Dickson on fire

BMW Oracle Racing skipper unbeaten at Portugal Match Cup

Day two of Stage 1 of the 2006-‘07 World Match Racing Tour season, the Portugal Match Cup, saw the quarterfinals take shape with six teams advancing to the next round.

Chris Dickson (NZL), BMW Oracle Racing, won all five of his round robin races and led Group A into the quarters. Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Victory Challenge, won Group B with a 4-1 record. With the initial round robin complete the event moved to the Repechage Round, and the racing intensified. Four out of the six teams are tied after three of the five flights.

Ian Williams (GBR), Williams Sail Racing, Chris Law (GBR), The Outlaws, Mathieu Richard (FRA), Saba Sailing Team, and Przemek Tarnacki (POL), Tarnacki Racing/Sopot MR Center are all 2-1 in the repechage round.

With teams sailing late into the evening, two flights remain tomorrow to decide which teams will take the two remaining places in the quarters. Only the top two move on.

The 3rd annual Portugal Match Cup features 12 teams competing for a $100,000 prize purse, with $30,000 earmarked for the champion. The crews enjoyed glorious sunshine racing the SM40s in 10 to 12 knots, near-perfect conditions in the beautiful Bay of Cascais.

Group A saw Dickson and Thierry Peponnet (FRA), Areva Challenge, in a close match in Flight 8, with Dickson just nabbing the win over his America’s Cup rival. Peter Gilmour (AUS), PST, the three-time reigning Tour champion, won his final two matches in Group A to also advance. “We had a solid day with even starts, better speed and better crew work and a couple of solid wins,” said Dickson, the CEO and skipper of BMW Oracle. “We’re getting better with every race we do and are looking forward to tomorrow.”

Fresh from Louis Vuitton Act 12 Dickson added, “BMW is a key and very important partner in our BMW Oracle Racing team and their involvement in the World Tour gives us an added incentive, although none is really needed to come to Portugal. But, it’s added incentive for us to be here and we’re pleased with their involvement in the Tour. They’re a great partner with the America’s Cup program and with the Tour as well.”

In Group B, Holmberg took first place with Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN), Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia, and Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Alandia Sailing Team, placing second and third.

The six teams in the repechage battled until late in the day. The remaining two flights will be intense because each of the top four has a loss and no one has a clear cut advantage. It’s likely the two advancing teams won’t be known until after the final flight, when Richard races Tarnacki and Law faces Williams.

Lotte Meldgaard (DEN), HSH Nordbank, scored a well deserved victory in the repechage over Chris Law (GBR), The Outlaws, after a close battle. Álvaro Marinho (POR), Quebramar Match Racing Team, surprised local supporters when he failed to score a win.


Portugal Match Cup Provisional Round Robin Standings

Group A (After 5/5 flights)
1. Chris Dickson (NZL) BMW Oracle Racing, 5-0*
(Crew: Zack Hurst, Jann Neergaard Kazuhiko Sofuku, Paul Westlake)
2. Thierry Peponnet (FRA) Areva Challenge, 4-1*
(Crew: Tanguy Cariou, Benoit Briand, Hervé Cunningham, Thierry Douillard)
3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST, 3-2*
(Crew: Rod Dawson, Christian Scherrer, Ed Smyth, Yasuhiro Yaji)
4. Chris Law (GBR) The Outlaws, 1-4
(Crew: Matt Cornwell, Charles Nankin, Piotr Przybylski, Henrik Walderyd)
5. Lotte Meldgaard (DEN) HSH Nordbank, 1-4
(Crew: Inge Ebbensgaard, Nina Grunow, Anne Mirup-Petersen, Mia Nielsen, Christina Refn)
6. Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team, 1-4
(Crew: Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant, Jean-Philippe Saliou, Yannick Simon)
(* Advances to Quarterfinal Round)

Group B (After 5/5 flights)
1. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, 4-1*
(Crew: Anders Dahlsjò, Lars Linger, Mal Parker, Stefan Rahm)
2. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team, 3-2*
(Crew; Nils Bjerkas, Niklas Carlzon, Carl-Johan Skoterstan, Daniel Wallberg)
3. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) Mascalzone Latino –Capitalia Team, 3-2*
(Crew: Matteo Auguadro, Pierluigui Defelice, Rasmus Kostner, Chresten Plinius)
4. Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Sail Racing, 2-3
(Crew: Laurie Jury, Mark Nicholls, Richard Sydenham, Mark Williams)
5. Álvaro Marinho (POR) Quebramar Match Racing Team, 1.5-3
(Crew: Rúbrio Basílio, Antonio Fontes, Miguel Nunes, Diogo Pereira)
6. Przemek Tarnacki (POL) Tarnacki Racing/Sopot MR Center, .5-4
(Crew: Marcin Banaszek, Pawel Goski, Zbigniew Gutkowski, Miroslaw Szynczak)
(* Advances to Quarterfinal Round)

Repechage Round (After 3/5 flights)
1. Ian Williams, 2-1
T. Chris Law, 2-1
T. Mathieu Richard, 2-1
T. Przemek Tarnacki, 2-1
5. Lotte Meldgaard, 1-2
6. Álvaro Marinho, 0-3

The World Tour Partner and Official Car is BMW AG (Munich, Germany). World Tour sponsors include Sebago (Rockford, Mich.), the Official Footwear Supplier, Travel Places (West Sussex, England), the Official Travel Partner, and Wedgwood (Cheshire, England) the Official Trophy Supplier.

More photos on page two....