Swedish Match Cup at Marstrand - Overall

GILMOUR WINS SIXTH SWEDISH MATCH CUP

The Pizza-La Sailing Team adds title to Tour championship and BMW 5 Series Touring

Peter Gilmour (AUS) and the Pizza-La Sailing Team added a sixth Swedish Match Cup championship to their meaty resume with a 3-2 victory over Magnus Holmberg (SWE) and the Victory Challenge crew.

Gilmour and crew Rod Dawson, Mike Mottl, Kazuhiko Sofuku and Yasuhiro Yaji took a 1-0 lead in the final then fell behind 2-1 before rallying with two straight wins. Holmberg’s crew included Anders Dahlsjo, Lars Linger, Oskar Ljung and Mattias Rahm.

It was a banner weekend for the Pizza-La crew. On Saturday they became the first crew to repeat as champions of the Swedish Match Tour. For their efforts they won $60,000 and a BMW 545i Touring, valued at $85,000. In winning the Swedish Match Cup they won approximately $35,000, raising their total for the weekend to $170,000.

“Today was a very, very tight series,” said Gilmour. “We could sense from the crowd every time Magnus got ahead or did something clever and pushed us behind; you’re a very partisan crowd. It’s a pleasure to be out there. This is without a doubt the best event on the Swedish Match Tour. As sailors we enjoy seeing people come down and watch the sport.”

Another large crowd numbering between 30,000 and 35,000 turned out for the sixth and final day of the 12th Swedish Match Cup. They were treated to more fantastic match-racing. Like yesterday’s quarterfinals Round, the Semifinal Round and Final went the distance before the winner was determined.

The sailors all agreed that they’d never been to a match-racing regatta where that had happened before.

“I think that both teams sailed really well in the final,” said Holmberg, the skipper of Sweden’s America’s Cup syndicate. “We were talking afterwards that we shouldn’t be too depressed about the result. The boys did a fantastic job. Another team sailed a little bit better. It wasn’t any major things we should’ve done differently. There were slight things, but I think we sailed really well and Peter and his team sailed just a bit better.”

Holmberg won approximately $17,900 for placing second, which was the highest placing by any of the America’s Cup teams in the event.

“We were the best America’s Cup team,” he said. “We don’t have to fear anyone on sailing skill.”

Gilmour and Holmberg advanced to the final after winning their semifinal matches 3-2. Gilmour beat Dean Barker (NZL), of Emirates Team New Zealand, and Holmberg defeated Peter Holmberg (ISV), of Alinghi.

In the Petite Final, Barker defeated Peter Holmberg 2-0.

Ed Baird (USA), of Alinghi, placed fifth overall and second in the Swedish Match Tour championship. He was tied with Gilmour coming into the event, but lost his opportunity at the championship when Gilmour beat him 2-1 in yesterday’s quarterfinals.

Baird won $40,000 bonus from the Tour for placing second and approximately $7,200 from the event for finishing fifth.

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.

For more information on the Swedish Match Tour, its competitors and events, please visit the official Tour Web site, www.swedishmatchtour.com. Swedish Match Tour television programs may be viewed by clicking on the Tour television button on the home page of the Web site.

Final 2004-’05 Swedish Match Tour Standings: (after 8 of 8 stages)

1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 117 points
2. Ed Baird (USA) 102 points
3. Russell Coutts (NZL) 78 points
4. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) 45 points
5. Philippe Presti (FRA) 44 points
6. Bertrand Pacé (FRA) 40 points
7. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 38 points
8. James Spithill (AUS) 35 points

Swedish Match Cup Final Standings:

Prize Purse: SEK 849,000 (approximately $107,500)
Skipper (Country) Team, Record, Prize Money*

1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, SEK 280,000 (approx.$35,400)
Crew: Rod Dawson, Mike Mottl, Kazuhiko Sofuku, Yasuhiro Yaji
2. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, SEK 142,000 (approx. $17,900)
Crew: Anders Dahlsjo, Lars Linger, Oskar Ljung, Mattias Rahm
3. Dean Barker (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand, 13-4, SEK 87,000 (approx. $11,000)
Crew: Don Cowie, James Dagg, Jared Henderson, Terry Hutchinson
4. Peter Holmberg (ISV) Alinghi, 10-7, SEK 69,000 (approx. $8,700)
Crew: Rodney Ardern, Murray Jones, Matt Mitchell, Lorenzo Mazza
5. Ed Baird (USA) Alinghi, 11-4, SEK 57,000 (approx. $7,200)
Crew: Nils Frei, Yann Gouniot, Dean Phipps, Piet van Nieuwenhuyzen
6. Russell Coutts (NZL) Coutts Racing, 6-8, SEK 50,000 (approx. $6,300)
Crew: Michael Arnhild, Jes Gram-Hansen, Christian Kamp, Rasmus Kostner
7. Bertrand Pacé (FRA), BMW Oracle Racing, 7-7, SEK 45,000 (approx. $5,700)
Crew: Eric Doyle, Zack Hurst, Dirk de Ridder, Brad Webb
8. Kelvin Harrap (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-9, SEK 35,000 (approx. $4,400)
Crew: Ray Davies, Tony Rae, Rob Salthouse, Chris Ward

(*Prize money based on July 10, 2005 exchange rate of 1 SEK = .126682 USD)

Swedish Match Cup Final Round: (first to 3 points)

Peter Gilmour (AUS) d. Magnus Holmberg (SWE), 3-2

Swedish Match Cup Petite Final: (first to 2 points)

Dean Barker (NZL) d. Peter Holmberg (ISV), 2-0

Swedish Match Cup Semifinal Results: (first to 3 points)

Magnus Holmberg (SWE) 3, Peter Holmberg (ISV) 2
Peter Gilmour (AUS) 3, Dean Barker (NZL) 2

5th - 8th Places:

Flight 1
Russell Coutts (NZL) d. Kelvin Harrap (NZL)
Ed Baird (USA) d. Bertrand Pacé (FRA)
Flight 2
Ed Baird (USA) d. Russell Coutts (NZL)
Bertrand Pacé (FRA) d. Kelvin Harrap (NZL)