Three days of intense competition at the Copenhagen Match Race concluded today on the Danish capitalâs Tuborg Havn. The World Sailing Grade 3 match racing event doubles as a qualifier for next weekâs World Match Racing Tour Copenhagen, which kicks off on Monday. Copenhagen Match Race was the second qualifier for the main event following Bermuda Match Race in March.
Racing high performance M32 catamarans, conditions on the race course off Copenhagen over the three days were challenging with very variable winds that required numerous course changes. Nonetheless the six competitors had succeeded in completing four round robins, or 20 races apiece by the close of play today.
Coming out on top was young Swede Nicklas Dackhammar and his Dackhammar Racing crew, who were the class act of the event, finishing clear ahead with 16 wins.
Behind Dackhamar was Australian young hot shot Sam Gilmour, son of Americaâs Cup helmsman Peter, and his Neptune Racing. They ended up on 12.5 points, just a half point ahead of Swede Hans WallĂ©n, the Star silver medallist from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and his WallĂ©n Racing team.
Sadly, those not making the grade, and finishing in the bottom half of the leaderboard were reigning Melges 24 World Champion Chris Rast from Switzerland and his EFG Sailing team on 8.5 points. Rast was just ahead of Swede Patrik Sturesson with former Womenâs Match Racing World Champion and London 2012 contender Anna Ăstling, also from Sweden, bringing up the rear on 1.5 points. The races Ăstling claims were against the top two skippers, Gilmour and Dackhammar.
Half points were deducted following collisions during racing.
The results from Copenhagen Match Race count towards the overall World Match Racing Tour leaderboard and have caused Sam Gilmour to ascend to third place overall, behind Nicolai Sehested and Taylor Canfield. Similarly Hans Wallén now holds fifth place behind six time Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams.
