BlackMatch Racing

BlackMatch 3rd in Korea

Hello from BlackMatch in Korea,

After narrowly missing out on making the final stage of the regatta, we had to front up today to take on world number 19 and former World Tour Champion Jesper Radich, in a best of three race off for third place. Although we definitely didn't have it all our way, we had three nail biting matches and managed to take out third place in the 2008 Korea Match Cup, winning the race off 3-1.

The first race we managed to win, leading from start to finish taking a narrow victory. The second race saw the Dane manage emerge with the advantage off the start line, although he did have a penalty from an infringement in the pre-start. They sailed well but by the final run had not managed to gain a big enough lead to complete their penalty turn, their only option was to wait for us on the final run to the finish and try and force a penalty on us, they did this extremely well and got a penalty on us right before the finish line, taking a the win.

The third deciding race was another thriller. Jesper had an excellent start, getting a penalty on us and gaining a clear advantage off the start line. We sailed a very good first beat though and although the Danes had the power of the right hand side of the course, we picked up a good left hand wind shift and crossed them with a four boat length lead. We had excellent boat speed today and with our trimmers Tom and Trae keeping us very fast, we managed to gain a big enough lead to do our penalty turn on the next upwind. After completing our penalty we held a very slim lead going into the final downwind. The Danish crew gybe-set into better pressure but unlike our final race against Ian Williams, we were this time aware and equal to the task, pulling off an excellent gybe-set to defend our lead. Jesper tried to roll us to windward but he was quickly running out time and although he closed the gap right up when he brought better wind pressure up from behind, we held on to take 3rd in the 2008 Korea Match Cup.

We are very pleased to get this result in such a prestigious Regatta, it is the third leg of the World Match Racing Tour and our first podium finish. With such a huge media presence here we were very happy to know we could perform well in such a big event.

The final was between Ian Williams and Sebastian Col, the Frenchman Col coming out on top winning 3-1. We would like to congratulate Sebastian and his team on a fine regatta, they sailed extremely well throughout the week and took a well deserved victory.

BlackMatch would like to again thank our sponsors: FedEx Express, Ross Munro from Line 7 and Waiwera Infinity. We would also like to thank the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for their ongoing support.

BlackMatch Racing

BlackMatch Wins Blurimini Match Race in Italy

Hi all from BlackMatch in Italy,
Today was the final day of racing in Blurimini and it saw us taking on the World #8 Torvar Mirsky, in a best of 5 final series to see who would be the 2008 Blurimini Sailing Week Champion.

It was a very eventful day that involved a protest against the race committee, us getting caught up in a fishing net and some very exciting racing in perfect 8 knot conditions, that eventually saw us take the final out convincingly, 3-0.

In our first match against the Western Australians, we received a very tough penalty in the pre-start but managed to gain a clear advantage off the start-line. The only problem was that when our countdown timers read zero and we crossed the line, the start gun did not go until another 5 seconds and we were both judged 'over at the start'. On returning to start Torvar had gained a big lead and we protested the race committee for their error. The race committee had done an excellent job throughout the week and although we were not the most popular team following an hour long hearing in the pooring rain, it was decided that we were to re-race. We were glad that the outcome of the protest was to redo the race as although we had received a penalty, we had managed to claw our way back and gain a significant lead going into the final run, only to get entangled in a fishing net that was set on our course. We had to cut the net off our keel, before finishing the race and going through with protesting the committee.

The re-match certainly lived up to all expectations, in a clean pre-start we again found ourselves with a clear advantage off the start, we maintained this lead to the top mark and then until a bottom mark incident where we received two penalties. Upon receiving two penalties you must complete one of the turns immediately, this left us in the unenviable position of being behind going into the final downwind and also with an outstanding penalty. We rounded 2 boats lengths behind but gybe set inside the Australians to better wind pressure, Torvar matched us in a defensive move but equal to the task, we gybed back and crossed behind him to get to the favoured side. When we came back at them we had gained significantly and also had the starboard right of way, they gybed away and kept clear while we held them out to the side of the course above the pin lay-line. When we knew we could gybe back and lay the finish line we bore away and 'dummy gybed', the talented Australians fell for it hook line and sinker and we hotted our angle up straight back at them, they failed to keep clear and received a penalty, in doing so exonerating us and allowing us to sail away making it 1-0.

The second match was a little more one sided and after gaining a small lead off the start, we made small gains throughout the race, making it 2-0.

In a similar situation to the Open Match Cup a fortnight ago, the third match was ours to win, facing a 2-0 deficit all of the pressure was on the Australians. Torvar definitely stepped up his pre-start game and managed to have the advantage off the start-line. A tacking duel ensued, we found we were gaining in every tack and also going to the better side of the course for wind pressure which meant by the top mark we had a small lead. On the next downwind run they brought pressure up from behind us, we did our best to defend our lead but they lead going into the final upwind. Once again though, we found ourselves tacking better and generally going faster upwind, we rounded the top mark with a three boat length lead and sailed a good final downwind to take out the 2008 Blurimini Sailing Week.

It was great to get our second win in consecutive regatta's and also to beat Torvar who has had the upper-hand on us recently. Although Mirsky Racing Team did a season in Europe last year, they are the other 'young team' on the tour and it was always going to be a grudge match. It is good to know we can compete with them with so few regatta's under our belt and we hope we can keep improving to take on the big guns next week in Korea.

From Adam, Dave, Tom and Nick we would like to send a big thank you to all of our friends and family back home, it was great to come away with a victory here in Italy and we appreciate all of the support that we have received from everyone.

BlackMatch would like to again thank our sponsors: FedEx Express, Ross Munro from Line 7 and Waiwera Infinity, it is great to get our second win on our European Tour and their ongoing support is helping make this opportunity possible for the BlackMatch boys. To the RNZYS and everyone else, thank you for your support.

BlackMatch Racing