Price Remains Perfect at Youth Match Racing Worlds

Corona del Mar, CA (August 3, 2017) – The third day of the Youth Match Racing World Championship saw the 12 teams make improved progress on completing the double round robin qualifying series. After finishing four races to finalize the first round, they rolled right into the second round to complete another four races.

Remaining perfect so far is Harry Price (AUS) at 15-0 who has all but assured his team’s position in the Semi-Final Stage. His closest rival at 13-2 is George Anyon (NZL), with their match at the end of Round Robin 1 closely watched as both had been undefeated through their first ten matches.

After a hotly-contested pre-start, Anyon gained control on the final approach to the line and won the start cleanly. Price had to tack away for clear air, but then Anyon became ensnared in dirty air from another match that was on their second upwind leg. Price had clear air on the upwind right, and was helped, too, by a bit of a right shift. He grabbed the lead and never looked back, winning by five boat lengths.

With a nice 7-8 knot late afternoon breeze, the Race Committee kept the sailors on the lumpy Pacific Ocean until nearly 1900 (7pm) to ensure the qualifying series would be completed.

Certainly the upset of the day was Anyon’s match against Matt Whitfiled (GBR) in Round Robin 2. Anyon led early, but Whitfield found some breeze on the second upwind leg to pull ahead.

Ettore Botticini (ITA) lost an important match to American Greiner Hobbs (Tampa, FL), but won his other matches to end the day on 10-5. Hobbs had a stellar day, pulling his team even with Botticini on 10-5. The two are tied for third overall.

Local favorite, American Charlie Welsh of Newport Beach, is also in the hunt for a semifinal berth, ending the day 5th overall on 8-7.

Round Robin racing for the twelve teams from nine nations (two from AUS, NZL and USA) continues tomorrow, with the top four teams advancing to the best-of-five knockout semifinals. The semifinal winners will race head-to-head for the championship in a best-of-five finals on Saturday, August 5.

Event details: www.sailing.org/regattainfo.php?rgtaid=19840

Background: In its fourth year, the Youth Match Racing Worlds has provided a pathway for the best young match racers to test themselves against the best in their age group (under 23 years old in 2017). Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) claimed the inaugural title in 2014, followed by Sam Gilmour (AUS) in 2015 and Will Dargaville (AUS) in 2016.

Racing in custom Governor’s Cup 22s on August 1 to 5, the 12 teams representing 9 countries will sail a double round robin qualifying stage to determine the top four teams to advance to semi-finals with the top two advancing to the final to crown a 2017 World Champion.

Competitor List
Australia – Harry Price, Angus Williams, Tara Blanc‐Ramos
Australia – Clare Costanzo, Jessica Angus, Emma May, Hannah Lanz
Denmark – Felix Jacobsen, Sebastian Pieters, August la Cour
France – Cyril Fortin, Jeremy Picot, Kim Goetz
Great Britain – Matt Whitfield, Sophie Heritage, Ellie Meopham
Italy – Ettore Botticini, Simone Busonero, Arianna Botticini, Lorenzo Gennari
New Zealand – George Anyon, Matthew Hughes, Taylor Balogh
New Zealand – Josh Wijohn, Tim Snedden, Nick Egnot Johnson
Switzerland – Mathieu Cadei, Romain Defferrard, Matthieu Ravussin
Sweden – Johanna Berqvist, Isabelle Bergqvist, Ellinor Hansson, Fanny Edgren
USA – Grenier Hobbs, Noah Barrengos, Colton Carnevale
USA – Charlie Welsh, John Horton, Robert Garrett