22nd Match Race Germany - Overall
by Match Race Germany 10 Jun 2019 19:55 BST
6-10 June 2019
New Zealand's Knots Racing Team win the 22nd Match Race Germany © Andy Heinrich
Five days of world class sailing, a big Whitsun Festival in Langenargen's Gondola Harbour, ten teams from eight countries and more than 20.000 spectators at the German summit of duel sailing on Lake Constance: The 22nd edition of Match Race Germany ended on Whit Monday with a spectacular duel in front of enthusiastic crowds.
The Kiwis dethroned the defending champion Eric Monnin and his Capvis Swiss Match Race Team by 3:2 in a high tension final. With good starts, convincing boat speed and concentrated trimming, Egnot-Johnson's team of Sam Barnett, Zak Merton Tauranga, Tim Snedden and Bradley McLaughlin achieved the triumph at their first participation in the German Grand Prix. Helmsman Egnot-Johnson said: "The conditions in the final with increasing winds and a thunderstorm did remind us a bit of our home waters in Auckland. We had so much fun out there and it's been a privilege to sail against the defending champions. We would love to be back next year."
Maybe 20-year-old Nick Egnot-Johnson, who is not even half as old as two-time Match Race Germany winner Eric Monnin (43), als has a bit of "Mum Magic" adding to his talents. The mother of the young helmsman, an American by birth who has long been at home in New Zealand, won silver in the 470 dinghy at the 1992 Olympic Games and was the first woman to helm an America's Cup yacht as part of the all women campaign in 1995. Now it's her son eying at an own Cup career. "One day we would certainly like to compete in the America's Cup. Today we are really proud to represent our home club, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron." Which is the current defender of the America's Cup as Emirate's Team New Zealand's homeport. How big the role of sailing is in Egnot-Johnson's hometown Auckland can be described by a number: On average, there is one boat for four people in the City of sails. And: Auckland has more boats registered than cars. So it seems hardly surprising that new shooting stars from the "land of the long white cloud" are constantly pushing their way into professional sailing.
Match Race Germany's new PRO Sabine Brugger and her team from Yacht-Club Langenargen, which also includes 21-times race director Rudi Magg as consultant, provided a full and successful sailing program on the water. Sabine Brugger said: "I enjoyed my premiere as PRO. All sailors acted respectfully and professionally, making our work easy." Which was also confirmed by Eberhard Magg, who launched Match Race Germany in 1997 and together with Event Director Harald Thierer and their Match Center Germany team organize the renowned event since more than two decades. Magg said: "This year again we had a great mixture of experienced skippers like Eric Monnin or Dejan Presen, but also the young blood from Denmark and overseas. I was particulary impressed by the strong nerves of the Swiss, the high-quality premiere of the New Zealanders and the clever starts of Max Gurgel's team from Hamburg. Our concept to offer a career stepping stone to future stars of sailing will certainly be maintained."
Which is why talent like Will Boulden from Australia this year will again set course for Langenargen in 2020. The Royal Freshwaters Bay Yacht Club's young helmsman from Perth, Australia, who had been eliminated in the quarter-finals after having secured a brilliant second place in the qualification, said: "We had the participation in Match Race Germany on our wish list for at least 18 months now to give one of the world's premier match race events a go. We are striving for a professional career. Our goal is to end up in an America's Cup team or something in that area."
After five happy days at Match Race Germany, matchrace motor Eberhard Magg's sportive recod was entirely positive: "The wind has not been cooperative at all times, but the opening was brilliant and the final a thriller. In the end we were able to sail the full program and experienced great sports, close races and a couple of surprises. That's exactly how a regatta should be for its participants and fans."
After the German Tour stop and a short summer break, the international Match Race Super League will be continued with the Detroid Cup in the United States and the Aircarlin New Caledonia Match Race in Noumea. After the first thre regattas of the 2019 season, Poland's Lukasz Wosinski (HRM Racing Team) leads the Tour rankings ahead of his compatriot Patryk Zbroja (KS Dobra Marina Szczecin). Both have already won a regatta of the Match Race Super League this year but had to admit defeat on Lake Constance to better teams, which now are putting pressure on the table leaders with their
success in Germany. After Match Race Germany Egnot-Johnson and Monnin jumped up the rankings to third and fourth, just behind the leaders.
www.matchrace.de
Final ranking:
1. Nick Egnot-Johnson, NZL, Knots Racing
2. Eric Monnin, SUI, Capvis Swiss Match Race Team
3. Max Gurgel, GER (Hamburg), VmaxYachting
4. Dejan Presen, SLO, Lumba Match Race Team
5. Will Boulden, AUS, Alpha Racing Team
6. Max Trippolt, AUT, Team Segelmanufactur
7. Emil Kjaer, DEN, Downhill Sailing Team
8. Lukasz Wosinski, POL, HRM Racing Team
9. Patryk Zbroja, POL, KS Dobra Marina Szczecin
10. Szymon Jablkowski, POL, Jablkowski Sailing Team
Regatta with family atmosphere
The 22nd Match Race Germany was not only successful on the water but also on land. With 50 major sponsors and partners, the German Grand Prix is one of the strongest sailing events in Germany. Well-known companies such as shuttle partner Skoda, whose Road Show in Langenargen inspired thousands of adults and children with its action area and presentation, used the match race stage for a successful performance. "This week, we hade very good discussions with our partners and also received new enquiries, for example from participants in the New Mobility Convention", said Event Director Harald Thierer. "Our partners are not only impressed by the intensive TV coverage, but also appreciate the special combination of a pro regatta and the warm family atmosphere at the events on the water and in the race village. There was a lot of enthusiasm that jumped from the athletes and spectators to the sponsors." The evening celebrations with nationally known live bands such as Jürgen Weidele's Conversation or the famous "Matchrace goes Dirndl & Lederhose" party with free admission also contributed to this, with thousands of guests shaking the floorboards of the Erdinger Urweisse Hütt'n in the evening and celebrating with the sailors.
On Saturday, Event Director Harald Thierer also drew a positive balance of the 2nd New Mobility Convention on the stage of Match Race Germany with 80 guests, among them many leading personalities from the sectors of digitalization and New Mobility. Thierer said, "We were extremely impressed by the high-quality insights into the industry and the outlook on future developments given here. The world premiere of the Flynn e-scouter from BreakForceOne was an example of how the German economy is flying the flag at Match Race Germany. The event partners showed how much added value their answer to the need for independent mobility offers for the future." At the public press conference, not only the top skippers but also the spectators learned what a modern and intelligent micro-mobility vehicle looks like today, which has made it into industrial series in a small but fine company like BreakForceOne. "Our work for the 23rd edition has long since begun", announced Harald Thierer, "in the Olympic year 2020 we will again do everything to offer a sailing festival of extra class to all sailors, spectators and partner over Whitsun."