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2 - 7 September
St Moritz, Switzerland
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| HOLMBERG WINS PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP |
On the right side of the racecourse, Peter Holmberg leads Ben Ainslie towards the windward mark in Race 4. (©Swedish Match Tour/Stephanie Lamy)
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In a tight fit, Ben Ainslie sticks his bow between the race committee boat and Peter Holmberg at the start of Race 4. (©Swedish Match Tour/Stephanie Lamy)
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The start of Race 4: Ben Ainslie follows Peter Holmberg onto the racecourse after squeezing in at the committee boat. (©Swedish Match Tour/Stephanie Lamy)
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Ben Ainslie and Peter Holmberg eye each other’s boat during a dial up in the final of the PTPortugal Match Cup. (©Swedish Match Tour/Stephanie Lamy)
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CASCAIS, Portugal (July 24, 2005) — Peter Holmberg today won his first Swedish Match Tour event in more than three years when he captured the 2nd annual PTPortugal Match Cup.
Holmberg, of the U.S. Virgin Islands and a helmsman for America’s Cup champion Alinghi, defeated Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand, 3-1 in the final. Holmberg lost the first match, but then won three straight to win 35,000€ (approximately $42,200) of the 100,000€ (approx. $120,700) prize purse.
“It feels sweet. It really feels good because I think it was a hard battle. I think we all got tested and I think we stepped up our game during the whole regatta. It’s one of those great results you cherish,” said the 45-year-old Holmberg.
PETER HOLMBERG REFLECTS ON THE PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP FINAL (1m:07s // 1.4 megs)
Holmberg became the early leader of the seventh Swedish Match Tour season. His victory gives him 25 points towards the championship, while Ainslie scored 20 points.
Holmberg and crew Rodney Ardern, Murray Jones, Lorenzo Mazza and Matt Mitchell became the first America’s Cup crew to win an event of the Swedish Match Tour this year. For Holmberg, the 2002-’03 Tour champion, it was his fourth career victory on the Tour.
“I’d especially like to thank my team, Rodney doing my main, Matt on the bow, Murray Jones on the tactics and Lorenzo trimming,” Holmberg said. “This place here requires a team. There’s no way you can win it without a great team, so I really owe these guys all the credit.”
Ainslie sailed with Stu Bettany (main), Ray Davies (tactics), Rob Salthouse (headsails) and Chris Ward (bow). They won 20,000€ (approx. $24,100) in placing second.
“We had a fantastic opportunity to win, but they sailed better,” said Ainslie. “Credit to Peter and his guys.”
BEN AINSLIE REFLECTS ON THE PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP FINAL (1m:52s // 2.4 megs)
The 3-1 final score doesn’t reflect the closeness of the match. Ainslie won the first race by about six to eight boatlengths. Riding port tack he won the first cross and led by about 27 seconds at the first windward mark. Holmberg closed up on the first run but Ainslie extended away over the second lap.
Holmberg won the second race when he won the first cross. Ainslie made it close at the first windward mark, approaching on starboard in a lift, but Holmberg rounded the mark with about a 6-second advantage. Holmberg played the hard right on the second windward leg while Ainslie went hard left, and Holmberg held a sizeable lead at the windward mark.
With the score tied 1-1, Ainslie and crew made a fatal error. They entered the pre-start on port tack at the pin end. They won the right side of the start line and worked the right side of the beat to lead by more than 20 seconds at the windward mark. They led all around the track but when they got to the finish the race committee didn’t raise the blue flag signaling victory.
Ainslie and crew had sailed the wrong course. When they entered the pre-start box the race committee signaled a course change to the second windward mark, the one with a black band. Two marks were set because the wind was shifting through about 20 degrees, and the race committee was choosing the mark at the 4-minute gun based on the wind direction.
Entering the start box from the far end Ainslie and crew failed to recognize the course change.
“The third race was a pretty big error on our part,” Ainslie, the double Olympic gold medalist, said. “We were in the lead and did the wrong course. I’m slightly bemused how all five of us missed the change of course flag, but somehow we did. That was a pretty frustrating way to lose that race, and it kind of turned the tables.”
“We all talked about it after the start and we all agreed it was the left-hand mark.” said tactician Ray Davies. “We came in on port entry, wound up about trying to cross Peter.”
Down 2-1, Ainslie got a penalty against Holmberg in the pre-start of Race 4 for a port-starboard incident.
“The umpires say we never went to starboard,” said Holmberg, who entered the pre-start on port tack. “We changed our attitude after that and got aggressive.”
Holmberg and crew started chasing Ainslie around the start box. They almost forced him to hit the committee boat as the start signal sounded.
“We were just inches away from closing him out,” said Jones, Holmberg’s tactician. “We couldn’t quite slow the boat enough. We were too far forward.”
Carrying a penalty Holmberg rode Ainslie to the right side of the racecourse. Holmberg led by about 23 seconds at the first windward mark. Ainslie gained time at the leeward and second windward marks to trail by about 16 seconds beginning the final leg. It wasn’t enough time for Holmberg to complete his penalty turn and win the match.
On the final leg, however, Jones called for a jibe to starboard.
“We saw some pressure and thought that’ll do us,” Jones said.
Indeed it did. They extended to enough of an advantage to complete their penalty turn at the finish and win the championship by half a length.
LISTEN TO PETER HOLMBERG AND BEN AINSLIE ADDRESSES AT THE THE PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP PRIZE GIVING (3m:12s // 4.1 megs)
Holmberg and Ainslie advanced to the final by beating Peter Gilmour (AUS), Pizza-La Sailing Team, and Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN), Gram-Hansen Racing. Both scores were 3-1. In the Petit Final, Gilmour beat Gram-Hansen 2-0 to win 15,000€ (approx. $18,100). Gram-Hansen won 8,000€ (approx. $9,600).
Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match, BMW and the Match Race Association. Swedish Match Tour Official Sponsors include Musto, Sebago, Travel Places, Trident Studio and Wedgwood.
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Holmberg Wins PTPortugal Match Cup
RELATED CONTENT
Portugal Match Cup Summary
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Portugal Match Cup 2005 Updates
Semifinals Underway in Portugal (July 23, 2005)
Half of Quarters on Hold in Portugal (July 22, 2005)
Gram-Hansen Nabs Group B (July 21, 2005)
Holmberg Headlines Group A (July 20, 2005)
Seventh Season Begins in Portugal (July 14, 2005)
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE SWEDISH MATCH TOUR
Sean McNeill
Director of Public Relations
Phone: +1 401 846 8812
Mobile: +1 401 662 1501
E-mail: smcneill@f10marketing.com
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP
Ana Lima
Director of Public Relations
Mobile: +351 91 777 60 18
E-mail: alc@alcomunicacao.pt
SWEDISH MATCH TOUR STANDINGS
(After Stage 1)
1. Peter Holmberg (ISV) 25 points
2. Ben Ainslie (GBR) 20 points
3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 15 points
4. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) 12 points
5. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 10 points
6. Chris Law (GBR) 8 points
7. Bertrand Pace (FRA) 6 points
8. Michael Dunstan (AUS) 4 points
PTPORTUGAL MATCH CUP FINAL STANDINGS
Prize Purse: 100,000 € (approximately $120,700)
Skipper (Country) Team, Record, Prize Money*
1. Peter Holmberg (ISV) Alinghi, 12-3, 35,000€ (approx. $42,200)
Crew Rodney Ardern, Murray Jones, Lorenzo Mazza, Matthew Mitchell
2. Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand, 9-7, 20,000€ (approx. $24,100)
Crew Stu Bettany, Ray Davies, Rob Salthouse, Chris Ward
3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, 8-5, 15,000€ (approx. $18,100)
Crew Frederico Cerveira, Thierry Fouchier, Fred Guilmin, Yasuhiro Yaji
4. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) Gram-Hansen Racing, 7-6, 8,000€ (approx. $9,600)
Crew Michael Arnhild, Rasmus Kostner, Chresten Plinius, Pete Poulsen
5. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Team Finland, 6-4, 7,000€ (approx. $8,400)
Crew Nils Bjerkas, Niklas Carlzon, Carl-Johan Uckelstam, Daniel Wallberg
6. Chris Law (GBR) The Outlaws, 8-6, 6,000€ (approx. $7,200)
Crew Andy Oliver, Shaun Pammenter, Diogo Pereira, Mark Sadler
7. Bertrand Pacé (FRA) BMW Oracle Racing, 5-4, 5,000€ (approx. $6,000)
Crew Eric Doyle, Noel Drennan, Zack Hurst, Brad Webb
8. Michael Dunstan (AUS), 5-9, 4,000€ (approx. $4,800)
Crew James Fox, Andrew Hutchinson, Ben Morrison-Jack, Nick Wilcox
9. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Musto, 6-4
Crew Will Howden, Pontus Meijer, Simon Shaw, Mark Williams
10. Hamish Pepper (NZL) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia Team, 3-7
Crew Marco Constant, Cameron Dunn, Pietro Mantovani, Jon Ziskind
11. Afonso Domingos (POR), 3-7
Crew Manuel Dantas, Luis Neves, Miguel Nunes, Bernardo Plantier
12. Manuel Marques (POR), 0-10
Crew Vasco Almeida, Goncalo Cabrita, Duarte Neves, Rui Sancho
(*USD amounts based on 7/24/05 exchange rate of 1€ = 1.20705USD)
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