BMW City Challenge - The Final Final

BMW Sailing Cup – The Final

Following a rigorous selection process in their respective home countries, 8 nations did battle on Lake Garda in late April for the BMW Sailing Cup World Final 2009.

In modern motorsport fashion, teams were allowed to practise for precisely one hour before racing began.  The format then provided multiple series of mainly 4-boat fleet races with various opportunities in the later stages to qualify for the finals which were to be match races.

The British represented by Graham and Julia Bailey together with Kevin Young, Dylan Potter and Rachael Visick got off to a good start in the early rounds and managed to win a few.     It became apparent however that some of the other teams were rather good and they did some winning also.

The Italians, French, Danes and Kiwis emerged as the more consistent of the leading group with strong performances from the Maltese, Spanish and Germans.

Each evening, BMW hosted excellent dinners at leading restaurants in the area.  Peter Walker of BMW assumed the mantle of British Team Manager and directed proceedings ashore.  Top tables and attentive wine waiters became the norm.

The British subsequently suffered an inexplicable dip in performance (coming last in 3 vital races back to back), and found themselves fighting for survival in the repecharge.  Only the winner would go through and 3 straight wins later, the British had booked their place in the quarter-finals.

3 further races later. the British had secured a 5-race semi-final match against the young, specialist Kiwi match-racing team skippered by Graeme Sutherland.  The first race was relatively uneventful.  5 pre-start circles, line up and go.  The Kiwis had a little extra pace forcing the British to tack first and from there they made no mistakes.  Race 2 had a similar “vanilla” start only this time the British took control of the left and equalled the score.  The Kiwis got the better of a rather lively pre-start in Race 3 to take the series lead.  Race 4 was close.  The Kiwis led around each mark but only just and the British attack on the final run put them ahead but not by enough to survive the final gybe.  3:1 to the Kiwis.

The British conceded the petit-final to a hungry Danish team and retired to the bar to watch an epic Italy vs New Zealand final.  The Kiwis eventually took the title on the final gybe of the 5^th race.

It was agreed that the excellent format, and first class management in the hands of the highly organised BMW team operating in alliance with Yacht Club Italiano officals at the Fraglia Vela Malcesine had produced worthy winners of a first class event. 

A video of the regatta is available at  www.bmw-web.tv