while six-time regatta winner Russell Coutts of Team Alinghi has been eliminated from the Investors Guaranty Presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the second event on Swedish Match Tour 2003/2004.

Today Barker was dominant in all three races and ended the remarkable run of American Bill Hardesty, competing in one of his first match racing regattas, who earlier in the week had advanced second out of his unseeded group and eliminated America’s Cup helmsman and former Swedish Match Tour champion Peter Holmberg of the US Virgin Islands in Round 1 of the regatta proper.

“The scoreline was a little flattering for us,” said Barker. “There are no easy days here. We’re still really happy we got through the first day (having been eliminated on the first day on two occasions in the past).

After winning the first match against Coutts, Gilmour copped a penalty in the pre-start of the second, but led his Swiss opponent on a tour of Hamilton Harbor, at one point coming within meters of the spectator area, in an effort to find fresh air and gain some distance on his opponent. The tactic worked as Gilmour was able to round the windward mark ahead of Coutts and gain a very valuable 50 meter advantage down the leg and execute his penalty turn before Coutts could grab line honors.

Coutts was able to pick up a point by winning the third match, but the battle between the two skippers with eight event titles between them would come to a close when Gilmour won a close fourth match that featured some beautiful pre-start tactics and boat-handling by both teams.

“We’ve had some good matches against Russell over the years and today was no exception,” said Gilmour. “(During the match) I reflected back on the last time we sailed Russell, in I think in the semifinals, in this event and we were up 2-0, but he came back to beat us. These guys are well respected for what they do all around the world and are always a very tough opponent.”

Coutts placed the blame for his team’s early exit on his own shoulders. “I didn’t do a good job finishing off the pre-starts,” said Coutts. “We were going really well and then the last 30 seconds I seemed to lose track of where I was. Full marks to Gilly and his crew, they sailed well and it will be a very good match between he and Jesper Radich tomorrow.”

The match between Dickson and Gram-Hansen was a tense affair that went down to the wire. Gram-Hansen won the first match, Dickson answered in the second to even the scorecard, Gram-Hansen grabbed the third and Dickson again battled back in the fourth.

In the final race, after an abandonment and a recall due to confusion as to which of the competitors was over the start line early, both competitors staged a frantic pre-start, with Dickson copping a penalty. However, as they worked their way up to the windward mark, Dickson found better pressure and some puffs that gave him better boat speed, while Gram-Hansen chose not to cover.

After rounding the leeward mark comfortably ahead of Gram-Hansen, Dickson took advantage of the significant lead he had built on his first lap around the course and executed the 270-degree penalty turn, with plenty of room to spare, to clear his slate and sail on to the next round.

“When we were down 2-1 and facing a delay as a cruise ship left port I just thought, `we’re in Bermuda, the sun is shining, even though we’re down 2-1, it could be a lot worse,’” said Dickson, putting the events of the day, and the week, in perspective.

Commenting on the final match, Dickson was clear about the chancy qualities of match racing. “It was just the way the puff went that was the difference for us in the final match, we were able to sail away and it was lucky for us and tough for Jes.”

Like Barker, Radich appeared to make easy work of his opponent, Lewin, who qualified for this event by winning the Bermuda International Women’s Match Racing Championship earlier this week. In Wednesday’s Round 1, Lewin continued her hot hand, by sweeping past America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner 3-0 to earn her place against Radich today.

“We had a fun day on the water, Jesper and his crew did a good job with us,” said Lewin, not seeming at all disappointed with the result. “We managed to make the pre-starts interesting, but unfortunately they were able to get the early leads on the race course.”

Radich sees he and his crew just beginning to round into shape, with today’s match being another step in the right direction. “We started out a little slow in the beginning of the week, but today we were feeling very good in the boat, we were able to take the lead and stay out of trouble and that’s very important to be successful in match racing.”

It was a beautiful day from the outset on Hamilton Harbor, as the race course was laid at a 45 degree angle from the spectator barge along the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club pier, with two Bermuda landmarks, the Newstead hotel (start line) and the Waterloo House (windward mark) book-ending the race course.

Saturday’s racing will feature the first-to-three points semifinals as well as the sail-offs for places five through eight.

Semifinal Match Ups – First-to-three-points
Jesper Radich, DEN/Team Radich v. Peter Gilmour, AUS/Team Pizza La
Dean Barker, Team New Zealand Omega Match Race Team v. Chris Dickson, Oracle BMW Racing

Today’s Quarterfinals Results
Flight 1
Jesper Radich, DEN/Team Radich def. Paula Lewin, BER/Team Ace Group
Peter Gilmour, AUS/Team Pizza La def. Russell Coutts, Alingi Team
Dean Barker, Team New Zealand, Omega Match Race Team def. Bill Hardesty, USA
Jes Gram-Hansen, DEN/Team Colorcraft def. Chris Dickson, Oracle BMW Racing

Flight 2
Radich def. Lewin
Gilmour def. Coutts
Barker def. Hardesty
Dickson def. Gram-Hansen

Flight 3
Radich def. Lewin
Coutts def. Gilmour
Barker def. Hardesty
Gram-Hansen def. Dickson

Flight 4
Gilmour def. Coutts
Dickson def. Gram-Hansen

Flight 5
Dickson def. Gram-Hansen

Source: Shawn McBride