World Match Racing Tour
USA’s Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch / Borch Racing excelled in perfect conditions again on Sydney Harbour today, finishing at the top of the first qualifying stage, advancing both teams directly to the Quarter-final stage.
The remaining eight teams now sail a repechage with the top six teams joining the quarter-finals.
“The preparations we did coming down here a couple of days early and getting time on these boats to learn the harbour has really paid dividends and we are feeling good” said Chris Poole.
Sydney Harbour delivered its second day of spectacular conditions as Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson led the fleet to Double Bay at the eastern end of the harbour to shelter from a building southerly breeze which saw gusts over 30 knots.
Local Sydney team, DownUnder Racing with skipper Harry Price, went undefeated for the day finishing third after the qualifying stage, and then winning the first two of their seven repechage races which continues tomorrow.
“It was certainly fresh out there today” said Price. “We know these boats well but even that was a windy day for us but, we are sailing well.”
Also winning their first two races of the repechage round before racing finished for the day were New Zealand’s Knots Racing, skippered by Nick Egnot-Johnson and Estonia’s Clean Energy Sailing Team with Mati Sepp on the helm.
“Today was awesome conditions” commented Egnot-Johnson. “We had gusts well over 20 knots so the boys were really enjoying that. We are sailing well and our boat handling is strong but we know we still have a way to go to.”
“These [Elliott 7] boats are very manoeuvrable and light so it has been a fast learning curve for us, but we have found a rhythm now and we are improving” added Mati Sepp.
The forecast for the next few days sees the southerly settle into Sydney, with predictions of 20 – 30 knots on the cards for Friday and 20 knots over the weekend making for some exciting racing.
Racing for Day 3 starts tomorrow at 1200 AEST with live coverage by Adventures of a Sailor Girl, Nic Douglass which will be streamed across the World Match Racing Tour channels.
Results after Day 2
