WMRT: YANMAR Racing into semi-finals in Portugal

by Rob Kothe

Another great day of sailing, sun and a steady 12-14 knots of breeze at the Portugal Match Cup, which is stage 4 of the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing series.

A smiling Cameron Dunn summed up the day for YANMAR Racing. 'Seven races today, unbelievable - getting a bit much for us old fellas. Thierry Douillard and I are the babies of this team. We are 37, Yashuhiro Yagi and Kazuhiko Sofuku are both 39 and then there is the really old fella Peter Gilmour 50. But we sailed 6-1 so there is life in the old bones yet.

'This morning YANMAR Racing was 5-3 and had three tough races left in the Round Robin.

'The first was against Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, who was already topping the round robin series.

'Peter did a really nice job; we got a penalty on MRT in the dial up. YANMAR Racing had the better start, Mirsky tried to sailing inside us at the top mark and received another penalty and it was game over.

'Next up was the leader of the 2010 Tour, Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team. We sailed around his bow tacked and crossed him and had four lengths lead at top mark and went away to a good win.

'Our last round robin match was against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team. Bjorn had knocked us out of the quarter finals in Korea. 'The prestart did not go well. We were penalised for not keeping clear as windward boat. Off the line we went hard right and Bjorn hard left. When we came together we were five lengths ahead, we extended, did our penalty upwind and still won by three lengths.

'This fleet is very tough, so we were pretty pleased to qualify second overall.

'Into the quarter finals and we picked Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge.

'In the first match Magnus won the start, we kept it close and were two lengths behind at the top mark. However we attacked, gybed earlier and got onto their air and closed in on them.

'YANMAR Racing tried to shut the gate on us and we had to gybe away to miss T-boning them. It was a huge loss for us. They were given two red flag penalties because of the substantial advantage they had gained and we went on to win.

'In the second match Holmberg won the start. We caught them at top mark but they kept us close and down the last run they snatched the lead. We fouled trying to get past them and so they won. The scores were tied up 1-1.

'In the third race YANMAR Racing had a really nice start to leeward. They started on our hip and had to tack away. We went left, protected that and with the advantage of favourable current and pressure we were six lengths ahead at top mark and extended away.

'In race four they won the start, YANMAR Racing followed them to left. At the top mark we were right on their hammer, managed to gybe on them, and rolled them down the run. At the bottom mark we protected the right, got a big 'righty' and good breeze on the second upwind and gained five lengths and won comfortably through to the semi finals with a 3-1 win.

'It was a much better feeling than after the quarters in Korea; we are sailing very well and fast and looking forward to tomorrow.'

Into the semi finals of the Portugal Match Cup are two Australia crews, a Kiwi and a British crew. It's a top qualify field. As Graeme Spence, Mirsky Racing Team's bowman summed up, after MRT topped the round robin leader board and therefore have first choice of opponent, 'We have a really tough task ahead of us with some of the best match racers in the world to choose from. Four times world champion and match racing veteran Peter Gilmour, two times world champion Ian Williams or the current world champion and world number one Adam Minoprio.'

YANMAR Racing Team's Skipper Peter Gilmour concluded 'It was a very big day; the team was very solid when we needed to be. We finished second in Korea, so we've been doing well in the Round Robins; we did well today to get through the quarter finals, so we need to finish it off from here.'

Semi-Finalists Portugal Match Cup

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing

Day 4: Quarter Final Results

Torvar Mirksy (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team v Manual Weiller (ESP) Team Iberdrola (3-1)
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing v Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge (3-1)
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GBR v Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra (3-1)
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing v Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team (3-1)

Final Round Robin Standings

1 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 9 points
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 7.5 points
3 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 7 points
4 Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge 6.5 points
5 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6 points
6 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 6 points
7 Manuel Weiller (ESP) Team Iberdrola 6 points
8 Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 6 points
9 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 4 points
10 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 4 points
11 Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 1 point
12 Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) Team Synergy 1 point

YANMAR Racing
World Match Racing Tour