Jesper Bank (DEN), of United Internet Team Germany, and Bertrand Pacé (FRA), of BMW Oracle Racing, showed that they have a fine touch no matter the conditions. The two skippers converted the leads they established yesterday to win their respective groups. Bank won the five-flight Group A round robin with the perfect score of 5-0, while Pacé posted a 4-1 mark at the head of Group B.

They advanced to the quarterfinals along with six other crews, led by skippers Ben Ainslie (GBR), of Emirates Team New Zealand, Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, Peter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Sten Mohr (DEN) and Ian Williams (GBR).

They’ll begin the round robin Quarterfinal Round tomorrow morning. Each crew will sail seven flights, with the top four advancing to the Semifinal Round.

The four skippers eliminated from advancing – Jan Eike Andresen (GER), Ian Ainslie (RSA), of Team Shosholoza, Sébastian Col (FRA), of K-Challenge, and Mathieu Richard (FRA) – sailed a one race sail off this afternoon for places 9 to 12.

Col beat Ainslie to finish 9th, with Ian Ainslie placing 10th. Richard beat Andresen for 11th, and the German placed 12th.

Although racing was conducted, it was difficult to call some of it fair. In particular, this morning’s resumption of the Group B round robin was sailed in extremely light winds, less than 4 knots. They might be better described as drifting conditions. The winds came and went throughout the day, before completely dying away around 3:00 pm.

With a single round robin of five races, the margin for error was slim. And it frustrated Gilmour, the reigning champion of the Swedish Match Tour and Match Race Germany, who voiced his frustration at the evening press conference.

“We all like to sail in good match-racing conditions,” said Gilmour. “When the conditions go light and extreme, the races aren’t fair. I always favor abandoning a race rather than sailing in light conditions. When a race is abandoned it’s still fair for both teams.”

Gilmour didn’t mince his words because he nearly got eliminated after five races. He lost his first race today against Pacé by a large amount because the match was a driftathon. According to Gilmour, there was no skill involved.

That set up a scenario where Gilmour had to win his final race to advance, which he did. But that race was also held in light winds that were marginal for racing.

“They don’t use their discretion enough,” Gilmour said. “If I’d gotten eliminated after five races I’d be doing some pounding. And the point is that the young guys aren’t getting enough experience. Four teams only sailed five races, and now they’re going home. The only fair way is a double round robin followed by semis and final. That way the cream rises to the top.”

In past years Match Race Germany has struggled to get racing in because of the light conditions and the boat used was a 24-footer. Now the boat is a 35-footer, with a much taller rig and more sail area. The pressure to run races isn’t as strong.

“He’s right,” said Principal Race Officer Rudi Magg, who has run the races at the event since its beginning in 1996. “A double round robin is fairer.”

After the racing for 9th through 12th was finished, the wind died away completely. Magg abandoned racing for the day at 4:50 p.m. Ten minutes later the best wind of the day, an 8-knot westerly, filled in for more than an hour. So ended Friday the 13th at Match Race Germany.

“And I’m not superstitious,” said Gilmour.

Swedish Match Tour partners include Swedish Match, BMW and the Match Race Association. Swedish Match Tour Official Sponsors include Musto, Sebago, Travel Places, Trident Studio and Wedgwood.

For more information on the Swedish Match Tour, and a link to the Tour’s broadband TV channel, please visit the official Tour Web site, www.SwedishMatchTour.com.

Source: Sean McNeill