Opponents Chosen for Quarter Finals Argo Group Gold Cup

Hamilton, Bermuda (Oct. 5, 2012) – Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Argo Group, the Alpari World Match Racing Tour champion in 2009, came storming out of the Argo Group Gold Cup Qualifier round robin matches with eight points, not losing a match in the last two days and the top scoring sailor among the eight skippers moving up.

As top qualifier from the round robin matches, Minoprio should have had first choice of his opponent in the Quarter Finals but wasn’t present when the draw was conducted so his choice went to the next ranking skipper, Taylor Canfield (ISV), Team Chicago Match Race Center.

Taking the first pick of opponents, Canfield sailing in his third Gold Cup selected David Chapman (AUS) a newcomer to Bermuda as his Quarter Final opponent. Chapman was the surprise performer of the top eight. He was ranked 91 by ISAF and seeded ninth in Group 1.

Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team got the next choice for his Quarter Final opponent and picked Eric Monnin, Oklays Corum Sailing Team. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team next picked to sail against his Swedish nemesis Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing, leaving Ian Williams Team GAC Pindar matched up with Minoprio by default. This pits the top scoring team from the qualifier round robin stage against the number one match race sailor in the world as ranked by both ISAF and by Alpari World Match Racing Tour points.

The Quarter Final matches are knock outs with first to three in each of the matches moving on the Semi Finals on Saturday. Full listings of the results in each group and the full pairings for the Quarter Final matches that begin on Friday are on the event website.