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Gilmour defeats Williams 3-0 in
the final of the Portugal Match Cup, Round 9 of
the 2006/7 World Match Racing Tour.
In the first match, Gilmour pushed Williams close
to the beautiful beach here in Troia. The ensuing
tacking duel saw Williams on the left closer to
the shore. In a matter of minutes, Gilmour had a
five boat-length lead and continued to extend all
the way to finish, ahead by over 200 metres.
Match 2 followed exactly the same pattern, Williams
unable to hang on to Gilmour in the first beat tacking
duel and though the margin was closer, the result
was the same.
Two-zero down and facing defeat, Williams and his
crew dug deep in the third, winning the start, and
forcing Gilmour out to the right. After a series
of tacks that saw Gilmour pushed back right each
time Williams sneaked ahead.
Never one to give up, Gilmour rounded the first
mark all over Williams stern. Smart crew work on
Gilmour’s boat saw them try to roll Williams down
the run and they stayed neck and neck all the way
to the gate, Gilmour went clear ahead. Williams
tried to throw in two gybes in succession to re-establish
his rights but was judged to be too close so drew
a penalty but Gilmour was now the windward, give
way boat and didn’t keep clear so a penalty to Gilmour
evened things out.
Rounding opposite marks at the gate saw Williams
keep a slender lead. Williams held on to the lead
and rounded the final mark 3 metres clear. Gilmour’s
superior speed edged him into a leeward overlap
and when Williams gybed to starboard Gilmour ducked
round his stern and gybed himself coming out of
the gybe with more speed and more importantly the
right to luff.
Gilmour now had the controlling position and as
the boats approached the finish line Gilmour luffed,
Williams responded but received a penalty for not
keeping clear. In a last ditch effort to rescue
the match Williams gybed and tried to luff round
the stern of his more experienced opponent, but
his spinnaker made contact with Gilmour’s boat nearly
taking out the onboard cameraman and resulting in
a second penalty and game over, leaving Gilmour
to cruise to the finish and take the Portugal Match
Cup.
Third place in Portugal went to Gavin Brady of BMW
Oracle racing, who defeated Sebastien Col of Areva
Challenge, 2-1 in the Petite Final.
The World Match Racing Tour now moves to Denmark
for the Danish Open, to be held August 9-12 in Copenhagen.
Finals Results
Peter Gilmour def. Ian Williams
Peter Gilmour def. Ian Williams
Peter Gilmour def. Ian Williams
Petit finals Results
Gavin Brady def. Sébastien Col
Sébastien Col def. Gavin Brady
Gavin Brady def. Sébastien Col
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