Stena Match Cup Sweden. Image copyright Dan Ljungsvik.
by Lars-Ola Nordqvist
Three new skippers are ready for this year’s sailing highlight of Sweden, Stena Match Cup Sweden, July 5-11 at Marstrand. Damien Iehl, France, and Reuben Corbett, New Zealand, have been qualified to start in the fifth stage of World Match Racing Tour. The tenth lady skipper, Trine Abrahamsen from Denmark is also ready for start. A total of 26 skippers are on the line in the largest ever starting field of this race.
The two final men were qualified from the race Sails of White Nights in St Petersburg, an ISAF Grade 1 regatta, which is a qualification race to Stena Match Cup Sweden, the fifth stage of World match Racing Tour, official ISAF world championship.
Last year’s winner in St Petersburg, Frenchman Damien Iehl, 35, ranked fifth in the world, this year lost to 22 year old New Zealander Reuben Corbett in the semi final. Corbett’s young team then won the final race comfortable against Eugeniy Neugodnikokov in its first Grade 1 race ever and was thereby qualified to the World Tour race in Marstrand together with Damien Iehl, who was fourth in last year’s Stena Match Cup Sweden.
"I am extremely happy, it was our first Grade 1 race, which we succeed to win, and then we are also qualified to our first World Match Racing Tour race. It is just fantastic!" said the very happy Reuben Corbett, who thereby just had fulfilled his first goal. Now he is aiming for his second, to win the Tour!
"He will be a dark horse in Marstrand, in the wake of his native fellow sailor, ruling champion Adam Minoprio. But on this record 16 men starting line anyone can win," says Erik Centerwall, GKSS, Sports manager of Stena Match Cup Sweden.
Björn Hansen, third in the Korea stage of the World Match Race Tour recently, defends the Swedish colors together with Magnus Holmberg, Mattias Rahm, and Johnie Berntsson.
The ladies, who also have a record large starting field, are now complete with the tenth sailor, Trine Abrahamsen, who is one of Denmark’s promising match racing sailors and aiming for the Olympics.
New in this year’s Ladies race is that the new Olympic race boat Elliott 6 with crews of three will be used and that a Quarter Final has been added to the ladies program.
Stena Match Cup Sweden
World Match Racing Tour
