WMRT: YANMAR Racing - It's All About the Starts

by Rob Kothe

Breeze aplenty for the Round Robin battles in this fourth event on the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour.

Day three started early to everyone's relief, with a solid 12-14 knot south-westerly under overcast skies. As the day progressed the cloud disappeared leaving postcard sailing conditions, with both sun and wind.

Australian Peter Gilmour and his YANMAR Racing team, mainsheet-tactician Cameron Dunn, trimmer Thierry Douillard, pitman Yasuhiro Yaji and bowman Kazuhiko Sofuku, had two wins and two losses in some important Round Robin matches today.

The first match of the day for YANMAR Racing was against Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team.

Thierry Douillard commented dockside, 'Today was all about starts. Against Marino we had a very good start. We locked him in near the Race Committee boat, leaving him no place to go. He hit us hard in the stern, received a penalty and was late to the line. From there it was an easy race.

'Our second match was against Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra.

'We had a shocking prestart. 45 seconds from the gun we were both head to wind, close to the Committee boat and we tried to build speed on port but we could not. We had to gybe to avoid the Committee boat. Bruni started at the favoured pin end and we were six to seven lengths back. We closed up over the race with speed and only finished three lengths back, so at least we showed him we were still alive.

'Then we beat Manuel Weiller (ESP) Team Iberdrola, after another good start.

'Against Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, YANMAR Racing had another bad start. This time we were OCS at the pin and had to gybe back. Magnus sailed well and was never going to let us back into the match from there.

'Tomorrow is going to be a huge day for us, our matches are against some quality opponents - Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mathieu Richard and Bjorn Hansen (SWE). If we can secure a win or two then YANMAR Racing should be into the quarter finals.

'So far in this regatta we have been doing well on the course. We've been good tactically and had speed but now we have to manage much better starts.'

'So that is our challenge.'

On another tack YANMAR Racing media can report that as the World Cup football continues, Japan has more supporters with Thierry Douillard (FRA), Cameron Dunn (NZ) and Peter Gilmour (AUS) now barracking for Japan along with Yasuhiro Yaji and Kazuhiko Sofuku.

Day 3: Current Round Robin Standings

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

* Deducted 0.5 point for damage

YANMAR Racing
World Match Racing Tour