Elimination begins at World Match Racing Tour

Perth, Australia (March 21, 2017) – At the end of the qualifying group fleet racing stage for the Match Cup Australia, the last place teams in each of the three groups rolled into the match racing sail offs for one final chance to continue in the first event of the 2017 World Match Racing Tour season.

But match racing is a cruel sport, and Sally Barkow (USA) and George Anyon (NZL) were reminded of this today in brutal style. Both have been eliminated from the Match Cup Australia with Dutch sailor Pieter-Jan Postma defeating both and making it through to the Super 16 Round.

The fleet race qualifiers saw clear leaders in groups one and two, but group three continued to provide nail-biting competition, with three teams tied for first place.

In group one, Chris Steele (NZL) ruled the roost despite having to count average points for today’s four races, due to boat damage. In group two, Taylor Canfield (ISV) was the class act, chalking up a total of six wins and two second places, to win the group by nine points.

But in group three, Frenchman Yann Guichard, and Australians Torvar Mirsky and Evan Walker all finished the series with 22 points, and only one point back in fourth place is Ian Williams (GBR).

For Torvar Mirsky this is a dream return to the World Match Racing Tour after a four year absence. “I guess we’re surprised to find ourselves equal first,” he confessed. “We didn’t come in with expectations of results.

“We just were focussed on sailing together, and I guess we’re in that honeymoon period of sailing together, we’re a new team and there’s a bit of extra excitement with sailing together. It’s nice to have this event here at our home club, so we’re just happy and working hard. I think we’re in with a good shot whatever happens.”

While on the yesterday the teams were challenged by light and shifty conditions, today it was all blood and guts, with winds in the 20 to 25 knot range, and plenty of crashes and capsizes.

Tomorrow it is all match racing and the elimination of eight further teams, with the finals being sailed on Saturday, March 25.

Tour details – Event details – Scoreboard – Facebook

2017 World Championship Level Events:
WMRT Match Cup Australia, March 20-25
WMRT Congressional Cup, March 29-April 2
WMRT Northern Europe, June 6-11 (Venue TBA)
WMRT Match Cup Sweden, July 3-8 (Venue TBA)
WMRT Match Cup USA, August 1-6 (Venue TBA)
WMRT Match Cup America, October 3-8 (Venue TBA)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
WMRT Match Cup China, November 3-10 (Venue TBA)

Background: In 2013, Swedish company Aston Harald AB acquired the design and production rights to the one-design M32 catamarans. In July 2015, Aston Harald AB acquired the World Match Racing Tour, which then began the use of the M32 during the 2016 Tour. Launched in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour is the leading professional match racing series sanctioned by World Sailing.

Source: WMRT