Chicago Match Cup - Swinton into semi-finals

1:34 AM Sun 23 Aug 2009 GMT

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Chicago Match Cup: The top three in the standings from yesterday - Juan Grimaldi (ARG) and his Tag Heuer Sailing Team, Keith Swinton (AUS) and his Black Swan Racing team and Phil Robertson (NZL) and his Waka Racing Team - continued their winning ways today by qualifying for tomorrow's Semi-Final Round in the inaugural Chicago Match Cup.

But this stage in the competition is not quite complete, as a starting line incident in which damage caused by Lars Nordbjerg (DEN) in his match against Rueben Corbett (AUS) and his Black Sheep Racing team forced a jury-imposed 1/2-point deduction against the Danes and another race between this pair in the first-to-three point series. Being on one point, it will be a must-win situation for Corbett.

'We feel lucky to make it into the Quarterfinals,' said Corbett, 'that was our main goal, so now tomorrow will be do or die - again.'

A shift in the breeze to the north today produced steadier 10-12 knots of wind, more ideal for teams honed in their match race skills compared to yesterday's shifty conditions, but the seas were large and lumpy. While the morning flights of the remaining Round Robin were sailed on courses a little further off the shore of the Belmont Harbor park area, the afternoon courses were closer in to the edge of the Lake, making the shore side favored in most races. Those who mastered their pre-starts and got to that favored side generally did well.

'The matches today were much different than yesterday,' said commentator Dee Smith, 'because the breeze was less shifty, so there were fewer passing lanes for those that got behind. It was a day for the 'young buck' match racers to dominate the 'old bull' sailors who were clever yesterday at reading the shifts.'

This was reflected in the fortunes of yesterday's 'old bull' leader Juan Grimaldi (ARG) and his Tag Heuer Sailing Team, who won 6-0 yesterday but lost their first three today.

'I couldn't feel comfortable with the light wind, because I just couldn't feel the boat,' explained Grimaldi. 'My crew did a good job to bring me back [in the afternoon] when I felt more comfortable sailing upwind as the breeze built up.'

In finding their form the Argentines were finally able to win their last match against a fellow 'old bull,' Dave Perry (USA), who likewise had problems against the 'young bucks.' Nonetheless, Grimaldi and Perry both made it through to be in the top eight teams in the Quarter Finals, though Perry fell 3-2 to Swinton after leading 2-1.

'Match racing in waves makes it a different game,' explained Perry. 'The person behind will get shot out the back.'

Swinton's Black Swan Racing team member Jakob Gustafsson summed up their day by saying 'It was as equally as tough a day as yesterday with very different conditions. We sailed well as a team and managed to keep our heads up when things weren't going our way, and I think we sailed really well under pressure.'

Swinton acknowledged this, saying 'I feel lucky today. Our starting did not go well, so it was our team work that pulled me out of trouble, good job guys.'

In other Quarter-Final action, Robertson lost one match to Takumi Nakamura (JPN) and his Albatross Sailing team but took three wins to advance, while Grimaldi had to fight all the way to the fifth and final match against Taylor Canfield (ISV) and his Team ISV - winners of last month's Grade 3 event here at the Chicago Match Race Center - before getting his three points to advance.

Canfield, Nakamura, Perry, and the loser of the Nordbjerg/Corbett pairing will race tomorrow in a Consolation Round to determine 5th through 8th places. The pairings in the Semi-Finals will be determined once Swinton, winner of the Round Robin, announces who his chosen rival will be in this first-to-three point series.

A large High pressure ridge is expected to move over the area tomorrow, bringing sunny weather but an uncertain breeze forecast, so these formats may change depending on the wind conditions and the discretion of CMRC race managers to provide fair racing for the Semi-Final, Petite-Final and Final rounds.

Regardless, match race action is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 9 AM CDT.