BRAZIL SAILING CUP UNDERWAY IN LIGHT WINDS
American Ed Baird and the Alinghi crew work downwind in light conditions. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)
American Ed Baird and the Alinghi crew work downwind in light conditions. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)

Image © Wander Roberto
French skipper Thierry Peponnet of the K-Challenge America’s Cup syndicate. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)
French skipper Thierry Peponnet of the K-Challenge America’s Cup syndicate. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)

Image © Wander Roberto
Geordie Shaver, bowman for Gavin Brady’s Beau Geste crew, has no fret of his hair being blown out in the light winds of Day 1. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)
Geordie Shaver, bowman for Gavin Brady’s Beau Geste crew, has no fret of his hair being blown out in the light winds of Day 1. (Wander Roberto/Brazil Sailing Cup)

Image © Wander Roberto
ANGRA DOS REIS, Brazil (Mar. 15, 2006) — The inaugural Brazil Sailing Cup, Stage 5 of the 2005-’06 World Match Racing Tour, got underway today in light winds that hampered racing.

Two flights for Group A were completed today in racing that didn’t begin until late afternoon. The crews sat on the bay in front of the Yacht Club Angra dos Reis waiting for the wind to fill. Around 1600 the race committee moved the fleet out towards Riberia Bay where a 10-knot northerly helped complete the two flights.

New Zealander Gavin Brady, racing as the Beau Geste Sailing Team, and Swede Magnus Holmberg, of Victory Challenge, each takes a 2-0 record into tomorrow’s racing after winning both of their flights.

Frenchman Thierry Peponnet of the K-Challenge Syndicate and Brazilian qualifier Daniel Glomb are 1-1. American Ed Baird of Alinghi is 0-2 after losses to Peponnet and Holmberg.

The sixth skipper in Group A – World Tour leader Peter Gilmour of Australia – will not be competing this week after encountering visa problems trying to leave Australia.

Group B features teams led by skippers Ben Ainslie (GBR), Dean Barker (NZL), Cameron Dunn (NZL), Staffan Lindberg (FIN), James Spithill (AUS) and Ian Williams (GBR). They’re scheduled to race tomorrow.

Today’s racing left spectators yearning for more wind to propel the SM40s around the racecourse and create interesting boat-for-boat scenarios. In today’s light winds, there were few highlights. But the Flight 2 match between Holmberg and Baird showed the Swede’s talent in pre-start.

With the winds down to 5 knots, Baird entered the pre-start on starboard and dialed-up Holmberg. The two sat head-to-wind for a bit and then Baird bore off onto port before jibing onto starboard to head for the pin end.

As Baird circled around Holmberg took the opportunity to bear away onto port and jibe to starboard inside Baird. The result was Holmberg wound up on Baird’s lee bow leading towards the pin end of the start line.

Holmberg held a nice lead at the windward mark but Baird closed the gap on the light air run. The two were overlapped side-by-side on starboard heading towards the leeward gate when Holmberg luffed Baird slightly. That forced Baird to jibe away to port for the opposite gate mark.

Holmberg extended on the second beat and then survived a drifting match to the finish to win the flight.

The World Tour is sanctioned by ISAF, sailing’s world governing body. BMW is a Partner of the World Tour and the Official Car. World Tour sponsors include Sebago (Rockford, Mich.), the Official Footwear Supplier, Musto (Essex, England), the Official Clothing Supplier, and Travel Places (West Sussex, England), the Official Travel Partner.

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Brazil Sailing Cup Underway in Light Winds

RELATED CONTENT
Brazil Sailing Cup Gallery
Brazil Sailing Cup Crew List
Brazil Sailing Cup Flight Schedule
Brazil Sailing Cup Regatta Announcement
(Mar. 9, 2006)
Lineup Changes Announced for Brazil
(Feb. 16, 2006)
Brazil Sailing Cup to Launch World Tour
(Jan. 24, 2006)
Swedish Match Tour Adds Three Events
(Aug. 2, 2005)

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Sean McNeill
World Match Racing Tour
Director of Public Relations
Tel: +1 401 662 1501
E-mail: smcneill@f10marketing.com

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE BRAZIL SAILING CUP
Mafalda Teodoro de Santos
Brazil Sailing Cup
Phone: +55 (24) 33 67 02 58
E-mail: staff@brazilsailingcup.com

BRAZIL SAILING CUP STANDINGS
Group A (After 2 of 10 flights)
1. Gavin Brady (NZL) Beau Geste Sailing Team, 2-0
(Crew: Jon Gunderson, Brett Jones, Tony Rey, Geordie Shaver)
1= Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, 2-0
(Crew: Anders Dahlsjo, Niklas Carlzon, Lars Linger, Mattias Rahm)
3. Daniel Glomb (BRA) Brazil Sailing Team, 1-1
(Crew: Eduardo Birkeland, Rene Garrafielo, Jose Paulo Barcellos, Daniel Santiago)
3= Thierry Peponnet (FRA) K-Challenge, 1-1
(Crew: Benoit Briand, Tanguy Cariou, Herve Cunningham, Thierry Douillard)
5. Ed Baird (USA) Alinghi, 0-2
(Crew: Rodney Ardern, Nils Frei, Murray Jones, Piet Van Nieuwenhuyzen)

Group B
Ben Ainslie (GBR) Emirates Team New Zealand
(Crew: Kelvin Harrap, Richard Meacham, Tony Rey, Rob Salthouse)
Dean Barker (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand
(Crew: Don Cowie, James Dagg, Jared Henderson, Terry Hutchinson)
Cameron Dunn (NZL) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia
(Crew: Matteo Auguadro, Maciel Chicchetti, Marco Constant, Antar Vigna)
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team
(Crew: Nils Bjerkås, Robert Skarp, Carl-Johan Uckelstam and Daniel Wallberg)
James Spithill (AUS) Luna Rossa Challenge
(Crew: Magnus Augustsson, Michele Ivaldi, Jonathan McKee, Joe Newton)
Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Racing Team
(Crew: Bill Hardesty, Gerard Mitchell, Mal Parker, Mark Williams)

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