Argo Group Gold Cup Day #2 Report
The second day of racing at the 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup, stage 7 of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour yesterday [Oct 3], was just as intense as the first. Both groups sailed four more flights of four matches each. There were some shakeups from Tuesday’s standings, but the cream is rising to the top.
In Group 1, Taylor Canfield (ISV) of Team Chicago Match Race Center, who was 3-0 yesterday, continued his top performance and stands alone at the top of his group with a 6-0 perfect score. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) with one loss today to Will Tiller of New Zealand stands second at 5-1. Top ranked Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, a past Gold Cup winner, and Bermuda’s Blythe Walker Team Renaissance Re have 4 points each to round out the top four in the group.
Williams leads Walker, photo by Talbot Wilson:
Following a strong day, Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Argo Group leads Group 2. At 5-1, he joins Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team with five points. Hansen has two losses to Minoprio’s one. But Minoprio has only lost to Hansen. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, Lance Fraser (BER) Team Digicel and Eric Monnin Oklays Corum Sailing Team all have four wins in the group.
What will Day 3 bring?
The final three flights will be raced today starting at 9:00 Bermuda time. And some of the leaders will have critical matches.
Look at Group 1. Canfield and Williams match up in the first flight of the day. Canfield then faces Staffan Lindberg and Marek Stanczyk (POL) who shouldn’t be taken lightly. At 6-0, now Canfield has all but sealed a spot in the Quarter Finals. However, it is always good to keep your winning ways. Lindberg faces Canfield at the top and lower tier sailors Stratis Andreadis (GRE) Atalanti Match Race Team and Peter Wickwire (CAN)
Of the group standing at four wins, Blythe Walker faces opponents who are in the bottom tier of the group. He races Stanczyk, David Chapman (AUS), and then has a bye due to the eight-boat rotation among ten skippers. Williams faces Canfield, and Will Tiller (NZL) and also has a bye match.
Day 3 in Group 2 will certainly be interesting, too. Leader Bjorn Hansen will face Johnie Berntsson and Eric Monnin and has a bye match like Williams. Co-leader Adam Minoprio matches up against Eric Monnin, Sergy Muslkkin (RUS) and Jurjen Feitsma.
Johnie Berntsson, on four points, faces Hansen, Sally Barkow (USA) Team 7 Racing and Henrique Haddad (BZL) while Lance Fraser races Haddad and Nicolai Sehested (DEN). Eric Monnin matches up with Hansen, Minoprio and Sehested.
It will be battle time on Hamilton Harbour for Day 3 of the Gold Cup. Only four teams from each group will move on to Friday’s Quarter Finals. There is no second chance this year. Once in the Quarters it is a brand new day and knock out series of first to three matches.
Look for good racing with predicted winds northwesterly 10 to 15 knots, increasing north-northwesterly 15 to 20 knots by evening.
Full listings of the results in each group may be found at www.argogroupgoldcup.com. The Quarter Finals, semi-finals and finals, are live online and are live scheduled for 14:00 local time (ADT/GMT-3) Saturday and Sunday will be televised live and online. The schedule will be available pre-event at www.wmrt.com/live and on www.argogroupgoldcup.com/
