Damien Iehl wins five straight in St Moritz

Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team was the aggressor on day two of The St. Moritz Match Race in Switzerland, storming through a run of five successive victories including a comprehensive defeat of the reigning 'King of the Mountain', Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing.

If the spectators expected the relative newcomer to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour to be apprehensive after a disappointing opening day, he did not show it. As the thermally-induced Maloja wind rushed in, the young Frenchman exhibited some deft moves on the water, leading Minoprio around mark one by three lengths and eventually extending his lead all the way to the finish.

Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team in action on day two – photo Ian Roman/WMRT

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour has a rich history of nurturing the best match racing talent and Iehl looked every bit a champion in the making today. His next fight was against another super-tough opponent, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, currently ranked second in the Tour. The two skippers jostled and jabbed like boxers to gain the upper hand at the start with only inches separating them. This was toe-to-toe action. Mirsky gained the initial advantage, but Iehl read the subtleties of the wind to perfection, building what proved to be an insurmountable 10-length lead at the first mark.

With two victories under his belt Iehl was unstoppable, even by the might of triple Olympian and America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA. At the start the French team gained the favourable lee bow position and led the accomplished Italian round all three laps of the course.

Iehl, commented: "We had a clear game plan today which gave us the great starts we needed, as well as a strategy that delivered the best course through all the wind shifts. Our teamwork and manoeuvres were spot on too - it was a perfect progression for us from yesterday."

Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar takes charge on day two – photo Ian Roman/WMRT

A classic French - British dogfight is developing between the front runners and if anyone is going to put a counter-attack together on Iehl, there's a strong chance it will come from Ian Wiiliams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar who leads the standings overnight, having won all three of his races today.

Triple Olympic gold medalist and America's Cup skipper, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN also demonstrated total dominance of his opponents with a clean sweep of victories, as did Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team.

With seven teams advancing to the next stage, three are confirmed as having made the quarter finals, but another six - including some veteran stars - are still in the hunt for the remaining four places.

Results after Day 2 of the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 7-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 5-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 5-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 5-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 5-4
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 4-4
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 4-4
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-7
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-8

You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview of the St Moritz Match Race will be aired on 1 September on SF1 at 22:20.

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at:

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

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About the ISAF World Match Racing Tour:

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 9 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status.

The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”. In addition, an incentive to compete in the world’s premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year’s World Match Racing Tour is now on offer.

Events utilise the same “match race” format used in the America’s Cup with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which places a focuses on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.

Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 2.1 billion households in excess of 183 countries around the world.

ISAF World Match Racing Tour Calendar

Match Race France                 6 - 11 April                 Marseille, France
Match Race Germany             19 – 24 May              Langenargen, Germany
Korea Match Cup                     8 – 13 June               Gyeonggi, South Korea
Portimão Portugal Match Cup  22 – 27 June          Portimão, Portugal
Match Cup Sweden                  5 – 11 July                Marstrand, Sweden
St Moritz Match Race               31 Aug – 5 Sept       St Moritz, Switzerland
Danish Open                              8 – 12 Sept               Bornholm, Denmark
Argo Group Gold Cup               4 – 10 Oct                 Hamilton, Bermuda
Monsoon Cup                            30 Nov – 5 Dec        Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 5 of 9)

1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 77 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 60 Points
3. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 54 Points
4. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 52 Points
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 45 Points
6. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 43 Points
7. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 41 Points
8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 40 Points
9. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 29 Points
10. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 16 Points

2010 Tour Card Holders:
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar