From Volvo Ocean Race to World Match Racing Tour

Sopot, Poland (August 1, 2015) – Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

A triumphant Sehested defeated current ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 2-0 in the Final providing plenty of action for the spectators lining the end of the 500m Molo Pier. Local favourite Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team finished third defeating Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing 2-1 in the Petit Finals.

“It’s just fantastic to win here,” said a jubilant Sehested. “if you had asked me a week ago if I would get to the Semi Finals, I would have said it was unlikely, so we are thrilled to go all the way and I’d like to thank my team for all their excellent work.”

The Sopot win for Sehested, which earned his team 12,500 USD, marks a long awaited return to match racing for the 26 year old Dane who, for the last nine months, has been taking part in the 2014/2015 Volvo Ocean Race as helmsman for Danish Team Vestas Wind.

Sehested was unable to compete in the opening World Championship stages of the 2015 Tour in USA, Germany and Sweden but was determined to return his TREFOR match racing team to the Tour as soon as his Volvo duties were over. The team will now focus on the next World Championship Event at the Argo Group Gold Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda in October.

In the Petit Final for third and fourth places, Karol Jablonski was first to secure a point against Bjorn Hansen in the first-to-two race format. In the second race, the two long-time skippers of the World Match Racing Tour threw every match racing move at each other in the pre-start, circling dangerously close to the pier in the 4 minute countdown to the start. Hansen was able to level the score to 1-1 with a marginal lead, but it was to be Jablonski’s day in the third and deciding race as he led Hansen from start to finish to secure third place.

“Given we are only able to compete on the Tour a few times a year, we are really very happy as a team with our performance this week,” commented Jablonski. “In particular, we were pleased to win against Bjorn [Hansen] today who is one of the best match racers on the Tour.”

Next stop on the World Match Racing Tour are the World Tour Events – Knickerbocker Cup in New York (Aug 5-9), Oakcliff International (Aug 13-16), Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam (Aug 21-23), and the Detroit Cup (Aug 27-30). The teams will then meet for the World Championship Event – Argo Group Gold Cup – in Bermuda on October 6-11 as the penultimate event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour.

Tour details – Event site – Scoreboard – Facebook

OVERALL RESULTS
1. Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TREFOR Match Racing
2. Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
3. Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team
4. Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing
5. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
6. Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Aschenbrenner Racing
7. Przemyslaw ‘Tara’ Tarnacki (POL) Energa Yacht Racing
8. Matt Jerwood (AUS) Redline Racing
9. Eric Monnin (SUI) Team SailBox
10. David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour
11. Reuben Corbett (NZL) Corbett Racing
12. Sam Gilmour (AUS) Neptune Racing

Final Result
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TREFOR Match Racing bt Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar

Petit Final Result
Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team bt Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing 2-1

Semi Finals Results
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TREFOR Match Racing bt Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team 3-2
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar bt Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing 3-0

Quarter Finals Results
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TREFOR Match Racing bt Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 3-1
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar bt Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Aschenbrenner Racing 3-0
Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing bt Przemyslaw ‘Tara’ Tarnacki (POL) Energa Yacht Racing 3-2

FINAL QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team 9-2
2. Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing 8-3
3. Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 7-3
4. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 7-4
5. Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TREFOR Match Racing 6-5
6. Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Aschenbrenner Racing 6-5
7. Przemyslaw ‘Tara’ Tarnacki (POL) Energa Yacht Racing 5-6
8. Matt Jerwood (AUS) Redline Racing 5-6 (4.5)
9. Eric Monnin (SUI) Team SailBox 7-4
10. David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour 3-7
11. Reuben Corbett (NZL) Corbett Racing 3-8
12. Sam Gilmour (AUS) Neptune Racing 2-9

2015/16 World Match Racing Tour Leaderboard Standings
1 Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 90pts
2 Björn Hansen (SWE) Nautiska Racing 85pts
3 Taylor Canfield (ISV) US One 60pts
4 Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Aschenbrenner Racing 59
5 Reuben Corbett (NZL) Corbett Racing 58pts
6 Matthew Jerwood (AUS) Redline Racing 51pts
7 Phil Robertson (NZL) Team TREFOR 51pts
8 Eric Monnin (SUI) Team SailBox 49pts
9 Przemyslaw ‘Tara’ Tarnacki (POL) Energa Yacht Racing 48pts
10 Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 44pts

Background: Energa Sopot Match Race (Jul 29-Aug 1) was the fourth world championship event on the 2015-16 World Match Racing Tour, the leading professional match racing series sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The tour has six world championship events and a total of 19 events (details). Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”.