Energa Sopot Match Race - Overall
by World Match Racing Tour 1 Aug 2015 20:27 BST
29 July - 1 August 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 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 Long Beach, CA, Germany and Sweden however 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 (5-9 Aug), Oakcliff International (13-16 Aug), Chicago Match Cup Grand Slam (21-23 Aug), and the Detroit Cup (27-30 Aug). The teams will then meet for the World Championship Event - Argo Group Gold Cup - in Bermuda from 6-11 October as the penultimate event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour.
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Energa Sopot Match Race 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
World Match Racing Tour Leaderboard Standings so far:
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 59pts
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
Update from GAC Pindar team
In the first flight, Williams won by almost half a leg, leaving Hansen trailing in his wake. The second was a similar story, with Williams dominating from start to finish and with Hansen carrying a penalty the result was never in doubt. Despite increasingly light winds, Williams again dominated the third race of the five-flight Semi-Final to take the tie 3-0 and progress to the Finals, ahead of his nearest rival in the overall leader board.
Hansen would go on to lose the Petit-Final, meaning whatever the result in the final, Williams would remain at the top of the tour standings. However, despite his form throughout the Quarter and Semi-Finals, the Final was one step too far for Williams coming up against an in-form Nicolai Sehested, who had earlier upset the on looking crowds by knocking out home favourite Karol Jablonski.
Williams was narrowly edged out in the first race, in which the leader changed hands multiple times, in what was arguably the race of the tournament. The second was another thrilling race, with Sehested narrowly winning the pre-start and holding onto his narrow lead throughout the race.
Despite finishing runner-up, Williams was still positive about his team's performance: "It's tough not to be disappointed to finish runner-up, especially given the form we showed in the previous two rounds. However, I feel that we performed well as a team this week and ultimately just came up against someone in great form in the Final. We'll pick ourselves up and head onto Bermuda full of confidence."
Team Principal Andrew Pindar commented: "It's been a great week of racing here in Sopot and Ian and the team have raced very well. We've finished in the podium positions in every Championship event so far and if Ian and the team continue racing the way they are, that first place finish won't be too far round the corner."