ACI H1 Match Race Cup at Split, Croatia - Day 1

PACÉ OPENS DEFENSE BY RUNNING TABLE

The Frenchman opens the ACI H1 Match Race Cup with a 6-0 record

A late start to the day didn’t diminish the action at the ACI H1 Match Race Cup, Stage 7 of the 2004-’05 Swedish Match Tour.

Light and patchy winds this morning forced the race committee to postpone until 1:00 p.m. The wind filled in with earnest as the clock passed 3:00 p.m., and the action also heated up as six flights and 30 matches were completed.

With the northeasterly gusting up to 18 knots, there were penalty flags flying and crews falling overboard. The small, non-overlapping jibs were used in the final two flights. Seventeen penalties were issued on the day, versus 16 green flags (indicating no penalty), and Pizza-La Sailing Team bowman Kazuhiko Sofuku was nearly dragged around the leeward mark in one race.

Frenchman Bertrand Pacé of the BMW Oracle Racing Team, the event’s reigning champion, used a little luck to rise above the fray and post a perfect 6-0 record on Day 1 of the 19th annual regatta.

Another Frenchman, Philippe Presti, lies second with a 4-1 mark. He’s marginally ahead of New Zealander Kelvin Harrap, of Emirates Team New Zealand, who finished the day at 4-2.

Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, and Peter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, are tied for fourth at 3-2. The top two skippers on the Swedish Match Tour leaderboard both disembarked their boats scratching their heads.

Baird said everyone got the best of them. Gilmour called his day a dog.

Pacé may have played his luck cards for the week. Leading his match against Gilmour he was penalized approaching the leeward mark when he jibed too close in front of the Australian.

Gilmour headed up hard to avoid hitting Pacé and lost his bowman “Fuku” over the side. A crewmember could be heard yelling, “Get him aboard! Get him aboard!” while Gilmour could be seen pointing at Fuku, who trailed along hanging on to a spinnaker sheet.

With Fuku scrambling back aboard the Pizza-La crew trailed Pacé around the leeward mark and then tacked to port, but trimmer Mike Mottl was on the bow retrieving the spinnaker due to Fuku’s absence and the jib was slow to be trimmed.

That helped Pacé extend his marginal lead, which would stretch to 20 seconds at the second windward mark. It was enough time for Pacé to pull off the penalty on the finish line and win. After the race Gilmour said that Pacé admitted to hitting the windward mark, but the umpires failed to see it and he wasn’t penalized.

One of the highlights of the day was local representative Dario Kliba. The Croat, 25 years old, posted a 2-4 record in his first Swedish Match Tour event, which included wins over Gilmour and Staffan Lindberg (FIN). Near misses came against Ed Baird (USA) and Philippe Presti (FRA), both of whom he led at the first windward mark.

“We’re very satisfied with today,” said Kliba, whose crew includes Kostiè Hrvoje, Zvonko Jelaèiæ, Prlenda Nikola and Celiæ Slaven.

“One year ago we were watching these guys on TV, now we’re sailing against them. We’re not afraid, but it’s hard to get off our mind that it’s Gilmour or Baird on the other end of the starting line,” Kliba said.

Kliba’s personal highlight came when he beat Gilmour. Kliba led around the first windward mark, but Gilmour used a boat sailing upwind as a pick. He jibed to starboard and gained the lead.

Kliba trailed by less than one boatlength at the second windward mark. Two-thirds of the way down the run to the finish they both jibed to port. Gilmour, to leeward, luffed Kliba and was penalized.

Gilmour attempted to unload the penalty, but there wasn’t enough racecourse to work with, and Kliba scored the huge victory in just his fifth match-race regatta.

“We need to work on our fitness,” said Kliba. “We were exhausted in the last match. But we’re very satisfied.”

Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match, BMW and the Match Race Association. Swedish Match Tour Official Sponsors include Musto, Sebago, Travel Places, Trident Studio and Wedgwood.

For more information on the Swedish Match Tour, its competitors and events, please visit the official Tour Web site, www.swedishmatchtour.com. Swedish Match Tour television programs may be viewed by clicking on the Tour television button on the home page of the Web site.

ACI H1 Match Race Cup Standings: (after 6 of 22 scheduled flights)

1. Bertrand Pacé (FRA) BMW Oracle Racing, 6-0
Crew: Eric Doyle, Zach Hurst, Dirk de Ridder, Brad Webb
2. Philippe Presti (FRA) le Défi, 4-1
Crew: Thierry Fouchier, Fred Guilmin, Pascal Rambeau, Mathieu Renault
3. Kelvin Harrap (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand, 4-2
Crew: Rod Davis, Andrew McLean, Richard Meacham, Rod Salthouse
4. Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi, 3-2
Crew: Jordi Calafat, Lorenzo Mazza, Dean Phipps, Piet Van Nieuwenhuyzen
T. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, 3-2
Crew: Rod Dawson, Mike Mottl, Kazuhiko Sofuku, Yasuhiro Yaji
T. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 3-2
Crew: Nils Bjerkas, Johan Karlsson, Carl-Johan Uckelstam, Daniel Wallberg
7. Mathieu Richard (FRA), 2-3
Crew: Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant, Frederic Rivet, Yannick Simon
8. Dario Kliba (CRO), 2-4
Crew: Kostiè Hrvoje, Zvonko Jelaèiæ, Prlenda Nikola, Celiæ Slaven
9. Björn Hansen (SWE), 1-4
Crew: Mathias Brendin, Fredrik Ekman, Anders Jonsson, Johan Tempelman
10. Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Shosholoza, 1-5
Crew: Charles Nankin, David Rae, Mark Sadler, Ante Vanjak
T. Flavio Favini (ITA) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia Team, 1-5
Crew: Marco Constant, Flavio Grassi, Antar Vigna, Jon Ziskind