Supreme line-up

Sean McNeill looks at the incredible form of competitors at this Toscana Elba Cup-Trofeo Locman match racing

Practice day at the Toscana Elba Cup–Trofeo Locman, Stage 5 of the 2004-’05 Swedish Match Tour, blessed competitors with a 12 knot ESEerly wind.

The line-up of 14 teams for the event was completed recently with the addition of Karol Jablonski (POL) of the Desafio Español America’s Cup challenge. Another late entry includes Hamish Pepper (NZL) of Italy’s Mascalzone Latino - Captitalia. Jablonski and Pepper have been hired as helmsmen for their respective teams.

They’re part of what is the best-ever line-up for a Swedish Match Tour event. Other Cup teams are lead by Ed Baird (USA) and Peter Holmberg (ISV), both of America's Cup defender Team Alinghi, Gavin Brady (NZL) of BMW Oracle Racing, Magnus Holmberg (SWE) of Sweden’s Victory Challenge, and James Spithill (AUS) of Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge.

“There are no easy outs,” said Baird, who leads the Tour standings with the high score of 65 points.

A $60,000 cash bonus and BMW 545i Touring, from Tour partner BMW, will be awarded to the Tour champion at the season-concluding Swedish Match Cup in early July.

“I think this shows that the Swedish Match Tour has come of age,” said Peter Gilmour, the reigning Tour champ. “This is what the Tour is all about. You’ve got Cup teams out here scrambling to get into the event to practice their crew work. Then you’ve got hackers like Russell (Coutts) and me. It’s a neat thing.”

Despite Gilmour’s self-deprecation, he and Coutts are hardly hackers. Gilmour, the skipper of the Pizza-La Sailing Team, is the reigning Tour champion. Coutts, skipper of Coutts Racing, is the reigning event champ. They squared off in the Elba Cup final last year, and Coutts scored a 2-1 victory.

The field also includes a trio of skippers making their Swedish Match Tour debut; Ian Ainslie (RSA), of Team Shosholoza, Iain Percy (GBR), of +39 Challenge, and Thierry Peponnet (FRA), of K-Challenge. And skippers such as Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand and Francesco de Angelis (ITA), of Luna Rossa Challenge, are returning to the Tour for the first time in a few years.

“The big difference is the rules, the pre-start and the maneuvering,” said triple Olympic medallist, Ben Ainslie. “It’s so much more like chess. There are set moves and I have to learn them. The more used to it I get the more enjoyable it’ll be.”

The crews will be racing the Swedish Match 40, the Tour’s specially designed match racer from Swedish designer Pelle Petterson. The boats debuted in Portugal last year, and six are on hand for the racing in Porto Azzurro.

With 14 crews and six boats the format for the event differs from the normal double round-robin followed by semifinals and final.

The field will be split into two groups and each will sail a round robin of six races. The three highest scoring skippers from Group A and B each shall advance to the quarter-final round. The eight remaining skippers will sail a one race knockout paired in their group based on the results of the round robin, with the two winners advancing to the quarterfinal round.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are knock-out rounds. In the quarters, semis and final the first skipper to win three points advances to the next round or wins the championship. A Petit Final is also scheduled, and the first two win 2 points will place third with the other skipper placing fourth.

Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match, BMW and the Match Race Association. Swedish Match Tour Official Sponsors include Musto, Sebago, Travel Places, Trident Studio and Wedgwood.

Toscana Elba Cup Entrants

Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand – Two-time Olympic gold medalist
Ian Ainslie (RSA) Shosholoza Challenge – Three-time Olympian in the Finn class
Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi – Leads Swedish Match Tour standings
Gavin Brady (NZL) BMW Oracle Racing – Most top-three finishes without a victory
Russell Coutts (NZL) Coutts Racing – Most wins, 5, in fewest starts, 9, on Tour
Francesco de Angelis (ITA) Luna Rossa Challenge – First Tour appearance since 2001
Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team – Reigning Swedish Match Tour champion
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge – Tour career victories leader, 6
Peter Holmberg (ISV) Team Alinghi – Past Tour champion (2002-’03)
Thierry Peponnet (FRA) K-Challenge – Making Tour debut as skipper
Hamish Pepper (NZL) Mascalzone Latino Capitalia – Two-time Olympian
Iain Percy (GBR) +39 Challenge – Making Swedish Match Tour debut
Philippe Presti (FRA) China Team – Placed 7th on Tour leaderboard
James Spithill (AUS) Luna Rossa Challenge – Tied for 8th on Tour leaderboard