Korea Match Cup, Stage 3 of the 2008 World Match Racing Tour got off with a bang at a star-studded opening ceremony featuring the Prime Minister of Korea, his Excellency the Honourable Seoung Soo Han. The Prime Minster was on hand to open both the Korea International Boat Show and the Korea Match Cup here in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province on the West Coast of Korea. The opening ceremony included performances by the Gyeonggi Phil Harmonic Orchestra, Opera singers from La Speranza and the Gyeonggi Provincial Dance Troupe.

The event and boat show are part of a new economic development plan for the region that includes 4 new marinas and a 15,000 square meter industrial park dedicated to boat building and the marine industry. They are expecting over 100,000 spectators over the next five days of the event. Racing got underway under the leadership of former America’s Cup winner (’83) Skip Lissiman and Principle Race Officer David Tallis in the newly built KM36’s designed especially for the event by Blakewell-White. The twelve teams will race a full round robin followed by a quarter final, semi-final and the finals on Sunday. Five flights were sailed with Jesper Radich and his Rudy Project Sailing Team leading the day with a score of 4-1.

WMRT President, Scott Mcleod adresses the crowd at the Korea Match Cup

With ever changing wind conditions and a restricted race course, three and four lap races were the order of the day. As a result the crew’s boat handling skills were fully tested. In Flight 5 Hansen and Richard faced off with Hansen taking an early advantage at the first mark. Three laps on the board saw Richard dig in and come back to Hansen yard by yard. With only 60 meters to go on the final run Richard got into attack position and started to try and roll Hansen. Hansen’s response was fast, luffing as hard as he could but with the extra speed and the disturbed air all over the Swede, Richard managed to slip around Hansen’s bow and dive to the line to take the win by half a boat length. After the race a furious Hansen had a heated discussion with the umpires claiming that the Frenchman hadn’t kept clear during the manoeuvre but the match umpires, Shane Borrell and Roger Wood, were happy that Richard hadn’t infringed.

In another exciting moment Bjorn Hansen hooked the anchor line of the Race Committee boat whilst entering the start box in his race with Seb Col. He then proceeded to drag the committee boat past the pin end of the start line which forced the PRO to postpone the starting sequence and provide Hansen with a free pass. “It was hot out so I decided to take a swim and while I was there I noticed a rope around our keel” Hansen explained at the post race press event with a rye smile.

Adam Minoprio (NZL) and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) in their Round Robin one match