LAW
AND JABLONSKI ONE WIN AWAY FROM SWEDISH MATCH
CUP FINALS
Radich
Clinches Swedish Match Tour Championship and Bjorling
Defends Swedish Match Cup Women’s Class
Title
MARSTRAND,
Sweden (July 5, 2003) – Great Britain’s
Chris Law of “The Outlaws” and Poland’s
Karol Jablonski of the Jablonski Sailing Team
are one win away from competing in the finals
of the 2003 Swedish Match Cup, the final event
on Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003.
“It
was my birthday today and I had a lovely, lovely
day,” said Law. “For the first time
this year, I have a fantastic crew. I have guys
with me from the Victory Challenge syndicate and
we’ve won nine of our last ten races and
are sailing very well right now.”
Law
and Jablonski are up 2-0 on their opponents, US
Virgin Islander Peter Holmberg of Team Pelle Petterson
Yachting and Denmark’s Jesper Bank, respectively.
“We
were pleased to nail Peter in both starts, he’s
got a great crew with him this week including
Paul Cayard and now we’re one win away from
the finals,” said Law.
Denmark’s
Jesper Radich was knocked out of the quarterfinals
2-1 earlier in the day today by fellow Dane Jesper
Bank. However, with Australian James Spithill’s
own elimination at the hands of Peter Holmberg,
Radich clinched the Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003
championship and will receive the new Swedish
Match Tour Championship trophy crafted by Wedgwood
and the US$60,000 winners share of the prize purse
at tomorrow evening’s Swedish Match Cup
official prize giving ceremony.
In
advancing to the semifinals Law swept past Australia’s
Peter Gilmour of Team Pizza-La, 2-0, while Jablonski
knocked off local skipper Mattias Rahm of Team
Stora Enso, 2-1 in other quarterfinals action.
Swedish
Match Cup Women’s Class
Sweden’s
Marie Bjorling won an all-Swedish final to claim
her second consecutive Swedish Match Cup Women’s
Class title in a thrilling five-match affair over
countrywoman Mallin Kallstrom.
After
dropping the first match, Bjorling won the second
with Kallstrom then moving to championship point
in the third. Bjorling then demonstrated why she
is the world’s top ranked women’s
match racer by leading her crew to two straight
victories, while defending her title in this premier
women’s match racing regatta.
“We
did an unnecessary mistake in the first race and
after that we said `No more mistakes’ because
Mallin is an excellent sailor,” said Bjorling.
“The last two races were the best performance
we had all week, good starts, good tactics and
good boathandling. I’m just so happy right
now.”
As
winner of the Swedish Match Cup Bjorling receives
an automatic entry into the Bermuda International
Women's Match Racing Championship, scheduled to
take place October 18-21 at the Royal Bermuda
Yacht Club. The winner and runner-up of the Bermuda
International Women's Match Racing Championship
will advance to Round One of the Investors Guaranty
Presents the King Edward VII Gold Cup.
The
Swedish Match Cup concludes on Sunday with the
remainder of the first-to-three points semifinals
and finals.
SEMIFINALS
(First-to-score-three points)
Flight
1
Law
def. P. Holmberg
Jablonski
def. Bank
Flight
2
Law
def. P. Holmberg
Jablonski
def. Bank
QUARTERFINALS
(First-to-score-two points)
Flight
1
Spithill
def. P. Holmberg
Law
def. Gilmour
Jablonski
def. Rahm
Radich
def. Bank
Flight
2
P.
Holmberg def. Spithill
Law
def. Gilmour
Rahm
def. Jablonski
Bank
def. Radich
Flight
3
P.
Holmberg def. Spithill
Jablonski
def. Rahm
Bank
def. Radich
SWEDISH
MATCH CUP WOMEN’S CLASS FINALS
Flight
1
Kallstrom
def. Bjorling
Flight
2
Bjorling
def. Kalstrom
Flight
3
Kallstrom
def. Bjorling
Flight
4
Bjorling
def. Kallstrom
Flight
5
Bjorling
def. Kallstrom
For
all the latest news and information about the
Swedish Match Tour, visit www.swedishmatchtour.com.
About
the Swedish Match Tour
·
The Swedish Match Tour is comprised of nine of
the world's leading professional sailing events
and is proving to be the ultimate battleground
of sailing.
·
In addition to more than US$800,000 in individual
event prize money, the Swedish Match Tour awards
US$200,000 to the top eight sailors on the Swedish
Match Tour, with the first-place skipper netting
US$60,000.
·
In addition to a US$60,000 first prize, the winner
of the Swedish Match Tour receives the official
Swedish Match Tour Championship Trophy, 15"
(30 cm) high with 22 carat gold gilding, produced
by Swedish Match Tour sponsor Wedgwood. Additionally,
Wedgwood supplies runner-up prizes for second
and third places as well as commemorative plaques
to each event organizer.
·
The Swedish Match Tour produces 155 hours of television
coverage reaching more than 427 million households
worldwide.
·
Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match,
Octagon and the Match Race Association.
·
Swedish Match Tour sponsors include Colorcraft,
Champagne Mumm, Musto, Selden and Wedgwood.
