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Robbie Allam (UK): At 20 years old, Robbie Allam is the youngest competitor in this event. He is one of the youngest person to compete on the World Match Tour and is excited to be sailing in his first Tour regatta. He is the #1 ranked youth in Great Britain. He won the 2006 Volvo RYA Youth MR Qualifier 2. ISAF ranking: 99 |
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Brian Angel (USA): Brian Angel returns to Bermuda for his 5th time competing. Match racing victories for Angel include the 2006 Nations Cup North American Semifinal, 2005 US Match Race Championship, 2005 Ficker Cup and the 2005 US MRC Qualifier — ASMBYC. Brian advises that Gold Cup is the teams "favorite event of the year". ISAF ranking: 36. |
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Glenn Astwood (Bermuda): Glenn Astwood gained entry to the Gold Cup by winning the 2007 Bermuda National Match Racing Championship. Glenn is a former Gold Cup champion, having won as crew with Chris Dickson in 1989. He has made numerous appearances in the Gold Cup as skipper since that win. He represented Bermuda at the 84 and 88 Olympic Games in the Tornado Class. |
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Ed Baird (USA): Ed Baird has been a top-level competitor and coach in the sport of sailing for over three decades. He reached the pinnacle of his sailing career in July by winning the 32nd America's Cup as helmsman for Alinghi. Ed has been involved with the America's Cup since 1995 when he was the coach and training helmsman for the winning Team New Zealand. In 2000, he was the skipper for Young America, and in 2003 he was part of the world feed TV commentary at Television New Zealand.
Baird won the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award in 1995. He is a three time World Match Racing Champion and won five other world sailing championships. He holds victories in 18 major championships, including three wins in the Knickerbocker Cup and two in the Nippon Cup. Ed is the only American ever to reach #1 on the ISAF World Match Racing Rankings. Ed is placed 8th on the World Tour Ranking after his second place finish at the Allianz Dup in October 2006, but has had time off due to his America's Cup responsibilities. ISAF ranking: 27.
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Sally Barkow (USA): Winner of the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award in 2005, Sally Barkow is the skipper of Team 7 Sailing. As the selection panel's unanimous choice for Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Sally was recognized for her "versatility and consistency, both abroad and at home" after winning a string of noteworthy international events — including two world championships — in four different keelboat classes.
She is a three time collegiate All-American who graduated from Old Dominion University '02 with a BS in Psychology. Growing up in a family that counts five generations of sailors, Barkow was exposed to the sport from a young age. After considering whether to ski or play basketball in college, Barkow traded the inland lakes of Wisconsin for the waters of Norfolk, Virginia. While at Old Dominion she twice earned ICSA (Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association) All-American honors (2001 and 2002), and helped ODU win the 2002 ICSA North American Women's Championship for the third time in the school's history.
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Johnie Berntsson (Sweden): Berntsson Sailing Team Match Racing career highlight was a 2006 win at the ACI Adris Cup in Croatia. Other wins include the 2007 GKSS Spring Cup, 2006 WASA Match, 2005 Autumn Cup, 2005 Swedish Match Qualifier and the 2005 Spring Cup. ISAF ranking: 11. |
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Paolo Cian (Italy): Paolo Cian is the helmsman and Sport Director for Team Shosholoza South African America's Cup Challenge. He was the helmsman for Mascalzone Latino in 2003. Wins for Cian include the 2007 Match Race Germany, 2006 St Moritz Match Race, 2005 Trofeo Championship, 2004 and 2005 Cento Cup. Paolo is currently third in the World Match Race Tour. ISAF ranking: 3. |
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Scott Dickson (New Zealand): Scott Dickson, who resides in the United States, returns to compete in the Gold Cup for his 7th consecutive year. Scott's best finish in this regatta was a fourth place in 2004. Scott's claims to victory include the 2004 J World Regatta and ten wins in the Southern California Ficker Cup. He has skippered in eleven Congressional Cup events, with a 2nd in 1998 and a 5th in 2002. ISAF ranking: 108 |
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Jon Eriksson (Finland): Jon Eriksson started his match race campaign in 2003 and has sailed with the same team members since. He was the winner of the 2007 FIM Match Cup, 2004 Kaamos Cup, 2004 NJK MRC Gp9, 2004 Match Race Grand Prix 1 (GP). ISAF ranking: 37. |
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Daniel Glomb (Brazil): Daniel Glomb is participating in the Gold Cup for the first time. He is the winner of the 2007 Match Race Brasil, 2006 South Americal Regional Final Qualifying Nations Cup, 2006 South American Match Racing Championship and the 2004 Brasil Match Cup. ISAF ranking: 31 |
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Björn Hansen (Sweden): Björn Hansen co-founded and runs the Stockholm Match Race Center. Björn started match racing in 1994 and became helmsman in 1997. The team has seen their ranking improve ever since, climbing to a current ranking of 5th from 103rd in 1997. First place finishes include the World Tours 2007 Match Cup Sweden. First place finishes in 2006 include the JP Morgan Winter Challenge 4, FIM Cup, Ice Breaker Cup and Scandinavian Championship. He also won the 2005 Octbermatchen, 2005 Winter Challenge, 2004 Landrover Cup, 2004 TNT Cup and the 2004 Swedish Match Racing Championship. Björn races regularly in the Archipelago Raid and skippered the Volvo Ocean 60 SAP Northern Lights in 2003. After Stage 11 of the World Match Racing Tour, Björn is 6th. ISAF ranking: 5. |
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Magnus Holmberg (Sweden): Magnus Holmberg made his debut on the match racing circuit in 1991 at the Gold Cup, where he placed fourth. He helped to organise Sweden's Victory Challenge second consecutive America's Cup campaign. Magnus represented Sweden in three Olympics and has six medals for European and World Championships. He was the winner of the 2001 Swedish Match Tour and is currently placed 8th on the World Tour Rankings following his second place finish at this year's stormy Match Cup Sweden. ISAF ranking: 94 |
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Staffan Lindberg ((Finland): Staffan Lindberg started sailing at the age of 10 in an Optimist. He is returning to Bermuda for his 6th consecutive Gold Cup and hopes to improve on his 3rd place finish in 2005. First place finishes include the 2005 and 2007 JP Morgan Cup, 2006 European Match Racing Championship and the 2003 Riva Match Race. Staffan is conducting an Olympic campaign in the Star Class and is 11th on the Tour Rankings. ISAF ranking: 7 |
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Alvaro Marinho (Portugal): Alvaro, who started sailing at the age of 8 in the Optimist dinghy, is in his 3rd consecutive 470 Class Olympic campaign. He has three National Championships under his belt, along with a 2006 ISAF Nations Cup Regional Final — Europe 2 win. Alvaro competed for first time last year in the World Match Race Tour in Portugal and Bermuda and is excited "to compete against the 'big guys' of the America's Cup". ISAF ranking: 80 |
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Eric Monnin (Switzerland): Eric Monnin returns to Bermuda for his 4th consecutive Gold Cup. Monnin claimed victory at the 2007 Open MR Hard, 2006 Geneva International Match Race, 2006 Match Race Luzern, 2006 April in Antibes, 2005 UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour Zurich, 2005 Match Race Annecy and 2005 JP Morgan Fleming Winter Challenge. Eric, in conjunction with Jean-Claude Monnin, is the inventor and developer of the Alinghi Match Race Simulator. ISAF ranking: 14 |
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Mathieu Richard (France): Mathieu Richard began sailing at age 11 in the Optimist dingy and is the four-time French Champion in Optimists and 420s. He began match racing in 1998 and sails with SABA sailing team. Mathieu has been battling with Ian Williams for first place on the Tour, and is currently in second place. Richard has had ten podium finishes at ISAF Grade 1 Match Racing events. First place finishes include the 2007 Congressional Cup, 2006 Nations Cup, 2005 Mumms 30 World Champion (tactician), 2004 Internationaux de France and the 2004 Tour de France (tactician & helmsman). Mathieu has been sailing with the same crewmembers since 2000. ISAF ranking: 2 |
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David Tabb (UK): David started sailing at the age of 13, as crew on a Hornet. He says that "Match Racing is my passion and the Gold Cup is one event that I have always wanted to attend". His greatest sailing weakness is that he "can't swim if I fall in". Tabb sailed in 4 pre Olympics before taking a fourteen year layoff from competitive sailing, but is now happy to be back in the match racing circuit. ISAF ranking: 82 |
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Chris Van Tol (USA): Chris Van Tol first win in match racing was the 1997 Young America Match Racing Championship. He is the 2007 Zawisza Cup and the four-time USMRC Area E&K Qualifier champion. Highlights for the team this year were to compete in the US Match Race Championship and the Knickerbocker Cup. ISAF ranking: 89 |
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Blythe Walker (Bermuda): After representing Bermuda in the 1992 Olympics in the 470 class, Blythe's focus turned to match racing. He has competed in numerous Gold Cup regattas and other international match racing events. Blythe thrilled Bermudian spectators at the 2006 Gold Cup when he won the Petit Finals to place third. He is the 2006 Bermuda National Match Racing Championship and the 2006 and 2007 Anna Roed Bell IOD Bermuda Class Match Racing Tournament Champion. ISAF Ranking: 154 |
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Peter Wibroe (Denmark): Like many of the competitors, Peter Wibroe started his sailing career in an Optimist at the age of eight. Peter just scored a 2nd place finish in the Danish Open, which is the 10th stage of the World Match Race Tour. Wins for him in 2007 include the Toyota Sopot MR Eurosat European Championship, RMC 1 and GKSS Ice Breaker and the 2006 GKSS Winter Cup, 2006 TMC Dong Cup, 2005 Nordic Match Race Championship and the 2005 TMC Spring Cup. ISAF ranking: 12 |
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Ian Williams (UK): Ian Williams, age 30, is returning to Bermuda to defend his 2006 victory at the Gold Cup. Ian, who sails with Team Pindar, started racing at the age of 9 in a Cadet. He won the Youth Match Racing Worlds in 1994 and 1995. In 2005 he took a sabbatical from his profession as a lawyer, to pursue match racing. His pursuit has clearly been successful as Ian is currently ranked #1 in both the ISAF World Match Racing ranking and in the World Match Racing Tour. Ian is the first Briton to ever lead the ISAF World Match Race rankings or the World Match Racing Tour. First place finishes include the recently completed St. Moritz Match Race, 2007 Marseille International Match Race, 2006 King Edward VII Gold Cup, 2006 JP Morgan Asset Challenge, 2005 Sopot Match Race, 2005 Internationaux de France de Match Racing, 2005 JP Morgan Fleming Winter Match Race Q4, 2004 Doyle Match Race and the 2004 Ameri-Cast Match Race. ISAF ranking: 1 |
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US Match Racing Championship Qualifier: The winner of this New York Yacht Club Championship being held September 19 — 23 qualifies for the Gold Cup. |
