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Steinlager/Line 7 Regatta

Peter Holmberg of the Oracle Challenge takes the Steinlager/Line 7

dimanche 24 mars 2002

Peter Holmberg of the Oracle America’s Cup America's Cup #AmericasCup Challenge, out of San Francisco, won the Steinlager/Line 7 Regatta on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, after a countback, when lack of wind prevented any competition in the final.

Holmberg had a tough fight with Rod Davis of the Prada Challenge, to claim his place in the final, and faced Denmark’s Jes Gram-Hansen in the final that didn’t happen.

As race officer Peter Carr of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron commented, "trying to run sailing without wind, is like trying to run Wimbledon in the rain, disappointing."

When time finally ran out on Sunday afternoon, Holmberg was happy with the countback system, "the rules are the rules, we’re happy to go at it either way, if the conditions came good we were anxious to race.

"I’m pretty happy, the guys did a great job, we came through against Rod today, which was a tough one, we’re proud to have made it through there."

Then commenting about the event he said, "it’s the Steinlager/Line 7 man, it’s a big one, and this year you’d have to say the field was probably the biggest I’ve ever seen here, and we’re real proud to have pulled this one off."

This is the second consecutive Swedish Match Tour event that Holmberg has won, having picked up the Bermuda Gold Cup in October last year, and he has now moved to the top of the Tour leaderboard.

He plans to do three more Tour events this year, the Congressional Cup in California next month, May’s ACI Cup in Croatia, and the final event on this year’s circuit, Marstrand’s Swedish Match Cup.

Supporting Peter Holmberg, who is originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, was a crew of Kiwis, John Cutler, Robbie Naismith, Mike Sanderson and Brad Webb.

Jes Gram-Hansen was probably the most gracious and happiest runner-up in the history of the Steinlager/Line 7 regatta, thrilled to make his first ever Tour event semi-final, he dispatched Italy’s Paolo Cian in two straight races, and was itching to take on the venerable Holmberg.

The NZ$11,000 prize money he will take away, makes the trip all the way from Denmark, just about break-even financially, but gives him high hopes of raising sponsorship when he returns home.

"Of course it is always a disappointment not to race in the final, when you reach the final," said the young Dane, "but we are very pleased to have reached the final, and there’ll be another final some day."

Information John Roberson http://www.steinlagerline7cup.co.nz

FINAL OVERALL RESULTS :
- 1. Peter Holmberg - U.S.A., Oracle Challenge
- 2. Jes Gram-Hansen - Denmark
- 3. Paolo Cian - Italy, Mascalzone Latino Challenge
- 4. Rod Davis - Italy, Prada Challenge
- 5. Gavin Brady - Italy, Prada Challenge
- 6. Ken Read - U.S.A., Team Dennis Conner
- 7. Magnus Holmberg - Sweden, Victory Challenge
- 8. Luc Pillot - France, Le Defi Areva
- 9. Dean Barker - New Zealand, Team New Zealand
- 10 Ed Baird - U.S.A.
- 11 Ian Walker - Britain, GBR Challenge
- 12 Andy Green - Britain, GBR Challenge

SWEDISH MATCH TOUR LEADERBOARD after four events of year 3 :
- 1. Peter Holmberg, Oracle Racing 80
- 2. Magnus Holmberg, SWE/Team SeaLife 68
- 3. Gavin Brady, Prada Challenge 42
- 4. Jes Gram-HAnsen, DEN/Team Marienlyst 40
- 5. Jesper Bank, Victory Challenge 20
- 5. Dean Barker, Team New Zealand 20
- 5. Morten Henriksen, GER 20
- 8. Ed Baird, USA/Team Musto 15


Dans la même rubrique

Steinlager/Line 7 regatta : Davis, Holmberg, Gram-Hansen and Cian into semi finals

Steinlager/Line 7 Cup : A restless calm on the Waitemata harbour

Steinlager/Line 7 Regatta : Luc Pillot still leads after day two

Steinlager/Line 7 Regatta : French skipper Luc Pillot leads after day 1


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