to abandon the contest.
In the second start sequence for the match, Hutchinson and crew were again able to put a penalty on to Aleph in the pre-start, gaining an early advantage they would need to fight to protect all the way around the course. The final race was sailed in extremely light, variable and shifty winds, meaning the early lead Artemis Racing had built was never safe. In fact, on the final upwind, Aleph drew even during one cross, passing just inches behind, but Hutchinson held his nerve, and protected his narrow advantage to the finish.
“We were leading in the first match before it was abandoned,” said an exhausted Pennec, after completing his full dance card of races. “In the second start we had a penalty, but we did well with the windshifts to match them right up to the last mark, so it was a good day for us. I really wanted to beat Artemis, but it’s normal (they’re a strong team, higher ranked).”
By losing the opening match to Aleph, China Team finishes in ninth place. The other teams to fall today, Green Comm Racing, Team Korea, ORACLE Racing Coutts and Aleph will race again on Saturday for places eight through five. On Friday, the four Semi Finalists will race in ‘best of three’ matches.
Oracle Racing in San Diego Match Racing (© 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget)
Results – San Diego Match Racing Championship – Qualifying Matches
Q1. Aleph beat China Team
Q2. ORACLE Racing Coutts beat Green Comm Racing
Q3. Aleph beat Team Korea
Q4. Aleph beat ORACLE Racing Coutts
Q5. Artemis Racing beat Aleph
Artemis Racing qualifies for the Semi Finals joining Energy Team, Emirates Team New Zealand, and ORACLE Racing Spithill each of whom previously qualified via the seeding races on Wednesday.
Friday’s Semi Final Matches (first to two)
SF1. Emirates Team New Zealand vs. ORACLE Racing Spithill
SF2. Energy Team vs. Artemis Racing
Spectators in Race Village (© 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget)
Team Energy in San Diego (Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget )
Winds were light to moderate on the bay Monday, ideal for a first test sail. Stronger winds are expected beginning as early as tomorrow. But in all range of conditions, the wingsailed AC45 catamarans are capable of generating breathtaking speeds, making for spectacular racing.
Among the five boats training today was the French Energy Team, with Yann Guichard taking over the skipper and helming duties for the racing in San Diego. The training sessions this week are critical for him and his crew to gel as a team.
“I’m feeling more and more comfortable. After all, it’s still a boat, it’s a multihull and I know multihulls quite well. It’s more impressive with the wing, but we have a few days of training here so that’s good,” said Guichard. “It’s a small race area, quite narrow and with nine boats competing, it’s going to be challenging. For the first weekend, there is a low pressure weather system coming so there could be strong winds. We’ll be training a lot to be ready for that.”
Racing in San Diego begins with the Port Cities Challenge on Saturday and Sunday (November 12-13). Representatives from the member cities will be aboard the race boats on Sunday. The event culminates with a public prize-giving ceremony at the AC Village following racing.
The championship portion of the America’s Cup World Series – San Diego runs from Wednesday November 16 through Sunday November 20, and includes fleet and match racing, as well as AC500 Speed Trial drag races. The teams earn points from their final ranking in both the fleet and match racing events towards the 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series.
Live, streaming video coverage of the racing runs from November 16-20 on the America’s Cup YouTube channel. And for the first time, there will also be live streaming to mobile devices through the America’s Cup YouTube channel.
Beginning on the opening weekend fans can enjoy the show from the America’s Cup Village, which features food, merchandise, exhibits and entertainment. The AC Village is housed on North Harbor Drive, between Broadway and Navy Piers. From November 16, the AC Village will feature live music each evening.
The races of the America’s Cup World Series will take place just off these Piers, within the tight confines of San Diego Bay. Spectators will be able to take advantage of a number of good shore-side viewing points, including a public spectator area at the end of Broadway Pier. In the AC Village there will be live video with expert commentary on the big screen from Wednesday through Sunday. Entrance to the AC Village is a suggested donation of $10 to help support ocean conservation efforts.
With racing now just days away, the sailors, the city and the Port of San Diego are looking forward to the start of the competition.
“San Diego Bay has a proven track record as a perfect venue for this type of action-packed sailing,” said Board of Port Commissioners Chairman Scott Peters. “The Port Cities Challenge is really a community celebration and a perfect way to encourage residents of San Diego County to come to the waterfront, and cheer on their representative teams as the racing event gets underway.”
Racing at the America’s Cup World Series – San Diego is scheduled to start with a warning signal at 1:05 pm each race day.
Out on the Sound (Photo by James Avery)
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Pack-up started in the Race Village on Sunday night and continues throughout the week, with the cargo ship HR Constitution being loaded with the lifeblood of the America’s Cup World Series, including the AC45 race boats, 102 shipping containers, 20 support boats, and one of the cranes used to hoist the AC45s into the water. The ship is scheduled to depart Plymouth Sound on Sunday and to arrive in San Diego by October 24, approximately three weeks ahead of the first race day.
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A wrap up of Plymouth in photos of America’s Cup Championship Series action courtesy of Photographer James Avery.
Tilted Team Corum (Photo by James Avery)
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Oracle at the Hoe (Photo by James Avery)
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Corum's Keel (Photo by James Avery)
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French Crew on Aleph (Photo by James Avery)
French Capsize (Photo by James Avery)
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French Crew on Capsized Aleph (Photo by James Avery)
Fleet (Photo by James Avery)
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Damage to China's Wing (Photo by James Avery)
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Crane lifting boat for launch (Photo by James Avery)
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Crane hoists boat for launch in Plymouth Harbour (Photo by James Avery)
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Team Korea a AC World Series ( Photo by 2011 ACEA / Gilles Martin-Raget )
Today was always going to see six teams knocked out of contention for the Plymouth Match Racing Championships title, but the big surprise was that both ORACLE Racing boats would be among them.
After beating China Team in his opening match of the day, Chris Draper and Team Korea pounced on ORACLE Racing Spithill when his team was struggling with a faulty jib clutch. Once Spithill fell behind, the Korean team never looked like giving up their surprise lead and went on to take an upset victory. Then, the Koreans dispatched Energy Team to move into the semi-final phase tomorrow; a best-of-three match against Artemis Racing.
The first Semi-Final between Emirates Team New Zealand and ORACLE Racing Coutts, brought two former team mates head to head, Russell Coutts and his fellow Kiwi and former apprentice Dean Barker. With each team scoring a come-from-behind win in the first two matches, it went down to the third before Dean Barker and the Kiwi team prevailed over the Defender in a close deciding race, to sail into the Final.
“We made it hard,” Barker said. “Those guys are pretty quick and start the boat well, and it was pretty close in all three races. But we’re a lot happier with the way we finished off the last race.”
With another big crowd enjoying the racing from the seafront of Plymouth, the crowd witnessed many dramatic matches, starting with Green Comm Racing’s contest against Aleph when Vasilij Zbogar pounced on errors by the French team to move to the next phase.
Aleph now sit out the racing tomorrow, and will be scored as ninth place in the Match Racing Championship. Green Comm Racing sailed well against Spithill, but never really threatened the reigning America’s Cup skipper. The Spanish team goes up against China in tomorrow’s matches to decide seventh and eighth.
Team Korea dominated China Team in their match, leading from start to finish. Then Draper came from behind to win his next two races, first against Spithill and then against Energy Team. Loick Peyron’s start was excellent but handling errors allowed the Koreans back into the game. Draper seized his chance to earn his spot in the Semi-Finals.
Three victories from three matches was a perfect score for a team with very little match racing experience. It also marks the second time that Chris Draper has handed out a match racing lesson to the Defender, having also toppled Russell Coutts in Cascais a month earlier. “I’ve nothing against ORACLE,” said Draper. “We are trying to improve our match racing skill. The changing format has given us some more opportunity. Our experience in match racing is limited but we have some smart guys on board.”
Spithill was generous in defeat: “Certainly Korea has caused some problems to ORACLE Racing but full credit to those guys. They hung in there. We had a few issues with the gear and we made a tactical error on the run. We got what we deserved.”
Tomorrow is another busy day as the Plymouth Match Racing Championships reaches its climax. First up is the best-of-three Semi Final between Team Korea and Artemis Racing, who sat out today’s competition after winning the fleet racing phase yesterday. Then come the matches to decide the minor placings, and then a best-of-three Finals.
