Match Race Germany : Gimour is joined by Bank, Baird and Pacé in the next round

LANGENARGEN, Germany (May 15, 2005) — The first and third-placed skippers on the Swedish Match Tour leaderboard are among the four semifinalists at Match Race Germany, Stage 6 of the 2004-’05 Swedish Match Tour.

Third-placed Peter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, won the Quarterfinal Round with a 6-1 record and will meet Bertrand Pacé (FRA), of BMW Oracle Racing, in one semifinal match. It is a rematch of last year’s Match Race Germany championship, which Gilmour won 3-2.

Tour leader Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, will square off against Jesper Bank (DEN), of United Internet Team Germany, in the other semifinal match. Bank and Baird each finished the quarterfinals with a 5-2 record, but Bank defeated Baird in Flight 9 to win the tiebreaker.

Pacé just barely advanced to the semis. He finished the quarterfinals in a three-way tie that had more permutations than the weather on Lake Constance.

Pacé tied with Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand, and Sten Mohr (DEN), each at 3-4. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition, but that didn’t resolve it because they beat each other at least once.

The next tiebreaker pits each skipper against the winner of the round. Gilmour beat all three, so that didn’t solve it. The next tiebreaker pits each skipper against the runner-up of the round. Bank beat all three, so that didn’t solve it.

In the end, it was Pacé’s victory over Baird in today’s Flight 7 that put him in the semifinals.

“When I docked at the end of the day I thought I’d change my plane ticket to leave tomorrow morning,” the Frenchman said.

Skippers eliminated from advancing include Ainslie, Mohr, Ian Williams (GBR) and Staffan Lindberg (FIN). Ainslie won the head-to-head tiebreaker with Mohr for fifth and sixth. Williams placed seventh with a 2-5 record, while Lindberg finished eighth with a 1-6 mark.

Today’s racing again was beset by fluky winds. Racing was interspersed with several long postponements as the wind came and went. When it blew, it was mostly from the northwest, and the strength ranged from 0 to 10 knots.

Gilmour’s in the enviable position of being atop the leaderboard. If the regatta has to be decided on a countback due to problems completing the next two rounds he can win his second straight Match Race Germany.

“That was in the back of our mind,” Gilmour said. “We tried hard to win the round robin. We just want to keep improving our sailing.”

Quarterfinal Round Standings
 1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, 6-1
 2. Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany, 5-2
 3. Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi, 5-2
 4. Bertrand Pacé (FRA) BMW Oracle Racing, 3-4
 5. Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand, 3-4
 6. Sten Mohr (DEN), 3-4
 7. Ian Williams (GBR), 2-4
 8. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 1-6

LANGENARGEN, Germany (May 14, 2005) — Gimour and Baird undefeated in 1/4 advance to semis

Reigning Swedish Match Tour champion Peter Gilmour (AUS) took a step towards repeating as champion of Match Race Germany when he won his first five races of the Quarterfinal Round at the event held on Lake Constance in southwest Germany.

Gilmour, skipper of the Pizza-La Sailing Team, should be assured of advancing to the Semifinal Round. He has two races remaining in the quarterfinals, and his current 5-0 record is three wins better than any of the other three skippers who sailed five races today.

Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, also seems on his way to the semis. Baird won all three of his races today before two of his three scheduled byes sent him shoreside for the final two flights of the day.

Bertrand Pacé (FRA), of BMW Oracle Racing, Ian Williams (GBR) and Staffan Lindberg (FIN) also sailed five races today. Pacé and Williams each finished the day with a 2-3 record (Pacé holds the tiebreaker by virtue of his head-to-head win in Flight 1), and Lindberg is 1-4.

Ben Ainslie (GBR) sailed two races and stands at 1-1. He was over early in his first race against Pacé, which created a deficit he couldn’t recover from. Ainslie rebounded with a solid win over Lindberg.

Sten Mohr (DEN), making his return to competitive match-racing after a five-year hiatus, finished the day 1-2. He lost to Baird, defeated Pacé and then lost to Gilmour, who barely completed a 270-degree penalty turn on the finish line to win. The boats crossed the line overlapped, but Gilmour’s bow was a half-length ahead. Gilmour had been penalized for hitting the windward mark on the first lap.

Jesper Bank (DEN), the skipper of United Internet Team Germany, had a rough two races. Bank, who won all five of his round robin races, lost his first two races in the quarters. Gilmour beat him soundly when he won the pre-start to windward and ahead. Bank then lost to upstart Williams on the finish line.

Bank carried a penalty and performed his 270-degree turn on the finish line, but came out on port tack while Williams bore down on starboard. Bank had to hold head-to-wind to avoid Williams, which allowed the Englishman to sail to victory.

Bank’s penalty was a rarity in the world of match-racing. Sailing port tack upwind, he was penalized for fouling Gilmour, who was on starboard jibe racing Pacé in a tight match downwind.

“Gilmour had to bear away to avoid Bank,” said John Standley, chief umpire. “Bank was penalized for port-starboard.”

“We’ve been racing together for a lot of years now,” said Mike Mottl, headsail trimmer for Gilmour. “I’ve never seen that one before.”

For the third consecutive day Lake Constance showed its wide variety of weather. Day 1 was glorious with abundant sunshine and wind. Day 2 had little wind.

Today, there was wind in the morning that allowed two flights to be completed. Then the wind shut off during the third flight, which was abandoned with two matches in progress and the third counting down to its start. A four-hour postponement ensued. Then, in the span of 10 minutes, the wind built from 0 to 20 knots, accompanied by rain. When it blew, the wind was mostly from the west.

“From my experience, this whole week has been unusual for the weather here,” said Baird, who last competed at Match Race Germany two years ago. “I wonder what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Five flights (13 matches) are scheduled to complete the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal Round Standings
 1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, 5-0
 2. Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi, 3-0
 3. Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1
 4. Bertrand Pacé (FRA) BMW Oracle Racing, 2-3
 5. Ian Williams (GBR), 2-3
 6. Sten Mohr (DEN), 1-2
 7. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 1-4
 8. Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany, 0-2

May 13 : Jesper Bank and Bertrand Pacé win respective round robins

The proceedings at Match Race Germany, Stage 6 of the 2004-’05 Swedish Match Tour, ground to a halt on Friday the 13th when the wind disappeared from Lake Constance. After yesterday’s glorious opening day in fresh winds, today the winds were much lighter and more fickle.

Jesper Bank (DEN), of United Internet Team Germany, and Bertrand Pacé (FRA), of BMW Oracle Racing, showed that they have a fine touch no matter the conditions. The two skippers converted the leads they established yesterday to win their respective groups. Bank won the five-flight Group A round robin with the perfect score of 5-0, while Pacé posted a 4-1 mark at the head of Group B.

They advanced to the quarterfinals along with six other crews, led by skippers Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand, Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, Peter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Sten Mohr (DEN) and Ian Williams (GBR).

They’ll begin the round robin Quarterfinal Round tomorrow morning. Each crew will sail seven flights, with the top four advancing to the Semifinal Round.

The four skippers eliminated from advancing – Jan Eike Andresen (GER), Ian Ainslie (RSA), of Team Shosholoza, Sébastian Col (FRA), of K-Challenge, and Mathieu Richard (FRA) – sailed a one race sail off this afternoon for places 9 to 12.

Col beat Ainslie to finish 9th, with Ian Ainslie placing 10th. Richard beat Andresen for 11th, and the German placed 12th.

Although racing was conducted, it was difficult to call some of it fair. In particular, this morning’s resumption of the Group B round robin was sailed in extremely light winds, less than 4 knots. They might be better described as drifting conditions. The winds came and went throughout the day, before completely dying away around 3:00 pm.

With a single round robin of five races, the margin for error was slim. And it frustrated Gilmour, the reigning champion of the Swedish Match Tour and Match Race Germany, who voiced his frustration at the evening press conference.

“We all like to sail in good match-racing conditions,” said Gilmour. “When the conditions go light and extreme, the races aren’t fair. I always favor abandoning a race rather than sailing in light conditions. When a race is abandoned it’s still fair for both teams.”

Gilmour didn’t mince his words because he nearly got eliminated after five races. He lost his first race today against Pacé by a large amount because the match was a driftathon. According to Gilmour, there was no skill involved.

That set up a scenario where Gilmour had to win his final race to advance, which he did. But that race was also held in light winds that were marginal for racing.

“They don’t use their discretion enough,” Gilmour said. “If I’d gotten eliminated after five races I’d be doing some pounding. And the point is that the young guys aren’t getting enough experience. Four teams only sailed five races, and now they’re going home. The only fair way is a double round robin followed by semis and final. That way the cream rises to the top.”

In past years Match Race Germany has struggled to get racing in because of the light conditions and the boat used was a 24-footer. Now the boat is a 35-footer, with a much taller rig and more sail area. The pressure to run races isn’t as strong.

“He’s right,” said Principal Race Officer Rudi Magg, who has run the races at the event since its beginning in 1996. “A double round robin is fairer.”

After the racing for 9th through 12th was finished, the wind died away completely. Magg abandoned racing for the day at 4:50 p.m. Ten minutes later the best wind of the day, an 8-knot westerly, filled in for more than an hour. So ended Friday the 13th at Match Race Germany.

“And I’m not superstitious,” said Gilmour.

Match Race Germany 2005 Final Round Robin Standings

Group A (After 5/5 Flights)
 1. Jesper Bank* (DEN), 5-0
 2. Staffan Lindberg* (FIN), 4-1
 3. Ed Baird* (USA), 3-2
 4. Ian Williams* (GBR), 2-3
 5. Ian Ainslie (RSA), 1-4
 6. Jan Eike Andresen (GER), 0-5

Group B (After 5/5 Flights)
 1. Bertrand Pacé* (FRA), 4-1
 2. Sten Mohr* (DEN), 3-2
 3. Peter Gilmour* (AUS), 3-2
 4. Ben Ainslie* (GBR), 2-3
 5. Sébastian Col (FRA), 2-3
 6. Mathieu Richard (FRA), 1-4

(* Advances to Quarterfinal Round)

LANGENARGEN, Germany (May 12, 2005) — Brillant conditions on Lake Constance

In glorious conditions today on Lake Constance in southwest Germany, 18 match races were held on the opening day of the 8th annual Match Race Germany, Stage 6 of the Swedish Match Tour 2004-’05 season.

The winds ranged from the southwest to the northeast and varied in strength between 5 and 12 knots, and there was abundant sunshine for the 12 crews competing in the event with stunning views of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, which tower over the lake. Group A began the day with three flights and Group B completed it also with three flights.

Denmark’s Jesper Bank, the skipper of Germany’s first-ever America’s Cup challenge United Internet Team Germany, streaked to a 3-0 lead in Group A. His biggest win came against American Ed Baird, the leader of the Swedish Match Tour and a helmsman for the Team Alinghi syndicate.

With the race started Bank took the left side of the racecourse and Baird the right. When they tacked to converge in the center of the racecourse it looked as if Baird might have good position on starboard tack. But then Bank found a puff that allowed him to sail a higher course and he easily crossed Baird. Although Baird kept the match close, he couldn’t overcome the early deficit.

Another skipper who faired well in Group A was Ian Williams (GBR). Competing in his first Swedish Match Tour event, Williams finished 2-1 and is tied for second in the Group A standings.

Williams, 28, has taken a sabbatical from his job as a lawyer to campaign actively on the Tour. He wants to find out if there’s a future for him in professional sailing, be it the America’s Cup or another arena.

Today he learned a lesson about boat setup in his final match against Staffan Lindberg (FIN), who is placed seventh on the Tour leaderboard.

“He was a little faster because he was pressing a bit more on the jib,” said Williams. “He was trimming harder and sailing lower, pressing down on the jib more. There are fine differences at this level.”

After shifting around to the north/northeast, the wind strength increased in the afternoon and seemed to catch some competitors off guard. In the match between Bertrand Pacé (FRA), of the BMW Oracle Racing Team, and Sten Mohr of Denmark, Mohr broached in a puff that rolled down the course when he tried to get to windward of Pacé.

“We didn’t want to get pinned to leeward so we came up just a little bit,” said Mohr. His maneuver happened to coincide with the puff, and he rounded up.

“When the puff hit I was sitting on the afterguy and it lifted me straight up in the air about six feet off the deck,” said Pacé’s crewmember Eric Doyle. “When the kite blew out I dropped back down to the deck.”

Pacé didn’t lose control because most of his spinnaker was torn. The black and white sail tore near one of the clews while being hoisted and eventually split when the puff hit. Pacé held on to win the race despite the bottom half of the sail flapping in the wind.

In the last flight for Group B Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand, withdrew a protest he filed over a drifting leeward mark. He withdrew it because, according to Chief Umpire John Standley, the race committee acted appropriately.

“The rules call for the race committee to replace the mark with a boat flying code flag M, which they did promptly,” Standley said. “It didn’t have a significant impact on the outcome of the match.”

Match Race Germany 2005 Round Robin Standings

Group A (After 3/5 Flights)
 1. Jesper Bank (DEN), 3-0
 2. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 2-1
 3. Ian Williams (GBR), 2-1
 4. Ed Baird (USA), 1-2
 5. Ian Ainslie (RSA), 1-2
 6. Jan Eike Andresen (GER), 0-3

Group B (After 3/5 Flights)
 1. Ben Ainslie (GBR), 2-1
 T. Peter Gilmour (AUS), 2-1
 T. Sten Mohr (DEN), 2-1
 T. Bertrand Pacé (FRA), 2-1
 5. Sébastian Col (FRA), 1-2
 6. Mathieu Richard (FRA), 0-3