Grimes takes 2019 Youth Match Racing World Title

Australia’s Tom Grimes has been crowned 2019 Youth Match Racing World Champion as the event came to a light wind conclusion with no racing on Verkh-Isetsky pond on the final day.

Racing was scheduled to commence at 06:00 local time on the final day with a light, decreasing wind forecast. However, when sailors gathered, the wind was not present. The Race Committee came to the water to monitor the situation but the wind strength didn’t surpass two knots which was not enough for racing.

Having won the most races this week, Australia’s Grimes was crowned World Champion with Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) finishing second and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch completing the podium.

Results:
1 – Tom Grimes, Australia – Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
2 – Nick Egnot-Johnson, New Zealand – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron / Team KNOTS
3 – Jeppe Borch, Denmark – Borch Racing
4 – Igor Tarasiuk, Poland – HRM Racing Youth Team
5 – Jack Parkin, USA – Riverside Yacht Club, Stanford Sailing Team
6 – Matt Whitfield, Great Britain – Penarth YC / Dragon Racing
7 – Rocco Attili, France – Société des Régates du Havre
8 – Aurelien Pierroz, Italy – RBYS Racing
9 – Måns Holmberg, Sweden – Holmberg Racing Team
10 – Mark Abdrakipov, Russia – MyWind
11 – Jakub Halouzka, Czech Republic – Team CZE Zdenek Dybal
12 – Kodai Mutsuda, Japan – Kobe University
 
After being crowned World Champions, Grimes commented, “I think with the ranking of the fleet and style of the racing it’s never really clear who’s going to win. We had a really good start, a strong start. We were fortunate about it. Who knows what would happen if we had last three days of the racing? We were not bored at all. All runs were really good here.”

On his impressions on the competitors, main rivals from New Zealand and Russia in general, he commented, “Nick and his team from New Zealand were probably one of the strongest competitors that we had to race against here. It’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t end up facing him in the finals because it could be a better sailing that any of us had ever done. It was going to be really cool to race this guy in the finals because he has a lot of experience and he is a high-ranking sailor.

“I think the experience here has been really good, all runs have been so welcoming and coaches are really not different from anywhere else. Boats were one of the best boats we sailed in match racing because they are unique in the way they are handled: something between a big and a small boat. I think that the shifty racing does not make it boring. You always have to be on your toes. The racing was always really active and hard.

“It is a wonderful place, I’m really fortunate to have an opportunity to come to Russia. I don’t know if I’ll have any more chances to come here. I think you guys have set a really high class with these boats and how they handle. It was such a great match racing event, I’m happy to be here.”

Nick Egnot-Johnson, Team New Zealand, said, “We are a bit disappointed with the result because we did a really good race today. We have been on the verge of winning the competition but we can only deal with the weather conditions given. Despite we were unlucky we are still happy to be the second.”

“It is tough losing the Australian team because they have been our rivals for the long time. However it was a strong competition with lots of good teams so we are still happy to bethe second, especially when so many good teams are behind us.”

Jeppe Borch, Team Denmark concluded, “The teams were really close, and we were really tight with the Team Poland but we managed to get ahead in the end. Of course, a little technical details helped us. We can only accept that there was no wind and that we sailed from time to time.

“All the time we were curious about what could have happened if we could sail more. But in the end, getting that we are the third at the competition of such level, we can’t be disappointed because all the sailors did well.”

The Youth Match Racing World Championship is held in Gubernskiy Yacht Club KOMATEK, Ekaterinburg from 12-17 August 2019.

Participants are from New Zealand, Great Britain, Sweden, Australia, France, Italy, Denmark, USA, Poland, Japan, Czech Republic and Russia.

Event website – http://2019ymrwc.komatek-club.ru/