{"id":2845,"date":"2016-07-05T06:56:21","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T06:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/?p=2845"},"modified":"2016-07-06T06:58:11","modified_gmt":"2016-07-06T06:58:11","slug":"wmrt-breezy-first-day-in-marstrand-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/?p=2845","title":{"rendered":"WMRT:  Breezy first day in Marstrand &#8211; Video"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"twitter-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=Every_sailrace\" class=\"twitter-share-button\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n <!-- Everysailrace --><br \/>\n <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4487550053079833\" data-ad-slot=\"8435785152\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e9ySlANpmPA?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<strong>Marstrand &#8211; WMRT &#8211; The World Championship Finals of the World Match Racing Tour opened in the best possible way today, with Marstrand delivering strong breeze and sunny skies for the 20 international teams competing in Sweden.<\/strong><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0f26cfPx7d0?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nWith so much at stake, with a $1 million bonus up for grabs for the winner, it was vital for the big players to get off to a good start in Qualifying, which consists of four Groups of five teams competing in a series of short, sharp fleet races. Off the start line and in the early stages of his four heats, Yann Guichard looked to be in trouble. But the Spindrift skipper stayed patient, relied on some sensational boatspeed as he has done all season, and battled his way through to the front, finishing the day with the best scoreline of 2,1,1,1.<\/p>\n<p>The very last race of the day saw Guichard comfortably out in front towards the top of the last upwind leg when even the usually impeccable Frenchman fluffed his final tack towards the top gate mark. Sweden\u2019s Johnie Berntsson pounced on the French error and surged into the lead on the final high-speed run towards the finish line. But Guichard was closing fast and Berntsson made a desperate bid to shut his rival out of the finish, forcing Guichard into the boundary ropes and just metres from Marstrand\u2019s rocky shore. Berntsson looked set to take the win but the umpires decided otherwise, forcing Flux Team to take a penalty which relegated the Swedes from first to last. Ouch! Berntsson would have been sitting in 2nd overall in his Group, but now sits in 2nd last ahead of Keith Swinton, but behind Matt Jerwood and Phil Robertson in 2nd and 3rd.<\/p>\n<p>Although Guichard is undoubtedly quick, he said it\u2019s sometimes about knowing when to take your foot off the gas to grab a tactical advantage on the tight race course. \u201cSometimes you have to accept that you must slow down,\u201d he said. \u201cOur team work was really great, a very solid day for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Berntsson was by no means the only one to fall foul of penalties, and nor was he the only Swede. In another very tight battle for the finish of a Group 1 heat, Mattias Rahm was duelling with Taylor Canfield. \u201cWe could have held Taylor on a bit longer and gybed later and we probably would have won,\u201d said Rahm. \u201cWe were a bit too nice to him, and then Taylor was quite aggressive to us.\u201d There was contact as US One luffed Rahm Racing and not only did Rahm take a penalty that relegated him to last place, he was given a further 2-point penalty for contact. \u201cI think the penalty rule is a bit skewed,\u201d said Rahm, and even Canfield agreed. \u201cThe way the rules are set up, the right of way boat is getting off the hook if there&#8217;s a collision, and the boat in the wrong is getting a 2-point penalty,\u201d said the US One skipper. \u201cSo there are situations where it could be better for you as right of way boat to hit a competitor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the tension ratchets up towards the end of the week, Canfield &#8211; who leads Group 1 after today\u2019s scores of 1,2,5,1 &#8211; predicts more shenanigans. \u201cThere&#8217;s definitely not going to be fewer collisions as the week goes on. As we get into the match racing and the knock-out rounds, I think it&#8217;s going to get more aggressive and you&#8217;ll probably see more collisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even Ian Williams fell foul of the 2-point penalty today yet showed his class to be leading Group 2 with scores of 1,1,2(+2),2, for a total of 8 points. It has been a torrid time for Great Britain in the past week, with the country deeply divided by the Brexit vote to leave the EU, and blood on the floor of the Houses of Parliament with political suicides and assassinations. Yet the GAC Pindar skipper has risen above the problems back at home and was looking on the positive side of Brexit this week. \u201cI think the pound to dollar exchange rate has changed a lot, so the $1m prize for the winner is worth more than it was,\u201d he said brightly. \u201cI voted Remain [in the EU], and I lost that one, but perhaps we can get some revenge this week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Group 3, Nicolai Sehested sits tied on points with Iker Martinez for the lead. Like Guichard, the young Dane shows an incredible ability to bounce back from poor starts and bad situations. Martinez, the talented Olympic Champion and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, was pleased to have finally got some practice in the M32 before race day. \u201cWe came to Newport a few weeks ago and we were learning as we went along,\u201d said the Spaniard. \u201cHere in Marstrand the team has done a few days\u2019 practice and now we are competitive, we feel good. But you look at all the top teams and they all have their own M32 for training. For us to take the next step for next season, that\u2019s what we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s forecast looks very similar to today\u2019s, and no one will be complaining about that. Marstrand delivered great racing for the sailors and great spectating for the crowds, who across the week are expected to be well in excess of 100,000.<\/p>\n<p>Marstrand Results Day 1 &#8211; Qualifying<\/p>\n<p>Group 1<br \/>\n1. Taylor Canfield (ISV), US One &#8211; 9 pts<br \/>\n2. Hans Wall\u00e9n (SWE), Wall\u00e9n Racing &#8211; 11 pts<br \/>\n2. Steven Thomas (AUS), RPM Racing &#8211; 11 pts<br \/>\n4. Mattias Rahm (SWE), Rahm Racing &#8211; 14 pts<br \/>\n5. Bj\u00f6rn Hansen (SWE), Nautiska Racing &#8211; 19 pts<\/p>\n<p>Group 2<br \/>\n1. Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar &#8211; 8 pts<br \/>\n2. Chris Steele (NZL), 36 Below Racing &#8211; 11 pts<br \/>\n3. Sam Gilmour (AUS), Neptune Racing &#8211; 12 pts<br \/>\n4. Evan Walker (AUS), KA Match \/ CYCA &#8211; 15 pts<br \/>\n5. Eric Monnin (SUI), Albert Riele Swiss Match Race Team &#8211; 16 pts<\/p>\n<p>Group 3<br \/>\n1. Nicolai Sehested (DEN), TREFOR Matchracing &#8211; 8 pts<br \/>\n1. Iker Martinez (ESP), Team Espana &#8211; 8 pts<br \/>\n3. Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE), Essiq Racing &#8211; 13 pts<br \/>\n4. Murray Jones (AUS), Full Bants Racing &#8211; 16 pts<br \/>\n5. Sally Barkow (USA), Team Magenta 32 &#8211; 18 pts<\/p>\n<p>Group 4<br \/>\n1. Yann Guichard (FRA), Spindrift Racing &#8211; 5 pts<br \/>\n2. Matt Jerwood (AUS), Redline Racing &#8211; 12 pts<br \/>\n3. Phil Robertson (NZL), Phill Robertsson Racing &#8211; 13 pts<br \/>\n4. Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Flux Team &#8211; 15 pts<br \/>\n5. Keith Swinton (AUS), Team Accure &#8211; 18 pts<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"twitter-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=Every_sailrace\" class=\"twitter-share-button\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marstrand &#8211; WMRT &#8211; The World Championship Finals of the World Match Racing Tour opened in the best possible way today, with Marstrand delivering strong breeze and sunny skies for the 20 international teams competing in Sweden. With so much at stake, with a $1 million bonus up for grabs for the winner, it was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2845"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2848,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2845\/revisions\/2848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.everysailrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}