Tuesday, March 15, 2011

COM-PAC 35

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Colorcraft Bermuda Gold Cup Quarterfinals


Author: John Roberson

DICKSON, SPITHILL, BAIRD AND COUTTS GO TO THE SEMIS

Veteran Kiwi match racer Chris Dickson, America's Cup winner Russell Coutts, former Cup skipper Ed Baird, and the youngest-ever Cup skipper, James Spithill, today fought their way through to the semi-finals of the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda.

Spithill, aged 22, who skippered Australia's challenge at the last America's Cup, in Auckland, is the young bull amongst a field of old bulls, and will face the most senior of the old bulls, Chris Dickson in the semis. Meanwhile old adversary Ed Baird, who skippered the luckless New York
Yacht Club challenge in Auckland, faces up to Russell Coutts, the first non-American to successfully defend the Cup.

Both Spithill and Dickson have come right through the unseeded ranks to make the semi-finals, with the young Australian hauling himself back from the brink of elimination more than once. Dickson commented about his opponent, "he beat us in the qualifying round when we met him, and he's
come back from the beyond a couple of times in the last few days, so we certainly have plenty of respect for James and his guys."

The young Aussie team of Spithill, Ben Durham, Joe Newton and Andy Fethers, has been agressive throughout the series, but has shown tactical flare, and gutsy tenacity. In another comment about Spithill, Dickson said, "watching him, the protest flags seemed to up and down more than the rest of us put together, and I don't know whether we get older, wiser or lazier, we don't put the flag up so often, so we'll see tomorrow."

Veteran Peter Holmberg, tactician and strategist for Dennis Conner at the last America's Cup, went down 3-1 to Spithill in a hard-fought duel in conditions that Holmberg described as scarey and shifty.

"In Race Four, we got a penalty on the Aussies in the pre-start and led the whole race," said a rueful Holmberg. "However, he brought new wind down and closed on us. It was slowly getting worse and worse. We tried to counter him but he had better speed and he carved underneath us. The umpires ruled that I fouled him so the penalties were washed away and he sailed across the finish line ahead of us."

Holmberg added: "James is getting better and better. Down in New Zealand he sailed very well and proved that he is darned good. In the circuit this year he has been on form and sailing very well. I think he is a great sailor."

Ed Baird was coach to Russell Coutts in his Cup-winning campaign of '95, so knows the wiley Kiwi's moves, weaknesses and strengths very well, which should make for a tough match. Coutts, who relishes a good fight, said of the coming semi-finals, "Ed and his guys sailed really well out there today to beat Peter Gilmour and his team, so we're looking forward to a tough match tomorrow."

Talking about Russell Coutts and his five previous victories in the Colorcraft Gold Cup, Baird said, "this is kind'a his event, so we're hoping to be the underdog out there, and get a few supporters. We need sponsors real bad too!"

Conditions on Bermuda's Hamilton Harbour were testing, with the strong north easterlies that forced the abandonment of sailing on Thursday, turning into a shifty and patchy south easterly. No lead was really safe, and the tacticians spent as much time trying to figure out the breeze, as watching the opposition.

RESULTS:



More Information:

  • www.bermudagoldcup.com

See also: COM-PAC 27/2 for sale