Will Tiller and FMJ Racing with their prizes. Image copyright RPNYC.
by Matt Steven
After four days of very close racing Full Metal Jacket Racing skippered by William Tiller took out the Men's section of the Musto Wellington Match Race Cup.
In a surprise result in the semi finals Tim Coltman from Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, with a team of the top Wellington youth sailors defeated world number 12 ranked Black Sheep Racing skippered by Reuben Corbett.
"After a very hard round robin phase without much success we were surprised and delighted to take out the semi finals 2 - 0 against Reuben" said a buoyant Coltman at the conclusion of racing.
Will Tiller and crew on the race course. Image copright RPNYC.
Tiller and his team sailed a strong final series to dominate the up and coming Coltman by two matches to nil.
"It has been extremely close out there all week with many matches going right down to the wire. We are really pleased to have won this event and are looking forward to our wild card entry to Match Race Germany" said a Tiller at prize giving.
Meanwhile in the girls fleet round robin winners Koru Match skippered by Stephanie Hazard made an unconventional move to choose as their semi finals opponent Team Silver Sails who finished the round robin phase in second place.
Koru Match had an edge in the windier breeze of the semis and took it out 3 -0 before progressing to the finals and winning 2-0 against Bowater Racing skippered by Danielle Bowater.
Koru Match: Stephanie Hazard, Susannah Pyatt and Jenna Hansen with their prizes for winning the Musto Wellington Women's Match Race Cup. Image copyright RPNYC.
The Musto Wellington Match Race Cup incorporated both the men’s and women’s racing into one. The women were sailing in the Elliot Sixes which are the Olympic women’s match racing yachts whilst the men competed in MRXs.
For the men the teams were looking to prove themselves as New Zealand’s best up and coming match racers and were also preparing for their campaigns in Europe throughout the year. Full Metal Jacket Racing as the winner of the event received the added bonus of a wild card entry to Match Race Germany in the 2011 World Match Racing Tour.
The Women were vying for selection into the NZL Sailing Team’s Olympic Squad. There are spots up for grabs and with the Olympics only two years away, the prospective Women sailors needed to be firing at this year’s event.
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