[Source: RC44 Class Association] The 2012 RC44 Championship Tour kicked off in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote with a full day of match racing. A familiar team was at the top of the leader-board after nine flights and six matches a piece, and some new faces showed they will be real contenders this season.

Ask Team Aqua (GBR) what makes them so good and they will always answer ‘consistency’, and the key to that consistency has to be their team. Cameron Appleton (NZL) was at the helm today and had a familiar team around him, names like Matt Cassidy (USA) and Andrew Estcourt (NZL). With six wins and no defeats their season started as it ended in 2011 and credit went to the team. “The guys really need to take credit for today they did a great job, it was tricky and everybody got tested, every boat had issues and a big part of what they did all day long was what got us around the race course in such good shape.” Cameron Appleton, match race helm and tactician, Team Aqua.

Former World Match Race Champion Ed Baird (USA) is new to the class; today he took the helm of Synergy Russian Sailing Team and they nearly finished the day with a clean sheet, had it not been for a ripped spinnaker in their race against Katusha, who also finished the day with a 5-1 score-line with new helmsman in the form of four-time America’s Cup winner Brad Butterworth (NZL).

Baird was happy with his first day’s racing with the Russian Synergy team. “It was really exciting conditions today with the big shifts and big gusts which was a lot of fun. The team is fantastic these guys are very well prepared I’m impressed with how well they sail the boat, it makes my job a lot easier when I know that everything is going to go smoothly. Unfortunately we had one race where we broke the spinnaker and lost that race but otherwise it was a very good day!” Tomorrow s owner Valentin Zavadnikov will take over the helm.

Pieter Heerema was the top rated owner driver on the water with No Way Back (NED) winning four, and losing two, defeats coming from Team Aqua and the French Aleph Sailing Team steered by Mathieu Richard. A good start to the 2012 season and some new additions to the team as Heerema explained. “We thought it might get a bit too windy for a good day of match racing but it worked out really well, in fact the weather was absolutely fantastic.We have some new team members and our new tactician (Ross MacDonald) worked really well with the crew, so we’re very happy.”

With the NE wind picking up to 20 knots at times and the fleet raced to the leeward side of the Island, it really was a baptism of fire for the 14 teams. One team whose results really didn’t reflect their performance on the water was AFX Capital Racing Team (ITA), but the Italian team were in no way down beat at the end of the day. “The racing today was fantastic. I really enjoyed it even if we lost all of our match races. For me it was my first experience and for most of the team the boat is a new one so with each match we found more details that we need to improve on. I’m looking forward to the fleet racing; we can work on the boat speed and have some good races for sure, I am very optimistic about that.” Massimo Barranco, owner AFX Capital Racing Team.

With six matches completed by each of the teams in Lanzarote, the continuous round robin will carry on throughout the season at every RC44 event until the end of the season in Croatia where the 2012 RC44 Match Racing Champion will be crowned.

The fleet racing which counts for the RC44 Championship starts on Thursday 9th February at 12.00 GMT. Racing continues through to Sunday 12th February

Jesper Radich clearly dominated Peter Gilmour in the best-of-three Petite Final and took the bronze in the 2011 Monsoon Cup. It was a well-deserved victory for the Danish skipper as he held the lead from start to finish throughout the two races, even when he hit the starting line of the second race with a penalty.

The first race didn’t stand out for what happened on but rather off the water and in particular the balcony of the impressive marina. The World Match Racing Tour introduced in the 2011 Monsoon Cup an innovation, allowing teams to have off-the-water coaches or observers that can interact with the crews during the race and communicate with them through radio, providing their insight and advice from a much higher vantage point.

The only skipper to have brought his own coach prior to the start of the event was Ian Williams. However, as more skippers were eliminated in the quarterfinals and semifinals, they became available, and allowed, to act as the eye in the sky for the ones that advanced through the competition. After failing to make it to the quarterfinals, France’s Mathieu Richard became Peter Gilmour’s coach.

Jesper Radich crosses the finish line ahead of Peter Gilmour and takes the bronze in the Monsoon Cup. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Despite his poor results in the races, his insight is always much sought-after, if it is obviously followed… In the first race of the Petite Finale, Richard’s advice was for Gilmour to stick on the right-hand side of the course, as it paid handsomely throughout the day. However, the Australian skipper and his crew decided to go the opposite way and paid the price… Radich won with a margin of several boatlengths.

The second race was much more contested with a close fight in the prestart. The race committee had set the committee boat and pin end a stone’s throw from the pontoon, promising exciting racing, and that’s what we got. Both skippers were penalized for going over the exclusion zone after pushing each other a few meters from the berths and then Radich got another flag for tacking too close to Gilmour at the committee boat. Nevertheless, he got the much favored right, in the lead and with greater speed. Not only did he keep the lead, he managed to stretch his advantage enough to offload his penalty halfway up the second beat and remain ahead. In the final run, Gilmour tried to find something on the left but to no avail. Radich scored a second well-deserved victory and finished third overall in the Monsoon Cup.

The fourth place in the Monsoon Cup puts Gilmour definitely out of the WMRT podium. Whatever the result of the final between Williams and Berntsoon might be Gilmour will finish the 2011 season fifth overall.

Mathieu Richard, the eye in the sky for Peter Gilomur, ready to radio his advice to the Australian skipper. If only Gilmour had followed it... Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

 [Source: World Match Racing Tour] Ian Williams continued his great run of form by qualifying for the knock out stages of the 2011 Argo Group Gold Cup after an epic third Qualifying Session in Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda. Wildcard Staffan Lindberg was the sole non-Tour Card Holder to automatically qualify for the knock out stages after finishing top of his group.

The wind continued to build in Bermuda today where big gusts rolled across Hamilton Harbour, forcing teams to hike hard all day around the course. In Group 3 it all came down to the final flight, with Ian Williams, Mathieu Richard and Damien Iehl all on 5 wins and Eric Monnin close behind on 4.

Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group was involved in a close tussle with Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team, the lead changing hands several times amid plenty of penalty calls. Williams was the eventual victor and goes through to the quarter-finals with a 6-1 scoreline and first pick as the top seed.

In the other key match, Monnin (SUI) Oklays Corum beat Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and would’ve qualified automatically in second place, but the Swiss was given a half point penalty for a collision. It cost him dearly –the penalty relegating him to the repechage and propelling Richard into the quarter-finals: “We’re disappointed. Because of that crappy half point penalty we’re in the repechage. We knew the half point could be a decider but it’s frustrating because it wasn’t clearly our fault. We now have to overcome some strong teams in the repechage but we’ve got a good chance.”

Despite winning all three of his matches today to bring his Qualifying score to 4-2, Simone Ferrarese (ITA) Ferrarese Racing Team failed to make it to the repechage, underlining just how difficult it is to qualify here in a group headed by three Tour Card Holders. “We did really well today – to only miss the repechage by 1 point is disappointing. We’ll take that experience away and use it to keep improving.”

Overnight in Group 2, Francesco Bruni, Jesper Radich and Staffan Lindberg were all sitting pretty with undefeated scorelines however one would have to fall with only 2 automatic qualification places on offer. Two immediate defeats for Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing at the hands of Lindberg (SWE) Alandia Sailing Team and then Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners all but ended the Italian’s chances of automatic qualification. By the time Bruni crossed the line to defeat Hansen in the final match both teams had already been forced into the repechage after Lindberg had secured top spot with a victory over the already qualified Radich.

Bruni remains confident though and believes a few tough matches in the repechage could play to his advantage: “The repechage round is hard but if you get through you’re in a stronger position as you have five extra races behind you. We struggled with the strong winds this morning but feel we’ve sorted the problem. Hopefully we sail well and go through even stronger.”

Lindberg is the only non-Tour Card Holder to automatically qualify for the knock out stages at the Gold Cup and feels confident to be around the big names: “It’s great to beat the card holders but we’ve got experience racing them and we’re on good form this year with a 4th at the Congressional Cup. The one loss today won’t play on our minds – it gives you more motivation and stops you becoming complacent.”

As in Group 3, the final Group 2 standings would only be decided in the final flight. Canfield, yesterday’s form skipper in the group was aiming to join Lindberg as the only other non-Tour Card Holder to automatically qualify for the quarter-finals. A loss against Lance Fraser (BER) FreeLance-Digicel and a win against Sam Pearson (GBR) Team Wight Match meant he still required a further victory in his last race against Reuben Corbett (NZL) AON Racing to make sure of it.

He didn’t manage it, which leaves Canfield (ISV) Team ISV to fight it out in the repechage: “They weren’t easy matches today and while we were able to grind our way back against Corbett it wasn’t enough. We’ve sailed all the teams in the repechage so we’ll just go out there tomorrow and see what we can do.”

Meanwhile, the four teams of Mirsky, Gilmour, Berntsson and Robertson were locked with one team sure to go home. Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat dug deep today, winning all three of his matches to pull himself into top spot, his last win coming against Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing who needed that point to make it into the repechage. Reflecting on his day, the 3-time Gold Cup winner said: “It was an important day today and we had to do a lot of winning. In the first race we sailed against Berntsson and were about 10 boat lengths in front but we received a penalty out of the blue. We found out it was because the boundary mark had shifted.  It was cruel justice and it’s thrown us out.

“I don’t think it’s the end of our World Championship hopes, this was really a bonus event for us so we will likely count the Denmark points instead. This wasn’t in our game plan but someone has to go. You’ll see us bigger and better at the next event.”   

The winner between Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing and Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team would decide the final automatic qualifying spot and it went to the young Kiwi. He now has the chance to collect some valuable points in Bermuda to keep alive his chances of qualifying for the Monsoon Cup.

The repechage and quarter-finals get underway at 0900 local time (-4hrs GMT) on Friday 7 October.

Results after Qualifying Session Three:

Group One:
Q – Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team 6-1
Q – Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 6-1
R – Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 5-2
R – Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekononmen Sailing Team 4-3
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 3-4
Blythe Walker (BER) Team RenRe 3-4
Jakub Pawluk (POL) Henri Lloyd Racing 1-6
Jordan Reece (AUS) True Blue Racing 0-7

Group Two:
Q – Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 5-2
Q – Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 4-3
R – Taylor Canfield (ISV) Team ISV 4-3
R – Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 4-3
Reuben Corbett NZL) AON Racing Team 3-4
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 3-4
Lance Fraser (BER) Freelance-Digicel 3-4
Sam Pearson (GBR) Team Wight Match 2-5

Group Three:
Q – Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo group 6-1
Q – Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-2
R – Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 5-2
R – Eric Monnin (SUI) Oklays Corum Sailing Team 4.5-2
Simone Ferrarese (ITA) Ferrarese Racing Team 4-3
Laurie Jury (NZL) ZOKE Kiwi Match 2-5
Terry McLaughlin (CAN) Team Commonwealth 1-6
Peter Miller (BER) Miller Match Racing 0-7

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Mathieu Richard turned his fortune around at the 2011 St. Moritz Match Race after digging deep in the final Qualifying Session to book his place in the quarter-finals while Championship leader Francesco Bruni failed to qualify for the knock out stages in consecutive World Match Racing Tour events.

There were two key battles to be decided today. The first was to determine whether Williams, Berntsson or Mirsky would qualify directly for the semi-finals and the second was all about which teams in the tight chasing pack of Richard, Bruni, Radich, Iehl, Hansen and Morvan, would join them in the knock-out stages. Although the Maloja took some time to arrive on Lake St. Moritz, it was worth the wait.

As the event moved into the very final flight, only a few things had been resolved – Williams held an unassailable lead and occupied that coveted semi-final spot while Iehl and Berntsson were both assured of quarter-final places.

Overnight, the pressure was all on the defending ‘King of the Mountain’ Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team who needed to win both his remaining races to be sure of a quarter-final berth and some welcome Championship points. He put in a faultless display against Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, leading from start to finish and followed that up with an equally impressive performance against Jérôme Clerc who never got close enough to the Frenchman to shake off an early penalty.

Mathieu Richard, reigning King of the Mountain, makes it to the quarterfinals and will be able to defend his title. St. Moritz, 2 September 2011. Photo copyright Loris von Sybenthal / St Moritz Match Race

“We are very happy with the way we sailed today, we knew we had to win those two points and we went out and did it – we got the job done and hopefully that’s enough to see us through to the next round. We need to go and analyse our qualifying matches to see what we need to work on.”

If Richard was feeling the heat, Championship leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing was also under an intense spotlight. If Bruni failed to qualify here and Williams finishes third or higher, the Italian would relinquish his Championship lead for the first time since stage three in Korea with just two stages to go.

He was out the blocks fast with a win over Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners however a defeat at the hands of Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team meant Bruni needed a win against his arch rival Williams in the last match of the day to secure his place in the quarter-finals. Williams wasn’t about to be lenient as there were vital gains to be made in the Championship and he battled hard to come from behind having trailed round the first mark to enjoy a tight victory over Bruni after their first race was abandoned.

Speaking after his race against Williams, Bruni reflected: “It’s disappointing for us as it’s the second time that we haven’t made it through. He’s sailing well and has had a bit of luck on his side, especially against us. We were leading the first match against him but then it was abandoned.

“We’ve learnt that we need to be strong from the very beginning. Our first day was bad and we really lost it then, you can’t afford to lead in 3 races that you end up losing. We will now try and fight to the very end. Bermuda will be our last chance to get closer to Ian.”

After a strong start to the event with three consecutive wins, Bjorn Hansen (DEN) Mekonomen Sailing has struggled for consistency, citing a series of poor starts as his Achilles heel. After a defeat against Radich, Hansen really needed to win his last two races to secure a place in the next round. Unfortunately his Achilles heel reared up, over the line at the start and a penalty too put pay to his chances against Williams. Against Iehl, Hansen held fast to grind out a win in a match where the lead changed several times. The win brought his total to five points but he would rely on Williams versus Bruni – the final match of the final flight – to determine his fate. A Williams win would see him through at the expense of Bruni and so it was.

Hansen now has a chance to turn around an inconsistent season to date in which a first and second has been countered by a tenth, twelfth and eighth. Having reached the quarter-finals, Hansen commented: “We’re happy to go through but it was pure luck. We are eager for a medal at the end of the season and it is vital we get a good result here to be in a position to achieve that.”

The quarter-finals will see Johnie Berntsson versus Pierre-Antoine Morvan, Damien Iehl against Bjorn Hansen and Torvar Mirsky take on Mathieu Richard.

Standings after the Third Qualifying Session:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 10-1
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 7-4
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 7-4
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 7-4
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan 6-5
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6-5
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 5-6
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 5-6
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 5-6
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 4-7
Eric Monnin (SUI) Oklays Corum Sailing Team 3-8
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) Team CER 1-10

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Mathieu Richard believes his chances of winning the 2011 Match Racing World Championship have all but disappeared and is now citing a third ‘King of the Mountains’ title at the St. Moritz Match Race as the boost he needs to realise his new goal of an overall podium finish.

On the eve of the 2011 St. Moritz Match Race, Richard and his French Match Racing Team find themselves in a very different situation to last season when they entered the sixth stage of the World Match Racing Tour with a commanding Championship lead. A disappointing season so far leaves them languishing in eighth place, forcing them to reassess their goals: “Mathematically it is still possible for us to win but we are realistic about things. Our aim now is to get closer to the leaders to try and achieve a podium finish overall. ”

It will be a difficult week for Richard with a further seven of the nine Tour Card Holders competing in St. Moritz, a group headed by Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing. Richard though is in bullish mood and believes it is Bruni who carries the most pressure: “Last year we were obviously under a lot more pressure than we are now – the leader always feels it more. We are naturally very competitive so I’d prefer to be on top and under the pressure that I know Francesco will be feeling now.”

Aside from less pressure, Richard has every reason to be confident. The conditions on Lake St. Moritz are traditionally challenging but it’s a venue that he seems to tune into well: “Racing here really suits our team’s style, we have won twice and we like it very much. The small boats and shifty conditions are a great challenge and it can make it very tricky with tactics and trimming but that’s what we like.”

While Richard may feel his chance to win the 2011 Championship has passed, Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners is only 22 points adrift of Bruni and has prepared well for what is not only his St. Moritz debut but also an event that could determine his title chances: “We’ve had a couple of days to practice and I’ve also spent two and a half weeks sailing in another light boat to prepare for these [Blu26] boats here.”

“We will need to achieve top results at the remaining events to beat the top guys. There are enough points yet to be won and lost. It’s really how you end your season that counts, the teams who pick up their game now will be the ones that win.”

The first Qualifying Session will kick off tomorrow and feature Tour leader Francesco Bruni and title contenders Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team in the first flight. Catch the preview on The WMRT Morning Show with Hannah White at www.wmrt.com from 1100 local time (GMT +2) and a review of the day on The WMRT Today Show after racing finishes. Live coverage begins on Thursday 1 September from 1400 to 1600 local time (GMT +2).

Teams for St. Moritz Match Race 2011
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat
Jepser Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Race Team
Jerome Clerc (SUI) Team CER

2011 ISAF World Match Race Tour – ranking after five stages
1 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 81pts
2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 74pts
3 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 71pts
4 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 59pts
5 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 59pts
6 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 57pts
7 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 57pts
8 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 53pts
9 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 39pts
10 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 34pts

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Key wins for Richard also included his Korea Match Cup nemesis Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team and last year’s Portimão Portugal Match Cup winner Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing. After disappointing results in the opening rounds of the World Match Racing Tour, Richard was firing on all cylinders today, a clear indication of his intention to claim his first podium position of the 2011 season.

Also on form was double match racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar who opened his scorecard with a clean sweep in the first Qualifying Session to occupy the second spot on the leaderboard. A close opening match against Johnie Berntssen (SWE) Berntssen Sailing Team saw Williams cross the line just half a boat-length ahead of his rival to claim the win.

A comfortable victory over returning Tour Card Holder Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners only served to boost the British skipper’s confidence for his final match of the day against Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat. Williams’ domination of the pre-start set the tone for the match. Controlling Mirsky up to the first mark, Williams then pulled away on the downwind leg amassing an unassailable lead and claiming his third win of the day.

“It was a great start for us,” Williams said. “Obviously there are a few things that we need to improve on but it’s nice to get some wins under our belt and settle into the racing. They were three good wins and we’re pleased with that. After our third place finish at the Korea Match Cup it’s time for us to step it up. We’re comfortable in these boats, we know how to sail them well, we have a really strong team and we’re very capable of winning.”

Wildcard entry Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi (FIN) Siragusawa Sailing Team caused the major upset on the opening day in what is his first ever outing on the World Match Racing Tour. The experienced match racer couldn’t have asked for a better initiation onto the Tour, defeating current Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing.

Lumijarvi also came close to taking the scalp of another big name – Torvar Mirsky – in the opening match of the Portimão Portugal Match Cup. Lumijarvi was initially handed the win but Mirsky was granted a resail by the International Jury following confusion over a course change that affected the outcome of the match. The match will be rescheduled for tomorrow.

Lumijarvi said: “We were a little bit nervous before racing as this is our first ever event on the World Match Racing Tour but we couldn’t have asked for a better start. Our target for the Portimão Portugal Match Cup is to grade ourselves against the Tour Card Holders, learn as much as we can and have fun along the way.”

Portuguese wildcard Alvaro Marinho and his Seth Sailing Team went down to Gilmour, Richard and Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team but came back in the last two flights of the day scoring wins against Reuben Corbett (NZL) Aon Racing and Bjorn Hansen. The Olympic dinghy sailor will be looking to recreate the success he enjoyed in the opening rounds of Match Race France when Qualifying resumes tomorrow at 1100 local time.

Don’t miss a preview to tomorrow’s racing with The Morning Show with Hannah White at 1100 at www.wmrt.com. Racing will then be streamed live from 1500 to 1700, followed by The Evening Show wrapping up all the day’s action at 2100.

Standings after the first Qualifying Session:
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 4-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 3-0
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 3-2
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners 2-1
Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 2-3
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 2-3
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 1-1
Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi (FIN) Siragusawa Sailing Team 1-1
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 1-2
Reuben Corbett (NZL) Aon Racing 1-4
Johnie Berntssen (SWE) Berntssen Sailing Team 0-3

Wednesday’s strong wind conditions didn’t, unfortunately, carry on into Thursday and the second day of the 2011 Korea Match Cup started early in the afternoon after a long wait for the breeze to come. However, when it came it allowed the race committee to run 5 flights of the qualifying session with very close races.

Peter Gilmour, overall leader after the first day, lost his only race of the day to Ian Williams in what was undoubtedly the most close match so far. This gave Mathieu Richard and Francesco Bruni the opportunity to climb into the top spot with 6 wins and two losses each. Richard, reigning champion of Korea Match Cup, was in excellent form today, winning all three of his matches, including the most important one against Bruni that had to be resailed when the Italian ran aground while in the lead. Bruni scored three wins in his remaining matches, even thrashing Torvar Mirsky at the prestart.

The qualifying session will continue and, weather allowing, conclude on Friday.

Standings after the second Qualifying Session (14 flights out of 22):
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6-2
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing 6-2
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 5-1
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat 5-3
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 4-2
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 4-4
Paul Campbell-James (GBR) Dream Team 3-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-3
Bjorn Hansen (DEN) Mekonomen Sailing Team 3-3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 1-5
Reuben Corbett (NZL) AON Racing Team 1-7
Sung Wook Kim (KOR) Busan Match Team 1-7

Bruni – Richard
It was probably the day’s most decisive race but also the most controversial one as it had to be resailed. Richard had what seemed to an absolutely impeccable first start, hitting the line at the pin end with great speed. However, Bruni had a great first beat on the right side of the course and passed inside Richard at the top mark. As the Italian started the run in the lead, disaster stroke. His boat ran aground and got stuck, setting the counter back to zero for the French-Italian battle.

The second start was very similar with Richard again starting at the pin end and Bruni opting for the right side of the course. Yet, this time Richard was firmly in command and lead from start to finish. In a theatrical way Bruni tried to get as close as possible to the exclusion zone in the first beat and claimed his boat hit the bottom of the sea once again, only to be disregarded by the umpires. Richard went on to score an important victory.

Richard controls the start of the first race. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

The power of the right allows Bruni to pass inside Richard at the top mark. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Just when it seemed that Bruni would consolidate his lead, his yacht ran aground. Their match will have to be resailed. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Richard leads the second race from the start. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Richard rounds the first weather mark in the lead. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Richard leads in the second beat. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Bruni – Mirsky
It was a highly-anticipated race but thanks to Bruni’s match racing skills it was over before it even started. Bruni had absolute control over Mirsky in the prestart and with half a minute left until the gun he pushed the young Australian to the committee boat, shut him out and started the race with a lead of several boatlengths. Bruni sailed flawlessly and deprived Mirsky from any chance of coming back.

Not a very beautiful photo but it tells the story. Bruni shuts out Mirsky at the committee boat. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

It would be useless to post more pictures as they would all look alike. Mirsky trails Bruni. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams – Hansen
There isn’t really much to say about this race. With a fresher breeze of 10 knots, the left side of the course was clearly favored. Williams got a perfect start at the pin end and led until the finish.

Ian Williams led the race from the start. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ian Williams rounds the first weather mark ahead of Björn Hansen. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ian Williams rounds the bottom mark ahead of Björn Hansen. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Björn Hansen will have to sail flawlessly on Friday in order to advance to the quarter finals. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Corbett – Robertson
In the match between the two young up-and-coming kiwis I was onboard Reuben Corbett’s yacht. Unfortunately for Corbett, it was a one-sided race. Robertson was in total control of the prestart, got the start he wanted at the pin end of the line and stayed ahead throughout the race. If that wasn’t enough Corbett’s crew had a sloppy spinnaker hoist at the second top mark that resulted in the spinnaker hitting the mark.

Reuben Corbett checks upon Phil Robertson in the prestart. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Phil Robertson was in control of the prestart. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Spinnaker hoist onboard Corbett's yacht at the first top mark. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ben Butcher, mainsail trimmer, during the first run. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Unforced error at the second weather mark when the spinnaker hits the buoy. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Gilmour – Williams
We had to wait until late in the afternoon and for the very last match of the day to watch what was undoubtedly the most exciting race. Despite the dying breeze the race between Gilmour and Williams had excitement, penalties, lead changes and a nail-biting finish. The pin end of the line was again the favored one and Gilmour nailed his start, setting off with slightly higher speed. The Australian had a very good beat and rounded the weather mark comfortably ahead of his opponent. However, in the first run Gilmour let Williams separate and get a little bit more breeze on the right side of the course. As a result, Williams was able to squeeze himself in the bottom mark but picked a penalty for not keeping clear. Still, he managed to clinch the lead and even extent it in the last beat. He slightly extended the lead in the last run and was able to offset the penalty at the finish line, crossing it a few meters before Gilmour.

Very good start for Gilmour at the pin end of the line. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Gilmour rounds the first top mark ahead of Williams. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

At the approach to the bottom mark Gilmour's advantage had vanished. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Gilmour squeezes in at the bottom mark but will pick a penalty for not keeping clear. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

A mediocre second beat for Gilmour gives Williams the chance to extend his lead. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams is able to offset his penalty and cross the finish line ahead of Gilmour. Hwaseong, 9 June 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Note: VSail.info is going to Gyeonggi-do for the Korea Match Cup. Unless there is something extraordinary happening in the sport of sailing, there will probably be no updates until Sunday afternoon, Valencia time.

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] While still early in the season there are already a number of interesting plots starting to develop as the Tour prepares to take to the waters of Jeongok Harbor in Gyeonggi Province from 8-12 June.

Pre-season favourites Torvar Mirsky and Ian Williams return back to the Tour after missing Germany and will be looking to make up for lost time, defending Korea Match Cup champion Richard will be hoping to reignite his campaign after a shaky start in Germany, while Damien Iehl and Francesco Bruni will look to continue their fine form.

After a disappointing 7th place on his season debut in Germany last week last year’s winner Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) is one skipper who knows the challenges of Korea well and is relishing the chance of getting back into the KM36 boats.

“I really enjoy sailing in the boats, they are excellent for match racing. The conditions though in Korea can be very tricky, it’s quite a narrow racing area so if the wind isn’t in the right direction it can be very hard. We’re definitely going into the regatta believing that we can win it again. We still face the same problems as last year though as there are 12 very strong teams who will all want to win. It will be close again and no doubt so we will have to go out and fight if we are going to win again.”

Richard is set to lock horns again with the last 3 year’s runner-up, Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) of Great Britain. However, having placed in a very disappointing 10th in France before missing Germany completely, Williams will be aware that the pressure is already starting to mount on him to put in a strong performance and ensure he doesn’t lose any more ground on the leaders.

Racing in Korea follows last week’s thrilling week in Germany where Italy’s Francesco Bruni took home his first ever Tour win, making the others sit up and take notice that he is one to take seriously in 2011 after a string of failures in the knock out stages last year.

Having watched Bruni take the win in Germany, Tour Card Holders Johnie Berntsson (Berntsson Sailing Team) of Sweden, Australia’s Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing), France’s Damien Iehl (French Match Racing Team) and New Zealand’s Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing) will all be renewing their rivalries in Korea and gunning to put their name on the trophy

Australia’s Torvar Mirsky will also be back, and, like Williams will know only too well that the clock is ticking on his title ambitions and that he can’t afford to let his rivals open up more of a gap in the overall standings.

Joining the Tour Card Holders is the winner of the Korea Match Cup Qualifier, New Zealand’s Reuben Corbett (AON Racing Team) as well as Sweden’s Bjorn Hansen (Mekonomen Sailing Team), Korea’s Sung Wook Kim (Busan Match Team) and Great Britain’s Paul Campbell-James (Dream Team).

Running in conjunction with the Korea International Boat Show the event is sure to attract many spectators and organiser Dong Young Kim is looking forward to showing the skippers and guests what Korea has to offer.

“We are very excited about the Korea Match Cup this year. We’re now in our fourth year and each event we get bigger and better so we’re expecting a great regatta. We should have more spectators than ever before, making for a great atmosphere. With such a strong line-up of skippers the action is going to be very intense on the water and should provide great entertainment for all the crowds and those watching on TV and the internet.”

For those watching from around the globe live video coverage of the event throughout the day will be on the WMRT website along with a daily 26 minute highlight show, so there are plenty of ways to stay up to date with all the action from Korea.

2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 2)
1 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 39pts
2 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Brui Racing – 37pts
3 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 32pts
4 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 28pts
5 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 23 pts
6 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team – 22pts
7 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 19pts
8 Evgeny Neugodnikov (RUS) Team Synergy – 16pts
9 Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan – 14pts
10 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 10pts