Good day for Ainslie

As TeamOrigin goes 5-1 up in the round robin at Match Race France

Day Two of Match Race France in Marseille produced a range of results highlighting not only match racing experience, but also local knowledge as top running variables able to make or break a professional sailing series.

After a slow start to the morning with racing postponed, the teams were let out onto the race course as the wind clocked in from the northwest at 4-8 knots for the remainder of the day. Racing again in the Bay of Marseille was moved very close inshore with excellent spectator viewing from the Rade Sud.

Ben Ainslie of TeamOrigin and Torvar Mirsky are still both on top of the leaderboard after today with 11 flights now completed overall. Ainslie has more wins than any other helm so far this week with a current score of 5-1. At a glance it could be said that international match racers with a raft of consistent accolades are steam rolling Match Race France, but the less glamorous placing currently being experienced by the likes of Peter Gilmour of Yanmar Racing and Team Azzurra's Francesco Bruni tells a different story.

Bruni who won the Congressional Cup only 12 days ago related: “It is tough out there. Today has really reminded me about spending time training at particular sailing venues prior to events. I think more time on the water with your coach really getting to grips with the region’s quirks is a definite advantage”. This is not an option for the World Match Racing Tour competitors who only have a small window of two hours to train on the race course area at each of the 10 venues before racing starts the subsequent day. But quickly adapting to new boats and local conditions is one of the required skills for a successful match race team.

But when it comes to local knowledge, the Bay of Marseille offers no clear answers and even French national sailors highly familiar with these waters have been experiencing the woes of highly testing conditions. Bertrand Pacé, a previous ISAF Match Racing World Champion who has returned to the WMRT after a five year absence, is not shining in these Mediterranean conditions. Perris, the match racing star from yesterday has also unfortunately awoken from his ‘dream’ with no victorious matches today.Please find the final set of results from Day 2 Round Robin below:

Current Round Robin Standings

Ben Ainslie (GBR) TeamOrigin 5-1
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 5-3
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 4-0
Sébastien Col (FRA) ALL4ONE 4-2
Philippe Presti (FRA) French Match Racing Team 4-3
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) 4-5
Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-3
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra Racing 3-5
Gian Luca Perris (MON) 2-5
Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing 2-6
Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 1-5