Final four

Quarter finals of Bermuda Gold Cup decided

Four skippers will advance from the Quarter-Final Round of the Bermuda Gold Cup to tomorrow’s Semi-Final Round -- Karol Jablonski/Team MK Café, Jesper Radich/Team Radich, Jes Gram-Hansen/Team Victory Lane and Bermudian Peter Bromby.

Today’s racing began in spectacular 12-knot winds under sunny skies that allowed the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to run one flight of matches before a brief squall came through Hamilton Harbour postponing the races until the afternoon.

When racing resumed, hundreds of spectators had taken to the water and lined up on the sea wall to see if Bermuda’s favorite daughter Paula Lewin/Team ACE would prevail against the No. 1 seed Gram-Hansen in what was the most anticipated match of the day. Gram-Hansen led the “first to three” series with two wins, but Lewin came back to win the third, giving her one last chance to advance.

With aggressive pre-start tactics and confidence that comes from years of experience in the challenging International One Design class yachts used at this event, Lewin tried to out maneuver Gram-Hansen, but lost the fourth and deciding race.

Gram-Hansen will face local favorite Peter Bromby, who eliminated Sweden’s Mikael Lindqvist.

Lindqvist won the first match-up, couldn’t catch up to Bromby in the next three races. Against Gram-Hansen, Bromby said, “I feel like I have some unfinished business.”

In the remaining two matches, Radich trounced Staffan Lindberg winning three straight races and will face world match racing champion Jablonski tomorrow. “We try not to think too much about our competition,” said Radich. “It’s too tough on the nerves if you don’t focus. I try to relax and sail the boat.”

Poland’s Jablonski eliminated Mattias Rahm of Sweden in three straight matches.

Quarter-Final Round: October 18
Skipper/Team, Win-Loss Record

Peter Bromby/TeamACE (Bermuda) 3-1
Jes Gram-Hansen/Team Victory Lane (Denmark) 3-1
Karol Jablonski/Team MK Café (Poland) 3-0
Paula Lewin/Team ACE (Bermuda) 1-3
Staffan Lindberg/Team Musto (Finland) 0-3
Mikael Lindqvist (Sweden) 1-3
Jesper Radich/Team Radich (Denmark) 3-0
Mattias Rahm /Team Stena Bulk (Sweden) 0-3

Match Results
Flight 1, Match 1
J. Gram-Hansen def. P. Lewin
M. Lindqvist def. P. Bromby
J. Radich def. S. Lindberg
K. Jablonski def. M. Rahm

Flight 2, Match
J. Gram-Hansen def. P. Lewin
P. Bromby def. M. Lindqvist
J. Radich def. S. Lindberg
K. Jablonski def. M. Rahm

Flight 3, Match 1
P. Lewin def. J. Gram-Hansen
P. Bromby def. M. Lindqvist
J. Radich def. S. Lindberg
K. Jablonski def. M. Rahm

Flight 4, Match 1
J. Gram-Hansen def. P. Lewin
P. Bromby def. M. Lindqvist