Mathieu Richard's French Match Racing Team at the Marseille International Match Race 2009. Mathieu Richard is second from right in the image above. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/World Match Racing Tour.
by Yvonne Reid
Match Cup Sweden signified the halfway stage of the 2009 World Match Racing Tour and, following the Swedish classic, the leader board has seen quite a change. The new leaders, having finishing second place in Marstrand, are the French Match Racing Team of Mathieu Richard. The 20 point gain has resulted in knocking Adam Minoprio’s (NZL) ETNZ/Black Match team off the top spot. Minoprio’s disappointing performance in Sweden meant that he didn’t add any points to his tally.
Also having a bad week was Ian Williams and his Bahrain Team Pindar not making the quarter finals for the fourth time in four visits to Marstrand. Holding station on the leader board is Torvar Mirsky (AUS) who’s 6th place score keeps him in the hunt for the championship.
The biggest leap up the table was by Peter Gilmour (AUS) and his YANMAR Racing crew from 8th to 3rd, closing right up on Minoprio. It was Gilmour’s seventh win in Marstrand which came at the end of a week in which he was inducted, along with Magnus Holmberg, into the Match Cup Sweden Hall of Fame.
Sneaking into the Tour top 8 for the first time this year is Sébastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge after a shocking start to the year with a 6th, 8th, 9th and 7th in the first four events. The third place at Match Cup Sweden shows that he is on his way back but has a battle on his hands to equal if not improve on his second place finish in 2008.
Dropping out the top 8 is Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza who has missed the last two events but will back in the second half of the year hoping to continue the form that saw him win the Korea Match Cup. He is a past champion at the next event on the Tour, St Moritz Match Race, so shouldn’t be written off as a contender just yet.
With five events now complete only Mathieu Richard is counting five results. From here on in for Richard any gain in points will be incremental as the championship takes the best five results in the year plus the final event which has a 1.5 times multiplier.
Tour Standings
(After 5 of 10 events)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team 68 Points
2. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch 61 Points
3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 56 Points
4. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 54 Points
5. Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar 49 Points
6. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 44 Points
7. Ben Ainslie, (GBR) Team Origin 40 Points
8. Sebastien Col (FRA) French Team/K-Challenge 33 Points
World Match Racing Tour
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