Mathieu Richard and Torvar Mirsky joint leaders

After the opening day of Match Race Germany

Competitors at Match Race Germany have provided a series of slow motion ballet duets for the start of the Round Robin. The 4 to 5 knot southwesterly wind on Lake has brought out the best in their lake sailing ability.

Some skippers like Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team preferring these conditions having been taught on Lac de Maine. Richard has noticed that there are a number of match racing regattas run on lakes and now attempts to find similar conditions while training on the Atlantic coast of France. “To create the experience just like racing on a lake I train with my team really close to the shore. This mirrors the light and shifty conditions when the breeze is off the land”.

Those who have mastered Lake Bodensee’s light wind condition are overall leaders Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team and the current 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour leader, Richard, both winning all three of their matches from today.

There is then a block of four skippers who are all at 2-1, including Adam Minoprio, (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, Ian Williams (GBR) under his new team name Team GAC Pindar, Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Proximo . This is a very tight set group and the balance could shift instantly with the likes of Gilmour involved. Gilmour has the best record of any skipper at Match Race Germany, having previously won this event three times in a row from 2004 through to 2006.

Mirsky highlighted that Gilmour is the benchmark: “I think Peter is going to be tough to beat on Lake Constance - he has a great record here. He likes tricky conditions and big boats”. Mirsky has been working on his skills in the light wind since his disappointment at Match Race France. Taking part in ‘Open de Espana Match Race’ with light wind has definitely worked in the 23 year old’s favour and Gilmour has related that after growing up in the Australian wind conditions, understanding light weather sailing is down to ‘hard work’."

He added: “We actually feel pretty lucky today, we created some luck but we also received some in the process. We had some good starts and managed to make the best of them. The race committee had done the best they could do in these conditions, the wind comes in they get the races off quickly which leads to a good half of the race. It then gets shifty and it can be hard to stay on top of these shifts. We anticipated the conditions here and are really pleased to have clinched some wins”.

Twenty six-year-old Kathrin Kadelbach (GER) EWE Sailing Team, Match Race Germany’s first ever female skipper, will have to set herself a new goal tomorrow as she has already won a match against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Gill Global Team. The 2012 Olympic hopeful who is campaigning in the 470 class, is definitely a player in this male-dominated event.

Day 1: Round Robin Results

Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-0
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-0
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 2-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 2-1
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 2-1
Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Proximo 2-1
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 1-2
Kathrin Kadelbach (GER) EWE Sailing Team 1-2
Mads Ebler (DEN) Ebler Matchracing 1-2
Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 1-2
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Gill Global Team 0-3
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge 0-3