Please select your home edition
Edition
Motomuck SaltyMuck Static 728 x 90 px TOP

World Match Racing Tour Shenzhen Bao'an Final 2024 - Day 1

by WMRT 11 Dec 04:44 NZDT 10-15 December 2024
World Match Racing Tour Shenzhen Bao'an Final - Day 1 © Ian Roman / WMRT

The 2024 World Match Racing Tour Shenzhen Bao'an Final is under way. The event began with an opening ceremony attended by skippers, teams, organizing authorities, and spectators.

Despite a slight delay in the morning due to forecasted light breezes, Principal Race Officer Randy Smith successfully ran six flights of the round-robin on the opening day.

Currently, Chris Poole (USA), Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL), and Cole Tapper (AUS) are tied at the top of the leaderboard, each securing four wins in the early stages of the round-robin series.

Teams came out swinging with some incredibly close racing from the get-go. Teams that could navigate the light morning shifty conditions set themselves up for success. By the afternoon, the building breeze offered slightly more stability.

Cole Tapper, recently crowned Youth Match Racing World Champion, is carrying forward his strong form. His coach for the Youth Worlds, Jordan Reece, joins him as crew for this event, while his main trimmer from last week is sailing with the Kiwi team, KNOTS Racing.

"I'm sailing with a different crew this week, including our coach Jordan Reece, who keeps us in line and does a great job calling the shifts," commented Tapper on his strong first day. "Often you'd be winning and not feel good at all because it was shifting all over the place, but we paid a lot of attention to the other races and we figured it out the best we could."

New Zealand's Nick Egnot-Johnson sits 4-2 after the opening day with his KNOTS Racing team.

"Our goal from today was to take each race as it comes and not be too upset if a shift didn't go our way," commented Nick Egnot-Johnson on the shifty conditions on the course. "Now, it's one race at a time from here."

Also carrying momentum from a recent success is Sweden's Johnie Berntsson. Coming off of his fourth Bermuda Gold Cup win, Berntsson and his crew had a strong start to the regatta this afternoon with a 3-0 going into tomorrow's racing.

Tomorrow, the round-robin will continue with racing scheduled to start at 1000 local time.

Related Articles

Big entry for RS Feva Sail GP Inspire Program
One hundred young sailors, from all over NZ, sailing 50 RS Fevas will compete in SailGP Inspire One hundred young sailors, sailing 50 RS Fevas from all over New Zealand will compete in SailGP Inspire program, which is sailed in conjunction with the SailGP regatta in Auckland. Posted on 21 Dec
PredictWind supercharges Marine Weather
New safety features arms users with better decision-making Insights PredictWind has bolstered its marine weather forecasting platform with a new Lightning Display Feature and upgrades to existing features, designed to enhance user safety. Posted on 13 Dec
The unforgettable PIC Harbour Classic returns
Live concert by Six60, part of the Moana Auckland Festival after PIC Harbour Classic The PIC Harbour Classic, one of NZ's premier sailing events returns with an unforgettable blend of thrilling sailing and exciting festivities. It will take place from Feb 28th to March 1st, 2025,with Six60 concert after the racing Posted on 12 Dec
Top Kiwi boatbuilder and sailor dies at 91yrs
Jim Mackay a leading builder of racing dinghies, surfboats and racing powerboats has passed away Jim Mackay was best known through the early 1960's as a builder of wooden racing dinghies for the Olympic Finn and Flying Dutchman Dutchman classes, using cold moulded veneer construction. He was an active builder and racer in powerboats and surfboats. Posted on 12 Dec
Big turnout for superyacht season launch
Owners, captains, crew and more than 100 of New Zealand's industry gathered on Auckland's waterfront Auckland's annual Superyacht Welcome Function took place Thursday night with the largest crew turn out to date for the event, which marks the opening of the 2025 summer cruising season in New Zealand. Posted on 5 Dec
How to report marine pest sightings
As fantastic as our surveillance teams are, they can't get around it all. They need your help! From Northland all the way down to Hawke's Bay, our regions include a vast amount of coastline. As fantastic as our surveillance teams are, they can't get around it all. They need your help! Posted on 3 Dec
Bay of Islands Sailing Week: Sponsors announced
Enter now to assist regatta planning and creation of another excellent BOI SW regatta The countdown is on for Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2025, New Zealand's premier multi-boat regatta, scheduled for January 21-24. Posted on 1 Dec
Bay of Islands Sailing Week is calling
Bay of Islands Sailing Week is calling - regular entries close on December 31 Seasoned sailors Rob Bassett and Brett Russell are rallying competitors to join what Peter Montgomery has called “the best-big boat regatta in NZ” as entries roll in for the 2025 Bay of Islands Sailing Week (BOISW). Posted on 12 Nov
SLAM ETNZ Deck Hoody - Now just €50
Price Drop: SLAM ETNZ Deck Hoody: Was €120 | Now €50 - Order yours today! Price Drop: SLAM ETNZ Deck Hoody: WAS €120 | NOW €50 - Order yours today! Ideal Xmas gift for America's Cup fans! Get your souvenir hoody on the America's Cup champion! Posted on 7 Nov
Vendee Globe: 'Crazy Kiwi' racing on renewables
Conrad Colman plans on repeating his 2015/26 feat racing without the use of fossil fuel In the 2016 Vendee Globe, Conrad Colman became the first competitor in Vendee Globe history to finish without using a drop of fossil fuel during his circumnavigation. He plans on repeating the feat in the upcoming Vendee Globe race. Posted on 30 Oct
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMCollinsonCo 728x90 BOTTOMHALLSPARS_BANNER_SW_660X82-EVAI BOTTOM