Roberto Trombini match racing preview

2000/1 Swedish Match Tour winner Magnus Holmberg looks to defend title...

Swedish Match Tour Year 2 Champion Magnus Holmberg and his Team Stora Enso match race crew will be defending their Trofeo Challenge Roberto Trombini Match Race title this week in Marina di Ravenna, Italy. This event is the first in the latest Swedish Match Tour, coming less than a week after the final event of the last series in Marstrand.
Holmberg and his team's victory here last year set the pace for what was an incredibly successful Swedish Match Tour campaign for these veterans of the international match racing scene. But Holmberg is under no illusions about how hard it will be to defend his title. "It is a very good line up and it is always difficult to win a Swedish Match Tour event, but I hope we can make it into the top three and begin building our points for Swedish Match Tour Year 3."

Having received the Swedish Match Tour Year 2 Trophy presented by Wedgwood, as well as the first place prize cheque of US$60,000 following the Swedish Match Cup last Sunday, Holmberg and his crew have had less than 48 hours to revel in their success. Their collective attention is now focused on facing a field of America's Cup skippers here in Ravenna.

While it would have been easily understood if the Swede had decided to take a week off, several factors motivated Holmberg to pack his bags and get right back into the fray. "I love the boats (Tom 28s). They are great match racing boats and behave like they are much larger."

Additionally, with the start list heavy with representatives from America's Cup syndicates, Holmberg realizes that this week will provide some key tests for himself and his crew. "It is important to check your tactical skills and see how you compare as a team to the other syndicates as well as make sure you are up to date with the latest developments on the match race scene. You never want to miss an opportunity to measure yourself against these guys assembled here."

The entry list includes Oracle Racing's Peter Holmberg, Francesco de Angelis of the Prada Challenge, Nicola Celon of Italy, Russell Coutts of the Alinghi Challenge, Andy Green of the GBR Challenge, Dean Barker of Team New Zealand, James Spithill of the OneWorld Challenge, Morten Henriksen of the illbruck Challenge, Paolo Cian of the Mascalzone Latino Challenge, as well as Luc Pillot of France and Federico Strocchi of Italy.