Fantastic racing conditions yesterday allowed the organizers of Match Cup Sweden, Stage 5 of the World Match Racing Tour, to complete the repechage round which saw Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team and Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge emerge as the final two skippers that will join Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team, Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge and Philippe Presti (FRA) French Match Racing Team in the Quarterfinal Round, scheduled for today.
The repechage round was full of excitement. Johnie Berntsson was on fire winning all three matches including a nail biter against Adam Minoprio. It started badly for Berntsson as he was awarded a penalty just after the start for tacking too close to Minoprio. It didn’t deter Berntsson and he was hot on the heels of Minoprio after rounding the first mark even managing to roll him down the run. As they approached the leeward mark outside the zone Berntsson managed to hook Minoprio on port tack subsequently luffing him tacking inside him then bearing away to offload the penalty. Berntsson then luffed on starboard tack to take Minoprio away from the leeward mark before turning back to lead around the buoy.
The world's top young sailors are entering their final preparations as just one week remains until the start of the 2009 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Buzios, Brazil.
The 38th edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship will showcase the future stars of the sailing world at Buzios, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil from 9-18 July. Over 280 sailors from 59 nations are set to arrive in Brazil next week, looking to make their mark at the first-ever edition of the Youth Worlds to be held in South America.
Past winners of Youth Worlds titles have gone on to become some of the biggest names in sailing such as three-time America's Cup winning skipper Russell Coutts (NZL), triple-Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie (GBR) or recent Volvo Ocean Race winner Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and this year the potential of the competitors lining up looks just as promising. Amongst the entries for this year's championship is Brazilian Girls' 420 helm Martine Grael, daughter of five-time Olympic medallist and winning skipper of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race Torben Grael (BRA); and South African multihull competitor Matthew Whitehead, silver medallist at last year's Youth Worlds and the son of Colin Whitehead, President of the International Hobie Class Association.
Marstrand, Sweden (1 July 2009) – The warm and sunny weather continued here in Marstrand, which brought spectators out in force today to watch the repechage round robin at Match Cup Sweden. As the crowd lounged in swim suits on the rocks overlooking the race area, 8 teams fought hard to determine who would make it to the next stage, the Quarter Final round, where eight will be competing for their share of the 1,000,000 SEK total prize purse in this fifth stage of the World Match Racing Tour.
With only two quarter final spots left the eight teams were focused on securing points towards their place in the next round. Racing ended today with four of the seven flight repechage completed. Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge, Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar, Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team and Peter Wibroe (DEN) Wibroe Racing Team all ended the day with three wins.
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