Saturday 5 December 2009

MRT vs.Yanmar Racing in QTR Finals of Monsoon Cup

Mirsky Racing Team down 0-1 against four time World Champion Peter Gilmour, and his Yanmar Racing team in their first quarter final encounter at the 2009 Monsoon Cup


Torvar Mirsky at the helm. Image copyright Gareth Cooke/Subzero Images.

by Kinley Fowler

The day started with Mirsky Racing Team finishing off their last two round robin races against Victory Challenge and Yanmar Racing.

Needing at least one more win to guarantee their place in the next stage MRT narrowly lead Swedish Americas Cup helmsman Magnus Holmberg around the course.

The Victory Challenge skipper made a risky gybe down the last run where MRT could not defend because of the tide, but sticking to their strategy MRT held their nerve and held their lead to right to the finish.

MRT placed 5th in the round robin, after a complicated four way count back for second place. Without a high enough placing MRT were unable to choose their opponent in the quarter final and were left to race Yanmar Racing.


Mirsky Racing Team versus BlackMatch Racing. Image copyright Gareth Cooke/Subzero Images.

Racing for the quarter finals got underway in the late afternoon where the two rivers of the Terengganu venue provided teams with a difficult racecourse.

MRT started slightly ahead of Yanmar Racing with a slight advantage off the line, a big split up the first work saw the teams meet at the top mark with MRT edging ahead and holding Yanmar Racing out at the top mark.

Another split on the next upwind saw Yanmar Racing overtake on the tricky racecourse. Unable to work their way back into the race, MRT lost their first race of the quarter finals.

Racing will commence again Saturday when the quarter finals will be decided and MRT continue their charge to win the World Match Racing Tour.

Results:

Mirsky Racing Team AUS vs. Yanmar Racing AUS 0 - 1
ETNZ Blackmatch NZL vs. French Team Spirit FRA 1 - 0
Team Origin GBR vs. French Match Racing Team FRA 1 - 0
All4One FRA vs. Waka Racing NZL 1 - 0

9th Victory Challenge (Magnus Holmberg) SWE
10th Team Azzura (Francesco Bruni) ITA
11th Team Pindar (Ian Williams) GBR
12th Taring Pelangi TESA (Hazim Hazwan) MAS

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