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Phil Robertson and his largely Kiwi crew defended their GKSS Match Cup in Sweden last night (NZ time) to extend their lead on top of the overall standings on the World Match Racing Tour.
Phil Robertson and his crew celebrate their win in Sweden. Photo: Ian Roman / WMRT.
Robertson, who races for the CHINAone NINGBO team, has now won two of the three regattas he has competed in on this year’s tour and has a handy 17-point lead over Taylor Canfield. Chris Steele, who Robertson beat 2-0 in the quarter-finals, is sixth overall.
The final against Canfield was a one-sided affair, with Robertson winning 3-0. In fact, he dropped only two match races during the entire regatta to highlight his dominance at the event.
“This is what we came to do,” he said. “We wanted to defend our title and to do it is a pretty good feeling, so happy days.”
Also on board the M32 catamaran was Stewart Dodson, who was part of the NZL Sailing Team who finished second at the recent Youth America’s Cup, and fellow Kiwi Will Tiller. Making up the fourth member was Australia’s James Wierzbowski, meaning Robertson had the same crew as 12 months previously when they also beat Canfield in the final.
Robertson’s starting seemed in a different league. He impressively won the start in the first race of the final and was never headed.
Canfield struck back in the second, but Robertson was able to get the inside berth at the top mark before luffing Canfield and then heading off unchallenged to take the win.
Robertson also won the start in the third race but Canfield managed to draw level, crossing ahead up the beat. But on the run, the overrider for the gennaker sheet winch on Canfield’s boat broke, preventing them from sheeting in the gennaker. This handed Robertson the win and the title.
“We have trained in tight starting and it probably played into our hands a little bit,” said Robertson, who was second overall in last year’s World Match Racing Tour. “We were getting off the line pretty well and managed to keep our lead. But it was close and tough – Taylor did a good job.”
The M32s will stay in Marstrand for next week’s world championship fleet racing when 17 of the one-design catamarans will be competing on Marstrand Fjord.
