Match Racing Drama at Sunseeker Australia Cup

Ainslie penalty flagged in first quarter final against Robertson. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

by Rob Kothe and Al Constable

Sunseeker Australia Cup Quarter Final time. Day three started with a brisk morning breeze and some even brisker morning racing in the first quarter final flights being sailed off the Royal Perth Yacht Club in Matilda Bay.

The first pairing on the water was 2009 World Match Racing Tour leader Adam Minoprio from New Zealand sailing against France's Mathieu Richard, currently fourth on the Tour. Richard has been sailing consistently in recent years; third overall in 2008 and second in 2006 and 2007.

Despite some aggressive pre-start battles between the two, Minoprio won all three races.

In the first two matches, with winds at 12-15 knots from the east, Minoprio positioned himself for the windward starts, on the left hand side with a gauged start. He was protecting the starboard advantage and the left was certainly paying.

As the wind eased before the start of the last match, with a start in seven to eight knots, he put himself close to leeward.

It was only in this, the third match, that Richard looked like he might upset the applecart. With conditions getting a little fluky, he took the lead downwind, but Minoprio gained on the right hand side and sailed to a narrow victory.


Ainslie pushes Robertson in a pre-start. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

The Tour leader was through to the semis and the French team headed for Perth's Cottesloe Beach for lunch.

Mathieu Richard was 'disappointed to miss the semis. The conditions on the Perth Waters course are quite tricky, but it's a superb place to sail.

'We are aiming for a podium finish on the 2009 World Tour, so a win in Terengganu would suit us perfectly and if Adam happens to come seventh and Torvar sixth, that would give us the World Tour Championship.'

The battle between the triple Olympic Gold Medallist Ben Ainslie and the newly crowned Asian Match Racing champion, Aucklander Phil Robertson was next.


Bruni leads Mirsky in their quarterfinal. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

Robertson, who came the New Zealand Youth Match Racing program does not hold back. Sailing aggressively he pushed Ainslie hard in the first race.

Robertson was pushing the envelope; the umpires were busy with plenty of flags flying. Robertson got a penalty on Ainslie downwind and lead at the bottom mark and held on to win.

In the second race, Ainslie headed left, Robertson right, when they came together Ainslie was just ahead, there was a tussle at top mark, but Ainslie held onto his lead.

In the third match, both received penalties at the top mark. But Ainslie went on to win and he did the same in the fourth and final match.

So it's Minoprio and Ainslie into the semi finals from one side, now to next grouping.

Quarter Final Drama continues at Sunseeker Australia Cup


Mirsky leads Bruni in their quaterfinal. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

In Saturday afternoon's schedule, Perth's own Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) will be up against Francesco Bruni (Azzurra Team) the 2009 Louis Vuitton Trophy winner, while Britain's Ian Williams and his Bahrain Team Pindar crew will sail against another Perth skipper Keith Swinton (Black Swan Racing).

As the Emirates Team New Zealand Black Match Racing Team stepped off their Foundation 36 Adam Minoprio said 'We are pleased with our progress so far and we are looking forward to more breeze tomorrow. It's a great venue; the Perth Waters course is very interesting.'

Torvar Mirsky commented ''The field is very strong here at the Australia Cup, as it will be next week at the Monsoon Cup. For us to win the 2009 World Tour from 12 points behind, we need to win the Monsoon Cup with Adam placing third or worse.

'Since we first started on the World Match Racing Tour, we've found lots of practice delivered more consistent results.

'So while we enjoyed sailing against Adam and his Black Match crew, we wish he was not here sailing the Foundation 36's against us. This week we would have liked him to be at the beach.'Racing moved above the Narrows Bridge, where the Swan River edges past the Perth CBD, for the second set of Quarter Finals in the 2009 Sunseeker Australia Cup on Day 3 of the series being sailed out of Royal Perth Yacht Club.


Mirsky versus Bruni. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

In the quarter finals 2006-2007 and 2009 World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams chose to sail against Perth local Keith Swinton. The two skippers had sailed against each twice before on the World Tour. In the 2008 Monsoon Cup Swinton, the 2008 Asian Match Racing Champion, had bested Williams but the tables had been turned in the Bermuda Gold Cup.

The first race started surprisingly, with a lapse in concentration from the vastly experienced Williams, who spun inside the obstruction line on the Kings Park shoreline and attracted a penalty.

It was light at the top mark and when Williams' green spinnaker popped. Swinton was just a length behind with a penalty advantage, he stuck like glue to his rival and at the end of the second lap Williams was unable to complete his penalty before Swinton took the race.

In the second match Swinton was controlling Williams early in the starting box but Williams escaped and was fast on the right off the line.

Williams held a two lengths advantage at the bottom mark, but on the second beat Swinton found a shift in the disturbed wind in the lee of the Narrows Bridge and his blue kite popped first. Down the run Swinton held his small lead.


Ian Williams (nearest camera) and Keith Swinton stay close in their pre-start. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

A shock for Williams, the current world champion after he chose Swinton as the easiest skipper to 'roll', as he suddenly found himself in jeopardy, 0-2, in a first to three series.

When they next headed into the box, Swinton was twice penalised in the pre-start. Hunting for a killer third penalty Williams was a little too enthusiastic and conceded a penalty.

Swinton started a length behind and though he tried every trick, Williams sailed away to pull back to 1-2. One match point saved but it was still do or die for the British team.

Deep breaths for Swinton ahead of match four. After a clean start, Williams wanted the left and Swinton the right.

Swinton sailed flawlessly, holding the right and bouncing Williams back. He was a length ahead at the top mark, and gained again on the run to extend his lead to two lengths. He further extended on the second lap.

Horns sounded and cheers rang across the water as the local sailor crossed the line with a 3-1 victory.

Post race the lightly built Western Australian, who is just 60kg wringing wet, said the team had sailed 15kg under the 437kg five up weight limit.

Swinton smiled 'A good result for us; our aim coming into this event was to get to the semi finals and we've done that. It will be even better if win tomorrow.'

Rooster to Feather Duster for Italian Match Racers

After topping the Louis Vuitton Trophy series in Nice, France, Italy's Francesco Bruni and his Azzurra team flew into Perth West Australia as one of the favourites for the Sunseeker Australia Cup, the precursor event for the 2009 Monsoon Cup.

Jetlag and the switch from big AC boats to the Bakewell White designed Foundation 36s delivered a horror first day for the Italian team, left struggling with a 0-5 result. On day two they improved to post an overall 3-6 and against the odds they just scraped into the quarter finals.

Today, there would have been few bookmakers accepting money on the current World Match Racing Tour number two and 'in form' Torvar Mirsky, against the 'off pace' Bruni.

But this afternoon the Louis Vuitton Trophy winner was back on track. Clearly over his jetlag, Bruni looking relaxed with the prospect of his favourite light weather conditions suiting his style, as he sailed into the starting box in what could be a five match contest.

There was a long dial up, the longest of the series, with the two boats sliding well back. Mirsky was first to lose his line and he was immediately disadvantaged.

Off the start line Bruni had an early lead out on the left and he extended through the race to take an easy six lengths win.

In the second quarter final match for Mirsky and Bruni, Mirsky just escaped a penalty on the start line. Bruni again lead from the start. At the top mark Bruni was a boat length ahead of Mirsky. Bruni controlled the race and won by two lengths.

Heads were down on the Mirsky boat - 0-2.

In Match 3 Mirsky was more aggressive. He pressured Bruni in the pre-start, managed to secured the right and kept bouncing Bruni back to the left, but Bruni held on.

Bruni called for water, two to three lengths before it was necessary and was penalised by the umpires. Mirsky went on to win; now it was 1-2.

Match 4. Bruni won the start, but with a penalty needed to clear away from his Australian rival. Mirsky stayed tight as Bruni poured on the pressure.

Down the last run Bruni was three boat lengths ahead of his hard charging rival when the Italian spun his boat around the pin needing to complete his penalty turn before Mirsky crossed the line.

As Mirsky's bow crossed the line Bruni, with no rights and still 90 degrees from completing his turn, hit Mirsky amidships. Bruni was immediately flagged with another penalty. Mirsky won the match and Bruni accepted a further one point penalty, which meant there was no jury hearing. 2-2 had become 2-1.

With the sun low in the sky, the two boats went into sequence again. Off the start line in Match 5, Mirsky was faster on the left, pushed just clear and ahead so he could control Bruni even while on port and kept bouncing Bruni back in the adverse flooding tide. Mirsky kept extending his lead and was two lengths ahead at the top mark This was reduced to only a length at the bottom mark but Mirsky held on for victory - 3-1.


Ainslie sails to victory in the quarter finals over Kiwi Phil Robertson. Image copyright Sail-World.com/AUS.

Dockside a clearly relieved Torvar Mirsky commented 'Well we came here to get more 'on water time' before the Monsoon Cup, but I don't think we expected quite this much.

'We are looking forward to the semis tomorrow, with Adam Minoprio, Ben Ainslie, ourselves and now Keith Swinton clearly in hot form, its going to be an interesting day.'

Sunseeker Australia Cup