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BLACKMATCH wins Sopot Match in dramatic style |
Hi all from BlackMatch,
Today was the final day of racing here in Poland and it saw us taking on the World #16 Eric Monin, in a best of 5 final series to see who would be the 2008 Sopot Match Champion. It was a very eventful day and our only loss in the final came in dramatic style when we snapped our mast on our entry to the third race. We eventually took out the final 3-1 providing the large crowd that had gathered on the end of Europe's longest wharf with some extremely exciting racing.
Our first match was definitely the closest and it saw the lead change various times. Monin had the narrowest of advantages off the start line but we fought back hard up the first beat to lead around the first top mark by half a boat length. The Swiss team had an excellent spinnaker hoist and managed to roll around us to windward but we defended well by luffing them hard, we sailed them out to the left hand side of the course and were in complete control until our gybe back to the bottom mark went bad when our spinnaker sheet got caught around the end of our boom. We broached when Eric realised we were in trouble and he gibed back at us to luff us hard, we couldn't keep clear and were handed a penalty by the umpires. We recovered well though and were still in touch by the bottom mark, in fact we were so close that when Eric tried to tack and cross us he couldn't quite manage it received a penalty which exonerated us. We sailed an excellent final upwind and had a 3 boat length lead at the top mark but again the Swiss team had a good spinnaker hoist and brought wind pressure up from behind to again roll us to windward. This time though we were equal to the task and sailed them out to the left hand side of the course to gibe back to the finish line and take a very hard earned victory in a tough race.
Unfortunately for us perhaps the spectacle of the day was our mast breaking on entry into the third race while we were 2 nil up and on match point. As black clouds rolled in the breeze picked up to 25 knots and as we bore away to enter in the gusty conditions we looked up in time to see our rig snap and go over the bow of the boat. As we were already into a start sequence there was nothing we could do and the win went to Monin.
A new boat was needed for the final race and we managed to totally dominate the Swiss team to win by half a leg, in doing so we were crowned the 2008 Sopot Match Champions.
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 our first grade 1 victory here in Poland and we appreciate all of the support that we have received from everyone.
BlackMatch would like to again thank our sponsors: FedEx Express and Ross Munro from Line 7, 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
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BlackMatch Racing rises through the World Rankings to make Top 10 |
Hello from BlackMatch in Europe,
After some very good results in our last 3 regattas, we have risen through the ISAF(www.sailing.org <http://www.sailing.org/> ) World Match Race Rankings, to cement our place at #10.
We competed in three of five events that were included in the recent ranking release, gaining wins in Austria and Italy also placing 3rd in the inaugural Korea Match Cup World Tour Event, where we essentially ended Mathieu Richards 6 month reign at world #1, by defeating him in the quarterfinals.
The new world #1 is Britain's Ian Williams and his Pindar Racing Team. Ian's best result to date on this year's World Tour was Korea, when he narrowly defeated us 3-2 in the semi final, going on to take 2nd place. It was a performance that has given him a big points lead in the World Championship standings as well as boosting him back to the top in the World Rankings.
It has to be said that we are extremely happy to have reached our initial goal of top 10 in the world, so early on in our tour. With a top 10 ranking it will be easier for us to secure elusive World Match Racing Tour spots and although we are not competing in Sweden this week, we have gained entry to the following Tour event, the Danish Open and St Moritz Match Cup.
BlackMatch has a 2 week break from match racing with our next event being a grade 1 in Poland on the 15th of July. The sailing however, still continues with our bowman Nick Blackman sailing with legend Peter Gilmour in Match Cup Sweden this Week. Peter is 3 times World Champion and has also won the Swedish event 6 times so keep an eye on how they go. Adam has been asked to do tactics this week on a Dutch Yacht competing in the prestigious Commodore's Cup event in Cowes and with Dave and Nick gaining a second on line in last weeks Round Ireland Race, we are certainly keeping ourselves busy.
BlackMatch would like to again acknowledge their sponsors. From Adam, Dave, Tom and Nick we would like to say a big thank to FedEx Express and Ross Munroe from Line 7 New Zealand. We feel very privileged to have support from these World renowned companies and also to have the backing of Team New Zealand and our yacht club, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
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