Cottonfield ISAF Match Racing Worlds - Semifinals

WHEN: August 15th to 22nd 1999
WHERE: Skovshoved Harbour, Copenhagen, Denmark
WHO: Ten of the best match racers in the world

BERTRAND PACE & JESPER BANK 2 - 0 UP IN THE SEMI-FINALS

Bertrand Pace and Jesper Bank are both just one race away from a place in the finals of the Cottonfield ISAF Match Racing World Championships, each leading their respective semi-final matches 2 - 0, in the first to win three race contest.

The semi-finals got underway in a fading breeze, which was also shifty and unpredictable, making life very difficult for the competitors.

The home-town favourite scored two convincing wins over the defending champion, Peter Gilmour, while things were much closer between Bertrand Pace and Sten Mohr.

However, no matter how close the contest was, the effect is still the same for Mohr as it is for Gilmour, both must win their next three races to claim a place in the finals.

The first match away was Gilmour against Bank, and it was close up the first beat, with the Australian skipper and his Japanese crew just holding the advantage as they approached the first mark.

Close to the mark Gilmour tacked, and the Dane got his bow inside, and claimed room, which the umpires assessed he should have been given, and penalized the Australian.

This allowed the double Olympic medallist Bank to establish a good lead, and go one up.

Meanwhile Pace grabbed an early advantage over Mohr, and managed to maintain a narrow gap through to the finish.

Conditions were even more light and shifty by the time the pairs met again, but Jesper Bank just seemed to find a favourable private breeze coming off the starting line, and quickly established a comfortable margin, which he held to the finish.

Bertrand Pace had a much tougher fight to hold off Sten Mohr, but succeeded in taking the gun to ensure a comfortable night's sleep.

Honours are much more evenly divided in the battles for fifth to eighth places, with Magnus Holmberg of Sweden and England's Chris Law with one win each.

Up and coming young Kiwi skipper Dean Barker and German Markus Wieser are also level on one win each.

Jesper Bank commented at the end of the day that he expected the series to go to five races when they resume on Sunday, and that is certainly what Gilmour is hoping for.

"At this level you just can't afford any mistakes," said the Australian," we have made two today, Jesper has two to spare, we'll see what happens."

Will the rooster get yet another life, or will it be a feather duster on Sunday?

RESULTS:

Semi-final standings after two races of five:

Jesper Bank (Denmark) leads Peter Gilmour (Australia) 2 - 0
Bertrand Pace (France) leads Sten Mohr (Denmark) 2 - 0

Petit semi-final standings:

Magnus Holmberg (Sweden) 1 Chris Law (Britain) 1
Dean Barker (New Zealand) 1 Markus Wieser (Germany) 1

Event Website: www.sail.dk