Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008 - (Page 60)

MATCH RACING KINGRICHARD First entering the world of match racing ten years ago, Mathieu Richard is now at the top of the ladder. The world number one since October, he has never been closer to winning the world match tour. His crew can do it. Following his two historic wins in Bermuda in mid-October and in Brazil in midNovember, the French sailor, Mathieu Richard leads the World Tour rankings, which bring together the planet’s top match racers. He has an eight point lead over his British rival, Ian Williams and has extended his lead over the Italian, Paolo Cian, who sails in the South-African colours of Shosholoza, as well as Sébastien Col, another French giant in this sport, developed from the America’s Cup. Richard has only one more step to take to grab the overall title: the final leg of the championship will take place at the end of November in Malaysia and could well see him named as world champion. Since July 2006, when the World Match Tour set up by the ISAF replaced the totally private Swedish Match Tour, Mathieu Richard has dedicated himself to grabbing the Grail by taking part in as many events as possible (around fifteen) in the programme for this new version of the championship. These sailing duels take place essentially in Europe, Asia and the USA. The overall title is awarded to the team that has built up the highest number of points from its seven best performances. Each event has the same value, except the last one, which counts double. To compete in the World Tour, you have to be invited: "The invitation comes jointly from the organisers of the Tour and the particular event, explained Mathieu. Stars from the America’s Cup are of course the first to be sought, but the ISAF* match race rankings, based on a large panel of events and not just those of the World Tour, are also a basis for the choice. Moreover, two places are reserved almost automatically now for crew qualifying in the prologue to the event. Each of the events involves on average around a dozen competitors, but there may be more, as for example in Bermuda, where there were 21 of us." The tournament format includes a selection phase or Round Robin, generally divided into two groups, to decide who qualifies for the quarterfinals, then the semis, then the final. The boats that are used vary according to the place: from SM 40s specially designed for match racing with a crew of five, to more traditional keelboats with a crew of four, as in Bermuda, or even light craft with a crew of three, with two on the trapeze, as in St-Moritz Much more than enlightened amateurs! Mathieu Richard’s passion for this very demanding sport dates from his beginnings in close contact sailing on Class 8 boats with the APCC in Nantes, around ten years ago. "Match racing is very intense and I love it. Each match does not last very long, 20 to 25 minutes, but you really need to give it your all from before the start to the finish. It’s extremely exciting and technically very demanding. You need to be very precise concerning every aspect of the sport, settings, understanding the race area, tactics, contact situations…" This passion has been shared by his crew for many years too. "It’s a huge advantage, insists Mathieu, having a very stable crew, as that contributes to our world class Ocean Racing - december 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008

Cover
Edito
Contents
What they said
News
Portfolio - The news in the picture
Transat Jacques Vabre - Monohulls in power
In the words of the skipper - Michel Desjoyaux, A little bit more
Barcelona World Race - A couple sailing around the world
Imoca - Growth crisis in the Imoca class
Transat 6.5 - A whole series of records
Mini Class - Anatomy of a winner
Multihulls - What sort of trimarans tomorrow ?
Volvo Ocean Race - Second generation
Trials - Mach 45 : an unusual IRC
Match Racing - King Richard
Tactics - A good start
Portrait - Jacques Caraës
Lab - Tubular or wing mast ?
Forty years ago - Chichester, the lonely sea and the sky
Equipment - Shop window
New products - From the drawing board to the boatyard
Opinion - The mirage of worshipping technology

Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008