In falling snow the St Moritz Match Race stepped closer to establishing its quarter final slate today, as race officials managed to sail eight more flights in the freezing conditions. The YANMAR Racing team had a day to match the weather, losing two races and winning one to go to four-four. They are now in a three-way tie for fourth place.

They weren’t the only ones to struggle on day three of the fifth event on the 2012 Alpari World Match Racing Tour – overall leaders, Bjorn Hansen and Ian Williams straddle the quarter final cut-off in eighth and ninth positions. Tomorrow could be a pivotal day in deciding the 2012 World Champion. And everyone will be hoping for better conditions than a day which saw the snow hissing into the warmer lake to produce steam, adding to the surreal setting.

YANMAR Racing started the day ashore, sitting out the first three flights, which were once again delayed. When they finally got into the action it was against the young Kiwi, Josh Junior – and Peter Gilmour (AUS, skipper) and his highly experienced crew lost a match they would normally be expected to win. They made up for it in the next match, taking down the man currently at the top of the leaderboard, another Kiwi, Laurie Jury. And they did it despite picking up a penalty.

The next race saw Gilmour and his crew up against another in-form sailor, France’s Mathieu Richard. Normally a Tour Card holder and title contender, Richard has taken a sabbatical from the Tour this year, but returned to race an event that he’s won twice previously. And he reflected that form against YANMAR Racing, beating them and then Switzerland’s Jérôme Clerc to move to seven consecutive wins, to go with his three earlier losses (although he’s been docked half a point for damage incurred in a collision).

If it wasn’t for the half-point penalty, Richard would be tied on 7-3 with both Laurie Jury and Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson. YANMAR Racing lead the group chasing them, tied on 4-4 with Pierre-Antoine Morvan of France, and Australia’s Keith Swinton. It’s going to make for a desperately tense final qualifying session, with Clerc also on four points, Tour leaders Hansen and Williams on 3.5 (both also docked half a point for damage), and Phil Robertson also still with a shot at qualifying on 3 wins and five losses.

The St Moritz Match Cup is the fifth event on this year’s Alpari World Match Racing Tour and is held in St Moritz from the 28th August to the 2nd September. Qualifying racing will resume tomorrow at 10:00am.

31st August 2012

St. Moritz Match Race – Results after Qualification Round 3
Laurie Jury (NZ) Kiwi Match 7 – 3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team 7 -3
Mathieu Richard (FRA) Loire Atlantique Sailing Team 6.5* – 3 (0.5 point deduction for boat collision)
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 4 -4
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team 4 – 4
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 4 – 4
Jerome Clerc (SUI) Team CER 4 – 6
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team 3.5* – 4 (0.5 point deduction for boat collision)
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 3.5* – 4 (0.5 point deduction for boat collision)
Phil Robertson (NZ) WAKA Racing 3 – 5
Eric Monnin (SUI) Okalys Corum 3 – 7
Josh Junior (NZL) Wellington Spirit 3 – 7

2012 Alpari World Match Racing Tour Calendar

Stage 1: May 23 – 28 – Match Race Germany, Langenargen, Germany
Stage 2: May 29 – June 3 – Korea Match Cup, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Stage 3: July 2 – 7 – Stena Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, Sweden
Stage 4: July 10 – 15 – Chicago Match Cup, Chicago, USA
Stage 5: Aug 28 – Sep 2 – St. Moritz Match Race, Switzerland
Stage 6: Sep 24 – 29 – Match Race France, Marseille, France
Stage 7: Oct 1 – 7 – Argo Group Gold Cup, Hamilton, Bermuda
Stage 8: Dec 4 – 9 – Monsoon Cup, K.Terengganu, Malaysia

Into the blue Mark Chisnell

See St. Moritz Match Race images

Last Updated ( Saturday, 01 September 2012 )