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27 - 31 August 2008
Frederikshavn, Denmark
2008 World Championship Standings
Day 1 from Match Cup Sweden at Sail.TV
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Terengganu Heritage Bay Club
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2005
The Monsoon Cup final four(from left): Russell Coutts, Peter Gilmour, Staffan Lindberg and Björn Hansen. (©Swedish Match Tour/Guido Cantini)
DAILY UPDATES
UPDATE 29 // Dec. 4, 1645 hours
Peter Gilmour has won the inaugural Monsoon Cup. He won the third flight against Russell Coutts to claim a 2-1 victory. Gilmour got a penalty on Coutts in the pre-start when Coutts tried to jibe across his bow but didn’t complete the maneuver in time. Coutts led onto the racecourse, but Gilmour gained the lead halfway up the first leg. The pair rounded the second leeward mark overlapped, with Gilmour inside. With the wind skewed slightly right he was able to extend away while Coutts was forced to follow for a bit.
UPDATE 28 // Dec. 4, 1605 hours
There’ll be one race to decide the winner of the inaugural Monsoon Cup. Russell Coutts evened the series 1-1 by winning Race 2. There were no penalties in this flight, and Coutts led all the way around, maintaining a lead between 10 and 15 seconds at each rounding in the three lap race. Gilmour closed to within 8 seconds at the finish, but couldn’t get past Coutts.
The racing is being broadcast live on the Tour’s broadband player, Swedish Match Tour.tv. To view the program click on the TV to the left, select the Live tab and then click on the program title.
UPDATE 27 // Dec. 4, 1535 hours
Peter Gilmour has taken a 1-0 lead versus Russell Coutts in the first to 2 points final of the Monsoon Cup, and did it emphatically. Gilmour was penalized for a port-starboard in the pre-start, and carried the penalty around the track. He pulled off the turn on the finish line and won the race by no more than 2 seconds with Coutts barreling down. Gilmour, however, trailed early in the match. He gained the lead on the second upwind leg of the three-lap course when he split to the left and Coutts kept going to the right.
The racing is being broadcast live on the Tour’s broadband player, Swedish Match Tour.tv. To view the program click on the TV to the left, select the Live tab and then click on the program title.
UPDATE 26 // Dec. 4, 1445 hours
The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and the Chief Minister of Terengganu, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, are among the 200 VIPs watching the racing from the main regatta tent. The tent is located nearly on top of the racecourse.
UPDATE 25 // Dec. 4, 1420 hours
The Final of the Monsoon Cup is approximately 45 minutes away. The crews for Russell Coutts and Peter Gilmour are stretching and preparing to take to the water. The wind conditions are the best of the week, blowing 12 to 15 knots from the north. The final series is first to 2 points.
It will also be carried live on Eurosport, ESPN Asia, Sky New Zealand and TV3 in Malaysia. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. local, 7:00 a.m. London, 2:00 a.m. New York and 10:00 p.m. Auckland.
UPDATE 24 // Dec. 4, 1220 hours
Sweden’s Björn Hansen has won the Petite Final at the inaugural Monsoon Cup. He defeated fellow Scandinavian Staffan Lindberg of Finland 2-0 to finish third. Lindberg places fourth.
Hansen led the match off the start line, but the pre-start wasn’t without incident. Halfway through the 4-minute sequence Lindberg had control of Hansen. But Hansen completed a jibe directly in front of Lindberg. The tall Finn thought the Swede should be penalized, but they green-flagged the incident and Lindberg was incensed. The jibe allowed Hansen to get out of trouble and gain control of the pre-start.
On the racecourse Hansen simply covered and extended away from Lindberg, as match-racing is intended. He won the second race by more than five boatlengths. After the race Hansen said he probably deserved a penalty for that incident.
Racing is suspended until 1500 hours when the final between Russell Coutts and Peter Gilmour commences. It will be broadcast live on the Tour’s broadband player, Swedish Match Tour.tv. It’ll also be carried live on Eurosport, Sky New Zealand, ESPN Asia and TV3 in Malaysia. See Tour Go to Tour TV Schedule for a listing.
Go to Flight Schedule and Results
UPDATE 23 // Dec. 4, 1155 hours
Björn Hansen has won the first flight of the Petite Final and takes a commanding lead in the match to 2 points. Hansen dusted opponent Staffan Lindberg in the pre-start, leaving him slow at the pin. Hansen took port tack off the start line and used starboard tack to cover Lindberg up the leg. Hansen led by about 3 boatlengths at the windward mark. Lindberg closed up to within a boatlength at the leeward mark, riding a nice puff early on the run, but Hansen reopened his 3 boatlength lead at the windward mark and wasn’t threatened on the run to the finish. The winds is blowing around 15 knots from the northeast in the best sailing conditions of the week.
UPDATE 22 // Dec. 4, 1130 hours
A nice north/northeasterly has filled between 10 and 12 knots and Staffan Lindberg and Bjorn Hansen have taken to the water to contest the Petite Final of the Monsoon Cup. The first to 2 points wins.
UPDATE 21 // Dec. 4, 1000 hours
The final day of the inaugural Monsoon Cup has dawned bright and sunny. The only problem is a lack of wind. The good part about that is that the final of the 50th Swedish Match Tour event isn’t scheduled to begin until 1500 hours. The hope is that the sun will create a thermal by the time racing starts.
The Final pits two of the most decorated Swedish Match Tour skippers against each other. Peter Gilmour is the Tour’s only two-time champion and career victories leader. Coutts has the most wins, six, in the fewest starts, 11. Gilmour has added incentive. Not only is he the technical director of the Monsoon Cup, Coutts has beaten him in the last three finals they’ve raced, Elba 2004 and ’05 and Sweden ’04. He owns an 8-4 advantage in those matches.
The Petite Final between Finland’s Staffan Lindberg and Sweden’s Björn Hansen is scheduled to commence at 1100 hours. There’s a good chance that it’ll be postponed one hour.
The winner of both the Final and Petite Final will be the first to 2 points.
UPDATE 20 // Dec. 3, 1610 hours
Once facing match point, the end came quickly and emphatically for Björn Hansen and Staffan Lindberg. Russell Coutts and Peter Gilmour closed out their respective adversaries 3-0 with big wins in the final flight of their semifinal series. Both wins were by more than 30 seconds.
Coutts started on the leebow of Hansen and the pair took starboard tack towards the shore. Coutts called for water to tack and Hansen, to windward, ducked behind. Coutts got around the windward mark with about a two boatlength lead and kept extending from there.
Gilmour nailed the start of his race against Lindberg, who was forced to tack away after entering the racecourse. Gilmour covered and was ablaze on the water. He led by more than 1 minute at the first windward mark and was never threatened the rest of the way.
Coutts and Gilmour will meet tomorrow in the final of the inaugural Monsoon Cup and one will claim the 50th victory of the Swedish Match Tour. The final will be broadcast live on the Tour’s broadband player, Swedish Match Tour.tv.
Go to Flight Schedule and Results
UPDATE 19 // Dec. 3, 1540 hours
Of little surprise, Russell Coutts and Peter Gilmour appear headed for a showdown in the final of the inaugural Monsoon Cup, the 50th event of the Swedish Match Tour. The veteran match-racers have opened 2-0 leads in their semifinal matches versus Bjorn Hansen and Staffan Lindberg, respectively.
Flight 2 saw Coutts ride Hansen out past the port tack layline to the windward mark. Coutts led by no more than 5 seconds at the windward mark of the three lap race. He extended on the run in a leg similar to the first run of their first race, the pair working out to the right corner (looking downwind) and jibing to the leeward mark. Up the second windward leg Coutts opened a 10- to 12-second lead which he maintained at the second leeward mark. Coutts more than doubled that lead up the third windward to more than 25 seconds, and went on to win.
Gilmour had to come from behind to win his second race against Lindberg. Gilmour trailed at the windward mark, but only just. His bow was on Lindberg’s transom. The pair took off on port jibe and when they jibed to starboard Gilmour found a puff and rolled over the top of Lindberg. Gilmour led by about 12 seconds at the first leeward mark. Up the second beat Gilmour covered and extended to about 30 seconds. He pushed that lead to nearly 50 seconds at the second leeward mark. Lindberg closed up to about 30 seconds at the third windward mark, but couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
The wind has settled in from the north and built to around 12 knots, a fantastic wind for match-racing.
UPDATE 18 // Dec. 3, 1500 hours
Russell Coutts and Peter Gilmour have taken quick 1-0 leads in their semifinal matches against Bjorn Hansen and Staffan Lindberg, respectively.
Coutts and Hansen had a great first beat, trading tacks up the leg with Coutts protecting starboard advantage. That paid at the top mark when he used it to force Hansen away and round in the lead. On the first run Coutts kept Hansen overlapped to windward and herded him into the right corner (looking downwind). When they jibed to port the jibs were set and they rounded the leeward mark in hard jibes. Up the second windward Coutts extended to about 18 seconds at the second top mark and held on to win.
Gilmour and Lindberg were fairly even off the start line, with Gilmour mid line and Lindberg at the pin, both starboard. Gilmour gained a little breathing room when they got the shoreline on the left side. Lindberg tacked but had to duck the starboard-tackers in Match 1 coming downwind. Gilmour was able to get to windward o the pair before tacking. Gilmour led by about 2 boatlengths at the first mark, stretched to roughly 25 seconds at the leeward mark and then continued to open for the win and a 1-0 lead.
UPDATE 17 // Dec. 3, 1435 hours
The Monsoon Cup is live on the Tour’s broadband player. Click Swedish Match Tour.tv or on the TV to the left, select the Live tab and then click on the Monsoon Cup header.
UPDATE 16 // Dec. 3, 1400 hours
The Quarterfinal Round is complete. Bjorn Hansen, Russell Coutts, Peter Gilmour and Staffan Lindberg have all won their matches 3-1, defeating Chris Dickson, Ian Williams, Dean Barker and Magnus Holmberg, respectively.
The winds were light and streaky from the north, making racing difficult for the sailors. Hansen flat out beat Dickson, leading him all around the racecourse. Coutts pinned two penalties on Williams in the pre-start. Gilmour forced Barker over the line early and into the pin end. Lindberg led Holmberg around the course to win.
The semifinals pit Coutts against Hansen and Gilmour against Lindberg. Each match is first to 3 points. The first attention signal is scheduled for 1438 hours.
The semifinals are scheduled for this afternoon and will be broadcast live on Eurosport and ESPN Asia. The round is scheduled to start at 1430 local, 0630 London and 0130 New York. Fans around the world will be able to watch the live broadcast on the Tour’s broadband player, Swedish Match Tour.tv, beginning at 1430.
UPDATE 15 // Dec. 3, 1315 hours
Peter Gilmour and Staffan Lindberg have taken 2-1 leads in their quarterfinal matches against Dean Barker and Magnus Holmberg, respectively. With the northerly wind light at 4 or 5 knots and very streaky, both skippers scored important wins.
Gilmour led for most of the match but Barker closed up at the second windward mark and briefly took the lead, rounding the mark ahead. But he received a red-flag penalty at the mark for an unknown reason. As he performed his turn Gilmour sailed back into the lead and held on to win.
Holmberg also led Lindberg for three-quarters of the race. But Holmberg sailed to the left corner (looking downwind) beginning the run to the finish while Lindberg jibed to starboard. The wind died away a bit and then filled from Lindberg’s side, allowing him to roll over the top of Holmberg.
UPDATE 14 // Dec. 3, 1225 hours
The northerly wind has filled and the crews have returned to the water. The breeze has come in between 8 and 10 knots. Racing should resume within 30 minutes. First up will be the completion of Flight 3, featuring Dean Barker versus Peter Gilmour and Magnus Holmberg against Staffan Lindberg. Both matches are tied 1-1.
UPDATE 13 // Dec. 3, 1100 hours
With the disappearance of the southerly wind the race committee has issued a postponement to racing. The southerly was never expected to last and one flight was completed in winds no stronger than 5 or 6 knots. In the southerly the crews are beating into a fierce current. The wind is forecast to back to the north. It did the same thing yesterday and filled in around 1230 hours. There’s no schedule to the length of the postponement.
UPDATE 12 // Dec. 3, 1040 hours
Chris Dickson is stayin’ alive. The skipper of the BMW Oracle Racing Team won Flight 3 against Björn Hansen for his first victory in their quarterfinal match. Dickson got a penalty on his rival in the pre-start and led at the first mark. He more than tripled his lead by rounding the windward mark cleanly while Hansen had to pinch around the mark in heavy side-on current. Hansen leads the first to 3 points series 2-1. Russell Coutts also took a 2-1 lead in his quarterfinal match against Ian Williams. Winds are light from the south at 5 knots.
UPDATE 11 // Dec. 3, 0940 hours
Day 5 of the Monsoon Cup sees light winds from the southeast with a forecast similar to yesterday. The wind is expected to back to the north, but may not blow as hard as yesterday’s 10 to 12 knots. The first warning signal is scheduled for 1000 hours.
Three of the four quarterfinal matches are tied 1-1, and one is at 2-0. Björn Hansen is on the verge of eliminating Chris Dickson from the regatta. He has three chances to win one race and advance to the semifinals. The tied matches are Russell Coutts versus Ian Williams, Dean Barker against Peter Gilmour and Magnus Holmberg versus Staffan Lindberg. The winner of each match is first to 3 points.
UPDATE 10 // Dec. 2, 1530 hours
The quarterfinal pairings at the Monsoon Cup, the 50th event of the Swedish Match Tour, are set.
Chris Dickson won the round robin with a 9-2 record, followed by Magnus Holmberg, 8-3, Dean Barker, 8-3, Russell Coutts, 7-4, Ian Williams, 7-4, Peter Gilmour, 6-5, Staffan Lindberg, 6-5, and Bjorn Hansen, 5-6.
The pairings in the top half of the quarterfinals are Dickson versus Hansen and Coutts versus Williams. In the bottom half Holmberg faces Lindberg and Barker races Gilmour.
Each match is first to 3 points. The winners advance to the semifinals and the losers are eliminated.
A nice wind around 12 knots is blowing from the north/northwest.
UPDATE 9 // Dec. 2, 1250 hours
After a two and a half hour postponement a northerly wind around 8 knots has filled and the competitors are heading to the racecourse. Racing should commence in 30 to 45 minutes.
Monsoon Cup participants continue to share reports on their experiences with the unique culture of Malaysia. Yesterday Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio wanted to reset the race committee boat but couldn’t because his local help was in the midst of prayers. Terengganu is a devout Muslim state where people pray five times a day.
Today’s racing is expected to be carried live on the Tour’s broadband Web site, www.SwedishMatchTour.tv. The broadcast is scheduled to start around 1500 hours local (GMT +8 hours).
The highlight shows from the first two days of the 50th Swedish Match Tour event are available for viewing on the player. Click on the TV to the left or on Swedish Match Tour.tv to launch the player, and then select the “Highlights” tab. The programs should be the first two selections available.
UPDATE 8 // Dec. 2, 0930 hours
A light southerly wind blows this morning over Kuala Terengganu raising the prospect for a postponement at the scheduled 0953 attention signal. The wind is forecast to back through the east to the northeast during the day, but never more than 5 knots.
Three flights remain to complete the round robin stage of the 50th Swedish Match Tour event. From there the top eight advance to the quarterfinal round and the bottom four are eliminated. The quarterfinals pit No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on. Each match is a first to 3 points series, an amendment to the original regatta format.
The winners of the quarterfinal series advance to the semifinal round and the losers are eliminated. They’re placed 5th through 8th based on their round robin placing, also an amendment to the format.
There are tentative plans to show this afternoon’s racing live on the Tour’s broadband television channel, www.SwedishMatchTour.tv. The broadcast is expected to start around 1430. More information to follow.
UPDATE 7 // Dec. 1, 1525 hours
Progress has ground to a halt at the Monsoon Cup as the northwesterly wind has died away to 3 knots or less. Flight 13 was completed, and then the race committee sent the competitors to shore to wait for the wind to fill.
Magnus Holmberg has leap-frogged Peter Gilmour into the lead. He defeated Francesco Bruni in the flight to move to 7-2, while Gilmour had a bye and remains at 6-2. Chris Dickson remains at 5-2 after a bye, but Dean Barker moved up to fourth with a win over Sally Barkow that improved his record to 6-3.
Staffan Lindberg defeated Ian Williams to improve to 5-3 and holds fifth place. Williams is sixth at 5-4. Russell Coutts remained in seventh at 4-4 after another bye, and Bjorn Hansen holds onto eighth at 3-5. Hansen, however, gained a bit of breathing room on Bruni in the fight for the eighth and final quarterfinal spot. Bruni’s loss to Holmberg dropped him to 3-6, one loss behind and a tiebreaker down on Hansen.
Thierry Peponnet is 10th at 3-6, Cameron Dunn 11th at 2-7, and Sally Barkow 12th at 1-6.
UPDATE 6 // Dec. 1, 1245 hours
The heavyweights have mixed it up this morning and some won-loss records have taken a beating.
Peter Gilmour continues to pace the fleet at 6-2, but he’s now joined by Magnus Holmberg.
Overnight co-leaders Chris Dickson and Staffan Lindberg both suffered losses in morning racing to fall from the top. Dickson beat Dean Barker but then lost to Bjorn Hansen and stands at 5-2. Lindberg, 4-1 last night, lost to Gilmour and women’s world champion Sally Barkow to fall to 4-3. Barkow’s 43-second win was her first of the event.
After Gilmour and Holmberg, Dickson is alone in third at 5-2, followed by Barker at 5-3, Ian Williams at 5-3, Staffan Lindberg at 4-3, and Russell Coutts at 4-4. Coutts split his morning matches, winning against Gilmour but losing to Barker after leading around the first lap.
Francesco Bruni is currently eighth at 3-5 and would be the final qualifier for the quarterfinals, but he has no margin for error. Bjorn Hansen is also at 3-5, but Bruni holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Thierry Peponnet and Cameron Dunn are both 2-6 with three flights remaining. Sally Barkow is 12th with a 1-5 record.
Five flights remain to complete the round robin.
UPDATE 5 // Dec. 1, 0940 hours
The northwesterly wind is blowing around 8 knots this morning with a steady rain falling, and Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio expects to fire the first warning signal as scheduled at 0953 with the first start slated for 1000 hours. Reggio hopes to complete the round robin today, which has eight flights and 30 races remaining.
UPDATE 4 // Nov. 30, 1440 hours
Two more flights are complete at the Monsoon Cup, the 50th event of the Swedish Match Tour, and the event’s technical director Peter Gilmour has assumed the lead. Gilmour’s PST won their two races to move to 3-0. Chris Dickson’s BMW Oracle Racing is 1 point behind with a 2-0 record, and Day 1 leader Ian Williams is third with a 3-1 mark. Dickson hasn’t sailed yet today, while Williams lost his first match of the day to Russell Coutts.
The wind has been mostly from the northwest, but with big shifts. At times the left side of the windward leg works, aided by a strong left-to-right current, while other times the hard right has paid. “It seems you have to commit hard to a side,” noted Dean Barker’s tactician Terry Hutchinson.
Racing is currently postponed in anticipation of the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, arriving. The sultan is expected to sail with Gilmour in the next flight. Gilmour races Barker in Flight 6. Racing should resume around 3:15 p.m.
UPDATE 3 // Nov. 30, 1130 hours
The wind has built to between 15 and 18 knots from the northwest and Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio has said he’ll lower the postponement flag at 1145 hours. The wind is up, but the rain is also falling harder. This is monsoon season in Malaysia.
UPDATE 2 // Nov. 30, 1030 hours
A light rain is falling on Kuala Terengganu this morning and there’s a lack of wind. A postponement was issued at 1000 hours this morning in place of the expected warning signal. Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio plans to reconsider the postponement around 1100.
There’s hope that the wind fills. Not only for racing but also because the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, is expected to return for a second day. He was so impressed with the opening ceremony and Flight 1 of racing that he made the decision to come back this afternoon. He’s expected to race a flight with Monsoon Cup technical director Peter Gilmour.
UPDATE 1 // Nov. 29, 1130 hours
The Pro-Am event of the Monsoon Cup is underway. Crews are out sailing on the Terengganu River with two celebrities from Malaysian media outlets.
The pro-am is also serving as a practice round for the 12 crews. Racing in the Monsoon Cup is scheduled to begin this afternoon at 1600 hours, and the race committee hopes to complete the first two flights.
The crews have been racing in a light north/northwesterly around 8 knots this morning. But the big talk is of current. Boats are side-slipping dramatically after mark roundings.
“I’d say it’s running between a half-knot and a knot,” said Jamie Gale, crewman for Chris Dickson and the BMW Oracle Racing Team. “It’s crazy because you’ve got like three rivers converging.”
Before racing begins the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, is scheduled to visit the regatta site at 1500 hours to officially open the Monsoon Cup.
The regatta format features a single round robin for the 12 teams. At the conclusion the top eight advance to the quarterfinals and the bottom four are eliminated. Once in the quarterfinal round the event progresses to a ladder format, where the winner of the Round Robin races the eighth-placed team, second place races seventh place and so on. The winners are the first to score 2 points, and advance to Stage 4.
Stage 3 of the event is a repechage round for the losers of the quarterfinals. Each match is a single race knockout series. Stage 3A pits the winners of Stage 3 against each other in a one race knockout for 5th and 6th place, while the losers race for 7th and 8th place.
Stage 4 is the semifinal round. The winners are the first to score 3 points. Stage 4A is the Final and Petite Final of the Monsoon Cup. The champion will be the first to score 3 points, and the winner of the Petit Final will score 2 points.
According to Sailing Instruction 8.7, the intended time of the first attention signal is 9:23 a.m. daily.
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