|
Click on images to enlarge.
 |
Ben Ainslie (Great Britain): At the age of only 31, Ben is one of Britain's top sailors. His impressive sailing career began at the age of 8 in Restronguet, Cornwall, UK. By age 16 he was already the Laser Radial World Champion. He won his first Olympic medal at the age of 19, silver in the Laser class at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He has since won 2 more Olympic medals both of which have been gold. In 2002 Ainslie won the Finn World Championships and successfully defended this title for the following two years. In 2005 he made history to become the most successful Finn sailor ever by winning his fourth successive Finn Gold Cup. Ben has won eight World and European Championships in his sailing career to date, been crowned ISAF World Sailor of the Year in 1998 and 2002, and four times won British Yachtsman of the Year. In 2007 the British America's Cup campaign 'Origin' announced Ainslie as skipper for the 33rd America's Cup challenge in 2009. ISAF Ranking 121
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.hotcapers.com
|
 |
Brian Angel (USA): Brian Angel returns to Bermuda for his 5th time competing. Ranked number 1 in the U.S.A, match racing victories for Angel include the 2007 US Match Race Championships, the 2006 Nations Cup North American Semifinal, 2005 US Match Race Championship, 2005 Ficker Cup and the 2005 US MRC Qualifier — ASMBYC. Earlier this year Brian and team finished 2nd at the grade 2 Detroit Cup. Brian advises that Gold Cup is the teams "favorite event of the year". Besides the warm climate, great sailing and friendly hospitality, Bermuda Gold Cup is where "King Harbor Match Racing" first sailed together as a team. "I want to thank my crew, Dave Hochart, Payson Infelize and Mike Brown for sailing with me this week, and for the last 5 years. It's been an honor from day 1." ISAF ranking: 44. |
 |
Sally Barkow (USA): Winner of the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award in 2005 and 2007, 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. Barkow was exposed to the sport from a young age. While at Old Dominion University 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. After college, Sally decided to pursue her Olympic dream and become a full time sailor. Sally and her current team went onto win the 2003, 2005, 2007 Women's Rolex Championships, and the 2004, 2005 Women's Match Race World Championship. She is currently has ending her most recent Olympic campaign this past August ion China, finishing a disappointing 7th after being in reach of a medal. ISAF Ranking: 5
|
 |
Johnie Berntsson (Sweden): Berntsson Sailing Team Match Racing has competed in an impressive number of events. Some recent highlights include 2nd place in the 2008 Congressional Cup and 1st place in the 2007 GKSS Winter Cup. 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: 19. |
 |
Seb Col (France): Seb started sailing at the age of 1 when he lived on board a boat with his parents cruising the Atlantic and Mediterranean until he was 9 years old. He started racing by the age of 10. Seb, a team member of French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge, scored his first career victory on the World Tour in August 2006 when he won the Danish Open in Skovshoved. He also won the 2006 Marseille International Match Race Regatta and the 2006 Internationaux de France. |
 |
Bjorn Hansen (Sweden): Bjorn Hansen co-founded and runs the Stockholm Match Race Center. Bjorn 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 6th from 103rd in 1997. He has already been successful this year in many events including the Swedish Championships, the GSYS Qualifier and the Brazil Sailing Cup. First place finishes include the World Tours 2007 Match Cup Sweden. Bjorn and his Alandia Sailing Team was runner up here in Bermuda last year and finished fourth on the World Match Racing Tour 2007. Bjorn races regularly in the Archipelago Raid and skippered the Volvo Ocean 60 SAP Northern Lights in 2003. After Stage 4 of the World Match Racing Tour, Bjorn is 2nd. ISAF ranking: 6. |
 |
Andy Horton (USA): Mr. Horton started sailing at the age of six and started racing by the time he was nine years old. Since then he has enjoyed a successful career in sailing. In 1999 he won a Gold medal in the Pan American Games, in 2001 he secured first place in the York Cup, in 2002 he was part of the 'Zaraffa' team which won Bermuda's very own 'Lighthouse' trophy in the Newport to Bermuda Race. He came first in the Canada's Cup in 2001 and 2003. He won the 2007 North American Championship and came fourth in the World Championship. |
 |
Damien Iehl (France): Damien Iehl has skippered a wide range of boats including Farr 52's, Melges 24's and 470's. Iehl has done well this year placing first in the following four events, Qualifier GKSS Spring Cup, Match Race Germany, RYA Winter Challenge Final and the RYA Winter Challenge. In 2007 he scored second place in the JP Morgan Winter Challenge and in 2006 came first in events including the Cento Cup and the Antibe's Cup. ISAF Ranking: 5 |
 |
Erik Koppernaes (Canada) Erik started sailing at an early age and competing in regattas by the age of 10. He had early success in the Cadet dinghy with National and North American Championships. He continued to hone his skills in the Laser II’s and 470’s classes where he was a member of the Canadian National Sailing team. He has had a long career in one design racing, with 5 Canadian titles, 3 North American titles and top finishes in the Etchells World Championships. Erik’s experience with Match Racing has also been a successful having top finishes at the Canadian Match Racing York Cup, Cascadia Cup, Nations Cup Qualifier, Polaris Match Racing and the Nova Scotia Match Racing Championships. |
 |
Adam Minoprio (New Zealand): Adam Minoprio, age 22 and his team "Black Match Racing" have achieved 1st place in the following events this year, Sopot Match Cup, Blurimini Match Race Italy and Open Match Race Austria. Other achievements include winning the 2007 Hardy Cup and the 2006 and 2007 Asian Match Race Championships. This will be his first time competing in the Bermuda Gold Cup. ISAF Ranking: 10 |
 |
Torvar Mirsky (Australia): Torvar began sailing at the age of 10 in the Mirror class, later going on to win the National Youth Championships two years running before placing 2nd in the open World Championships and becoming the Youth World Champion in 2001. At the age of just 22 Torvar has already had a successful sailing career. Wins for Torvar include the 2006 RNZYS International Youth Match Racing Championship, the Warren Jones Youth Regatta in Freshwater Bay, Australia. He scored second place in the RYA Winter Challenge Final, in the Blurimini Match Race and the GKSS Match Cup Sweden - World Match Racing Tour. Current ISAF ranking: 77
Photo by Juerg Kaufmann, www.go4image.com
|
 |
Eric Monnin (Switzerland): Eric Monnin returns to Bermuda for his 5th consecutive Gold Cup. Monnin claimed victory at the 2008 and 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: 16 |
 |
Pierre - Antoine Morvan (France): Pierre Antoine, a member of the French Match Racing Team since last year, began sailing at the age of 6 and started racing at the age of 8. He is a young man with a successful sailing career already under his belt. In 2007 he secured wins in the Morbihan Match Race - G3, the Blurimini Match Race, the Internationnaux des Alpes Maritimes Antibe's cup, Americast Cup, and second place in the Marseille International Match Race and the Toyota Sopot Match Race Eurosaf European Championship. This year firsts for Morvan include the Selective St Quay in St Quay Portrieux, France and the Morbihan Match Race - G2. He also won the 2008 Tour de France à la Voile. This will be his first time competing in the Bermuda Gold Cup. ISAF Ranking: 15 |
 |
Takumi Nakamura (Japan): Mr. Nakamura has just won the Knickerbocker Cup which automatically qualifies him to compete in the Bermuda Gold Cup. His team won every match race in this event bar one on the first day. Recently, Takumi has competed in and won the 2006 Autumn Match in Minami-Ise, the 2006 MR8 in Hayama, Japan, the 2006 All Japan Yacht Match Race Championship, the 2006 Christmas Match in Hayama, the 2007 Makoto Nanba Memorial Match, the 2007 Christmas Match in Hayama and this year the Kururu Match in Hayama. ISAF Ranking: 73 |
 |
David Perry (USA): Dave Perry from Southport Connecticut started sailing at the age of 10 and started racing by age 12. Some of Perry's successes include, first place in the 2006 ABC Midway Quarter, US MR Championship ABC Semi Finals, US Match Race Championship, the 2007 Porto Alegre Match Race Cup and the 2007 Sudamericano de Match Race. This year he has competed in the Congressional Cup and the Bayview International Match Race. 2008 will be Perry's second time to compete for the Bermuda Gold Cup. ISAF ranking: 58 |
 |
Mattias Rahm (Sweden): Mattias comes to Bermuda to compete for the Gold Cup for the third time. Rahm has scored first place in events including, the 2008 GKSS Match Cup Sweden, 2006 Jeep Challenge, three time winner of the Ice Breaker Cup and two time winner of the Swedish National Match Racing Championship. Mattias was the strategist for Victory Challenge for all of the races in the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007. |
 |
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 won the 2007 Bermuda Gold Cup and will be working hard to keep this title. Other first place finishes for Richard include the 2008 Marseille International Match Race, 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. Admirably, he is also a member of the French Team 'Team French Spirit'; a French syndicate for the 33rd or 34th America's Cup. ISAF ranking: 2 |
|
Jon Singsen (USA): Jon Singsen is returning to the Gold Cup for a third time. Jon's match racing success include wins in the 2007 ABC Midway Quarter Finals, the IOD World Championship (as tactician), the 2005 Sail NY Spring and Winter Match Race and 2nd places in the 2008 ABC Midway Quarter Finals, 2006 US Match Race Championship ABC Semi-Finals and the 2005 Taylor Trophy. Other achievements include 3rd place in the 2007 U.S. Match Race Championships and 5th place, 2008 Bayview International Match Race for the Detroit Cup; ISAF Ranking: 113 |
|
Keith Swinton (AUS): Keith Swinton is from Perth, Australia. He is the helmsman of the ‘Black Swan Racing Team’. At the age of only 22, Swinton is one of Australia best new talents. In 2006 he won the Cowes International Youth Week and the W.A. Match Racing Championships. He also scored a third in the Harken International Match Racing. In 2007 he placed second in the Warren Jones Memorial Match Racing Regatta and first in the W.A. State Match Racing. This year he placed first in the 5th Trofeo G.Marconi and the Fim Match Cup and secured third place at the Knickerbocker Cup and the Toyota Sopot Match Race. |
 |
Christopher Van Tol (USA) Christopher Van Tol's love of match racing started when he was just 15 crewing on a boat competing for the Great Lakes Match Racing Championship. His team regularly includes brother- John VanTol, Mikey Hoey and Park Pinney Jr., all members of the Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. Christopher Van Tol's first win in match racing was the 1997 Young America Match Racing Championship. He took a silver medal in the 2005 US Match Racing Championship and is a five-time USMRC Area E/K champion. Van Tol and his team also won the '07 Knickerbocker Cup and the '07 G.L International Challenge Cup. This year he has been victorious in the 2008 BYC Grade3 Invitational. ISAF ranking: 35 |
|
Rasmus Viltoft (Denmark): Mr. Viltoft has competed in many events and has scored first place in the following, the 2006 RMC 2, the Toyota Sopot Match Race Qualifier and the International Berlin Championship. He has placed second in the 2006 TMC Dong Cup, the GKSS Ice Breaker, and the 2007 TMC Danish Open Qualifier. This year he has competed and done well in the RYA Winter Challenge 5, the TMC Spring Cup, the Spring Cup and the TMC Grill Cup - Danish Open qualifier. ISAF ranking: 38 |
 |
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 over a dozen Bermuda Gold Cup regattas and other international match racing events. Blythe's focus the past few years has been on Bermuda events with recent highlights being a 3rd and 4th place finish in the Bermuda Gold Cup in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Outside of the Bermuda match-racing scene, Blythe also races IOD's and J105's on a semi-regular basis during the year. ISAF Ranking: 105 |
 |
Ian Williams (UK): Ian Williams; the current World Champion, 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 2008 GKSS Ice Breaker, the 2007 RYA Winter Challenge, 2007 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 |
|
Donald Wilson (USA): Don only started match racing three years ago, but since discovering the sport, he has passionately embraced it. A big proponent of match racing in the Chicago area, he regularly invites local and visiting talent to spar with him on his pair of Tom 28s. He has dominated the local events, winning the 2007 and 2008 J105 JPYC Match Race Invitational, finishing second in the 2007 Windy City Match Race, and most recently winning the 2008 Area E&K USMRC Qualifier. Don is thrilled to be competing in his first Bermuda Gold Cup, where he will be joined by the tactician for the winning 2006 Gold Cup team, Bill Hardesty. ISAF Ranking: 256 |
|
Skippers 
