World Match Racing Tour, tutto pronto a St. Moritz
Match RaceVelaWorld Match Race Tour 31 Agosto 2010 Zerogradinord 0
World Match Racing Tour – St. Moritz – Inizia domani il St. Moritz Match Race, sesto appuntamento dell’ISAF World Match Race Tour. I dodici team in gara, che riuniscono alcuni tra I migliori specialisti di match race al mondo, hanno completato il proprio turno di allenamento oggi in una giornata di sole splendido, vento instabile e freddo intenso, in un ambiente reso quanto mai suggestivo dalla neve a bassa quota.
Contento di essere di nuovo qui Francesco Bruni, alla sua seconda esperienza a St. Moritz. Reduce da un ottimo secondo posto domenica scorsa a Cartagena, sa che la sua performance è una delle più attese dal numeroso pubblico italiano che segue le regate.
Altrettanto entusiasta il neozelandese Adam Minoprio, l’astro nascente del match race: “St. Moritz è un evento senza eguali. Fa un freddo terribile, ieri nevicava quando siamo arrivati. Queste condizioni insolite rappresentano una nuova dimensione, una nuovo stimolo, e sono contento. Il vento può essere molto instabile, difficile da prevedere. Ma può regalare anche belle sorprese”.
Due sono i tema locali presenti a questa edizione: Eric Monnin del Swiss Match Racing Team e Jérôme Clerc di Team CER, da Ginevra.
“Abbiamo avuto qualche buon risultato ultimamente e conosciamo bene la barca” – dice Monnin – “Siamo anche il team locale: abbiamo tutte le chances di fare bene.. a parte ila presenza dei nostri avversari!”. Jérôme Clerc per contro è tutt’altro che rilassato: al suo primo evento di grado 1, ammette: “siamo qui per imparare ed è una grande opportunità per noi. E sappiamo quanto è alto il livello qui”.
Il francese Mathieu Richard, ad oggi numero 1 del World Match Racing Tour, commenta: “Sono due mesi che non regaliamo nel WMRT, ma siamo riusciti a fare qualche buona sessione d’allenamento e ci sentiamo pronti. Il livello qui è altissimo, adoro l’evento di St. Moritz, anche per la tecnicità delle barche”.
Entry list:
Adam Minoprio
Torvar Mirsky
Ben Ainslie
Francesco Bruni
Björn Hansen
Bertrand Pace
Mathieu Richard
Ian Williams
Johnie Berntsson
Damien Iehl
Eric Monnin
Jérôme Clerc
Video courtesy St. Moritz Match Race.
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR, READY TO GO IN ST. MORITZ
[World Match Racing Tour Press Release] The race village at the Segel-Club St. Moritz was buzzing today, with 12 world-class sailing teams making their final preparations for a week of fierce head-to-head competition in the St. Moritz Match Race, the sixth stage of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship.
After a light dusting of snow on the hills above the lake overnight, St. Moritz sparkled in the morning sun. However, the unseasonably cold weather meant the trademark Maloja wind was absent today, leaving sailors to contend with an erratic and chilling northerly breeze. This was light and fitful at the start of the competitors’ registration and weigh-in session, but built to a useful 10-15 knots for the first practice session. With the Maloja not expected to be fully active for a few days, the challenge of making the most of the shifty winds is uppermost in the minds of many skippers.
Johnie Berntsson, Berntsson Sailing Team, commented: “This is the second time for us here – it’s a stunning venue and we’re looking forward to it. The shifty winds make it a very challenging place for us, but we are used to that from our home waters near Gothenburg.”
One skipper who is not so worried about the tricky conditions, however, is Eric Monnin Swiss Match Racing Team. Switzerland’s best match race helmsman, Monnin is currently ranked 26th in the world and has competed at every St. Moritz Match Race. He stepped ashore after today’s practice session relaxed and smiling, saying:
On board with Mathieu Richard and his crew at the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 31st August 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/Subzero Images.
“We like sailing at our home event. We know the boats and we know we can do well in the shifty conditions – it’s what we’re used to. We do as many of the World Match Racing Tour events as we can – it’s always great to sail against these people.
“The standard of racing is increasing over time, with dedicated teams having a chance of winning against the America’s Cup sailors. There were coaches on many of the boats today – you didn’t see that here five years ago.”
The World Match Racing Tour is well established as a pathway to stardom for sailors. Jérôme Clerc Team CER Genève is an up and coming Swiss sailor, with the distinction of being the second amateur team in this year’s Tour de France a la Voile. The St Moritz Match Race will be Clerc’s first ISAF Grade WC event, having been awarded a wildcard entry after finishing second in the Qualifier Event 2010 Volvo Match Race, Zug.
Clerc added: “This is a very big challenge for us – we’ve been match racing during the winter for training, but this is our first time with the Tour. It’s a great pleasure to be able to race against the big sailing stars we’ve seen on TV. Match racing is perfect for improving our manoeuvres and crew communication – the courses are very short, so you must be very precise.”
Tomorrow morning will see Clerc pitched straight into one-on-one battles with three of the biggest names in the sailing world, starting with double ISAF World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams, Team GAC Pindar. In his next race the young Swiss sailor will face Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team, who’s currently at the top of the Tour rankings. Clerc will then go head-to-head against triple Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup skipper Ben Ainslie, Team Origin.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.