Crowd control officials here at the Korea Match Cup and the Korea International Boat Show have already tallied over 100,000 visitors to this event, with more expected when the weekend starts tomorrow. This is over twice what was expected at this point in the schedule, and is a testament to the huge newfound interest boating has started to enjoy in this country.

'Of course we're extremely pleased there is so much interest in coming to the event,' says Dong-Young Kim, Event Director for the Korea Match Cup, 'and having the racing right here has made it very accessible for everyone to see.' The huge crowds seen here all day has made this latest event on the World Match Racing Tour not only the richest - with nearly US$300,000 in prize money - but by far the most popular as well.

And the busloads of tour groups, school kids, and others who have been on the dockside venue cheering for these past few days have not been disappointed in what they've seen, as competitive racing went on again today just metres away from the ends of the piers at the Jeongok Marina. PRO David Tallis set the pre-start area among the piers to bring the action close to the crowd and also take advantage of the southwest wind which today started quite light then built to a pleasant 12 knot seabreeze as the morning fog burned away.

Racing was initially postponed for an hour until the breeze was able to fill and settle enough to set courses, with the intention being to finish the seven remaining flights of the round robin before starting the Quarter Finals. While only two of the twelve teams had already won enough matches to be assured to make it into the top eight, the remainder were going to have to claw their way in by winning their remaining matches.

There were some surprises among those who needed to win today but could not make it through. These included such veterans as Magnus Holmberg (SWE) of the Victory Challenge and Peter Gilmour (AUS) of Team PLS. Coming into the day both of these past Tour champions and America's Cup veterans had managed only two and three wins, respectively, yet neither were able to win even one of their remaining three matches. This is an indication of the strength of new talent arriving on the Tour and how no one is safe among such a competitive field.

One of the newest and youngest of this talent, while showing tremendous potential in finishing sixth among the top eight in Stage One, also showed today the need for a little more maturing in his style. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and this Mirsky Racing Team had some of the most exciting and spirited matches of the day, defeating Bjorn Hansen (SWE) and his Alandia Sailing Team in a come-from-behind effort after earning a pre-start red-flag penalty, and also Sebastian Col (FRA) and his K Challenge/French Match Racing Team. But his match with stage winner Mathieu Richard (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team had all the elements and excitement of classic match race sailing, with lead changes, aggressive maneuvers, and penalty flags of all colours.

After an even start off the line, Mirsky managed to control the favoured right side by repeatedly forcing Richard to tack back throughout most of the first beat. But when Richard started to duck on the last engagement, Mirsky tacked back to port to give close cover, which allowed Richard to luff to leeward and catch Mirsky off guard. Mirsky could not keep clear to windward and thus earned a penalty from umpires Roger Woods and Alfredo Ricci.

But on the next downwind leg, in a building breeze which propelled the KM 36's with their asymmetrical kites quite fast downwind, Mirsky managed to shrink a 5-length deficit to being within just a few metres of the French at the bottom mark. But here's where the exuberance of youth took over as Richard left a tempting gap in his wide turn at the mark.

'My team told me afterwards that they said 'Don't go in there,' but for some reason I guess I just didn't hear them,' said the young Australian. 'I really wanted to get ahead.' Whereupon Mirsky turned his boat right through the narrow gap separating Richard from the mark, but not with enough room to avoid keeping clear to windward. With both boats now head-to-wind, sails luffing and voices hollaring excitedly in French and English, the umpires quieted things quickly by pulling out another two yellow flags for Mirsky, and a black flag to terminate the match by giving him an immediate DSQ. He earned the unusual two-flag penalty for having gained control over his opponent by his move, and with one already outstanding, this made it three penalties, which triggers an immediate disqualification under the match racing rules.

And while Richard had done well to win this and eight other matches in the round robin, he's already on the ropes for tomorrow's resumption of the first-to-three point Quarter Finals in having lost to yet another young talent, Adam Minoprio (NZL) of Emirates Team New Zealand/Black Match Racing in very foggy conditions which ended the day's racing.

In other Quarter Final action, Col defeated Mirsky and Ian Williams (GBR) of Team Pindar defeated Paolo Cian (ITA) of Shosholoza, both in their first match. Jesper Radich (DEN) of Rudy Project Sailing Team will meet Hansen tomorrow morning. Match racing resumes tomorrow at the Korea Match Cup with the concluding flights of the Quarter Final stage, and weather permitting the start of the Semi-Finals as well.

Quarter Final Results:
(First To Two Points)
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 0-1
Jesper Radich (DEN) Rudy Project Sailing Team 0-0
S?bastien Col (FRA) K Challenge/French Match Racing Team 1-0
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing 1-0
Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar 1-0
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 0-1
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Alandia Sailing Team 0-0
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza 0-1

by WMRT Event Media

Newsfeed supplied by