[Source: World Match Racing Tour] The ISAF World Match Racing Tour heads to Denmark this week, with a new venue, Bornholm, an island on the Baltic Sea. Denmark has been a happy hunting ground for Danish match racing in the past eight years with no less than six victories recorded by Denmark's leading sailors. This year, the likes of Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing will head a pack of teams keen to redress the balance.

With the Danish Open being one of just two remaining events for teams to qualify for the Championship deciding Monsoon Cup, the 2010 Danish Open has all the hallmarks to be one of the most competitive and fiercely fought match racing contests of the year so far. Last year, the action was peppered with penalties and upsets, with the fierce race between Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Jes Gram Hansen (DEN) Trifork Racing in the semi-final epitomising the heated nature of match racing.

Gilmour, reflected: "The rivalries, the contentious decisions and moves in the heat of the moment, the bragging rights, up close action... they're what make match racing unique and the Danish Open so memorable! I've got scores to settle this year and I'll be looking to crank up our output in Bornholm to push YANMAR Racing up the Tour rankings."

In 2010, the Danish Open will shift location from the city of Aarhus to the 'Bright Green Island' of Bornholm where a melting pot of talent will compete for the honours from the 8 to 12 September. Six of the top seven teams in the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship are on the entry list, including current Tour leader, Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, defending World Match Racing Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Team and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN - the triple Olympic gold medallist and skipper of Britain's America's Cup Challenger team. Four-time World Match Racing Champion Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, former World Champion Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team complete the group of Tour Card Holders set to compete.

An exciting crop of Wildcard entries is headed up by local match racer, Mads Ebler (DEN) Ebler Match Racing Team, the young 20-year old William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing Team, Susanne Ward (DEN) Team Ward and Michael Buckley (USA) MB Sailing.

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour is renowned for being the career pathway of the world's best match racers, many of whom have and will go on to compete in the America's Cup. The Danish Open comes off the back of the St. Moritz Match Race and is the 7th Stage in the epic 9 event Tour which includes races in France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Korea and Bermuda, culminating in November/December 2010 with the high-profile Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

With just one left until BMW Oracle presents in Valencia the final Protocol of the 34th America's Cup, the type of boat as well as the year of celebration of the event, the San Francisco Examiner is increasing the content dedicated to the America's Cup in general and the city's efforts to lure Larry Ellison in particular.

Last Friday we were told that on Thursday, the Mayor and his staff held a meeting with Larry Ellison where they showed him a Powerpoint slideshow with their vision about the event. According to the newspaper, "a soaring webbed structure that evokes a sail" will provide cover over the "public heart" of the village, located at Pier 30-32. Pier 28 will host the media center, Brannan Street Wharf will host the superyachts that carry the racing yachts from their points of origin to the race, Pier 48 the administration, as well as Pier 50 the team bases, and Seawalls 330 and 337 for entertainment and media.

I have to admit, I've never been to San Francisco, so I had no idea where all those Piers are located, until I saw one graph that really puzzled me, depicting the America's Cup southern waterfront venue and reproduced here below. It's a bird's eye view of all the facilities the city includes in its proposal to host the world's most prestigious sailing event and gives a clear overview of where each infrastructure will be located. I suppose it is a plan drawn by the architectural office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, based on instructions by the mayor's office. In fact, it seems to be based on the San Francisco digital model the same office had built in 2005.

It all looks very nice until you closely examine the proposed location of the "Media Center", in particular its great separation from the Event Offices, and, especially, the Team Bases. A quick check on Google Maps shows that the distance separating the Media Center from the Team Bases is no less than 2 kilometers!!! I do understand that unlike Auckland or Valencia, San Francisco doesn't have a natural circular basin where all facilities could closely fit together but I can't believe there isn't any space available to locate the Media Center closer to the Team Bases.

Not only is it 2 kilometers away from the bases, journalists would have to walk on a public street, go through the AT&T stadium, cross a bridge and walk another 300 meters to reach the closest base. On the other hand, the International TV Compound is strategically located, a few meters away from the bases as are the Event Offices. Journalists will not be able to just simply leave their desk, walk to a base and come back 15 minutes later! Gone are the days when they could check what was going on in the bases just by leaning over the windows of the Media Center. It is perfectly understandable BMW Oracle gives TV absolute priority but to the point of transforming the rest of media as the poor cousins of the 34th America's Cup?

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team won the 'King of the Mountain' title today in spectacular style, taking a huge stride towards his quest to become the 2010 ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

Having toyed with the teams all week at the St. Moritz Match Race, it was on the final day that the Maloja wind truly kicked in, bringing with it a supreme display of match racing for which the ISAF World Match Racing Tour is renowned. Richard, despite not always being on top of his game throughout the week, knuckled down when it mattered most, grinding out a series of hard-fought victories against his nearest rivals today.

When the two British skippers, triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar won their first semi-final matches, the prospects looked good for an all-British final. However, Richard had no intention of playing second fiddle and led Ainslie all the way round the course in their next race to level the score.

Highlights from the closing day of the St. Moritz Match Race. St. Moritz, 5 September 2010. Video copyright WMRT

It was standing room only in the packed grandstands and with everything hanging on the final race of both semi-final matches, the crowds of spectators were in for a treat. A dogfight before each of the starts characterized the races. With a penalty to his name in his deciding semi-final battle against Ainslie, it appeared Richard's only option as they approached the final mark was a brutal one - to pin a penalty on Ainslie. Fortunately for Richard, his Blu26 found a gust, giving him enough time to complete his penalty turn and dispense with the Brit.

Meanwhile, in the Williams vs Minoprio bout Williams took the first match, but Minoprio responded in the second with a move at the windward mark, where Williams collected two penalties in rapid succession, allowing Minoprio to take a decisive victory. Williams though regained his composure for the final race of his dual with the New Zealander, with just enough control over Minoprio to maintain a slim lead to the finish and a place in the final.

The scene was set for a fitting British-French finale, with the title going to the first team to win two races. This was sailing's version of 'Le Crunch'. At times, both played underdog, exchanging glances and penalties. It was one all after two races and in the deciding race, it seemed only right that the wind, so unpredictable and challenging all week, should have the final say. Richard, playing a string of gusts and shifts to perfection, pulling five lengths clear, a lead he maintained to take the 'King of the Mountain' crown and CHF36,000 in prize money.

Mathieu Ricahrd is the brand new "King of the Mountain". St. Moritz, 5 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT

Richard, reflected: "I wasn't happy after losing the first race against Ian in the finals. I was too excited, made mistakes and didn't have a positive feeling. So, we picked ourselves up, changed our mood and took the match to them. We go to Denmark with a healthy lead however we know there is still all to play for. For now though, we're overjoyed."

As the Tour heads to the island of Bornholm, Denmark, next week, it is possible that the next few weeks will determine not just the outcome of this year's World Match Racing Tour but also shape the future of match racing with the America's Cup announcements that have been a hot topic all week in St. Moritz. Whatever the outcome, Richard and his rivals will remain focused on their endeavours to take the World Match Racing Tour title.

Overall Standings the 2010 St. Moritz Match Race:
Skipper/Teams Points
1 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 25
2 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 20
3 Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch Racing 15
4 Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 12
5 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 10
6 Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 8
7 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6
8 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 4
9 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
10 Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Race Team
11 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
12 Jerome Clerc (SUI) Team CER Geneve

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] On a frustrating day for the six teams battling to reach the semi-finals of the St. Moritz Match Race, perhaps the biggest fight was off the water between the gradient northerly wind and the thermally induced southerly, which left the racecourse peppered with monumental wind shifts, holes and gusts.

The weather has tested the skippers’ mettle all week and today it created a spectacular sporting moment that had the crowd holding its breath. It looked as if it was all over for reigning ‘King of the Mountain’ Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing in his match against Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team. Iehl, looking to build on a remarkable previous day, had what seemed like an insurmountable lead however he hit a hole and unfavourable wind shift just before the finish line. At the same time, Minoprio caught a big gust that he rode all the way to the end, storming past Ihel just two boat lengths from the finish. The King of the Mountains clearly controls the wind however it was a hollow victory: “Damien did a really good job extending his lead around the course. Then, when it was almost all over, he sailed into a hole and we sailed round him. I really don’t feel good about it, but we need the points.”

Video highlights from day 4 of the St. Moritz Match Race. St. Moritz, 4 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT

No skipper was given Minoprio’s luck, forcing them to relentlessly pursue every possible advantage. A pre-start incident between triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team saw the umpires find in favour of the British team, as Ainslie explains: “It was a 50-50 situation in which we had to keep clear when Hansen luffed us hard. It was a difficult decision for the jury as to whether he had been too aggressive, or whether our response was too slow. Luckily they decided in our favour.”

Next up was a French derby between Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team against Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team. There was no love lost though as Richard tried to pin Pacé outside the line at the start. In a super-close rounding of the second mark, Richard had the favoured inside line, while Pacé collected a penalty for failing to give him space giving Richard the advantage which he held to the finish.

In what proved to be the final chapter of the day, Ainslie held a big lead over Hansen when a wind shift of such magnitude made it difficult for Hansen to hold the spinnaker. Despite vehement protest from Hansen’s team, the race was not abandoned giving Ainslie a second and decisive win to join Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar in the semi-finals.

Ben Aisnlie cruises to the semifinals. St. Moritz, 4 September 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / WMRT


The battle between the two wind systems continued through the afternoon, and despite supreme efforts by the race committee, racing eventually had to be abandoned for the day. The remaining quarter-final races to decide the two teams that will face Ainslie and Williams in the semi-finals, will take place at 1000 local time tomorrow morning.

Quarter-final results at the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: goes straight to semi-final
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAM ORIGIN: 2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 1
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 1
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 0
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 0
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 0