Fluky unstable opener

Alessandra Ghezzi reports from the Garda Trentino ISAF Grade 1 match racing

The Garda Trentino ISAF Grade 1 open Match Race, organised by the Fraglia Vela Riva in conjunction with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), started today on Lake Garda.

The 10 competing skippers left the dock early this morning to make the most of the northerly breeze locally known as the 'Peler'. The Race Committee was able to complete six flights of round robin one (except for flight 2 where matches 3 and 4 were abandoned). Around 10.30 am the wind dropped and the competitors waited on the race course until midday when the southerly breeze, the 'Ora', kicked in. However, they had to tackle very fluky and unstable wind conditions due to the approaching clouds. The results of some matches were unsure right until the very end, due to the frequent and sudden changes in wind strength and direction.

Jesper Radich (Denmark) was disqualified from match 3 of flight 3 for using an illegal rig on the jib sheet.

Current match racing world champion Ed Baird is leading the fleet with 4 wins and one loss.

Results:

Flight 1
Radich J. def. Taranov M.
Richard M. def. Campbell M.J.
Bernntsson J. def. Baird E.
Williams I. def. Dunstan

Flight 2
Baird def. Arbuzov A.
Taranov def. Dunstan M.
Bernntsson J. - Campbell M.J. match abandoned to be re-sailed
Radich J. - Cian P. match abandoned to be re-sailed

Flight 3
Campbell M.J. def. Arbuzov A.
Cian P. def. Taranov M.
Williams I. def. Radich J.
Richard M. def. Bernntsson J.

Flight 4
Cian P. def. Williams I.
Radich J. def. Dunstan M.
Richard M. def. Arbuzov A.
Baird E. def. Campbell M.J.

Flight 5
Cian P. def. Dunstan M.
Baird E. def. Richard M.
Arbuzov A. def. Bernntsson J.
Taranov M. def. Williams I.

Flight 6
Baird E. def. Cian P.
Dunstan M. def. Arbuzov A.
Campbell M.J. def. Taranov M.
Radich J. def. Bernntsson J.

ED BAIRD, USA (ISAF ranking: 3): 4 wins, 1 loss
JESPER RADICH, DEN (ISAF ranking: 2): 3-1
MATHIEU RICHARD, FRA (ISAF ranking: 4): 3-1
PAOLO CIAN, ITA (ISAF ranking: 7): 3-1
IAN WILLIAMS, GBR (ISAF ranking: 9): 2-2
MARK CAMPBELL-JAMES, GBR (ISAF ranking: 40): 2-2
MAXIM TARANOV, RUS (ISAF ranking: 21): 2-3
JOHNIE BERNTSSON, SWE (ISAF ranking: 15): 1-3
ANDREW ARBUZOV, RUS (ISAF ranking: 16): 1-4
MICHAEL DUNSTAN, AUS (ISAF ranking: 29): 1-4

The racing format is the same that was successfully used by the Fraglia Vela Riva during the ISAF Match Racing World Championship last August.
- Round 1: double round robin, where all skippers sail each other twice in one group.
- Round 2: semifinals, where the top four skippers from the round robins race against each other in a knock out series, first to score three points.
- Round 3: final and petite final, run on a knock out series, first to score three points.

Racing will resume tomorrow morning through until Saturday, 1 May.