Match racing veterans Eric Monnin from Switzerland (Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team) and Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson (Berntsson Sailing Team) will meet again in Sunday’s final at the 72nd Bermuda Gold Cup after winning their respective semi-final matches on Hamilton Harbour yesterday against USA’s Chris Poole and New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson.
Light airs proved challenging for the four semi-finalists at the Bermuda Gold Cup yesterday as the two semi-final pairs battled shifty conditions to keep pace in the heavier IOD race boats.
Experience prevailed, however, from defending 2023 Gold Cup winner, Johnie Berntsson form Sweden, and match racing veteran Eric Monnin from Switzerland, as both skippers found critical speed on the course.
Monnin, the only skipper sailing with a five-person crew including Ute Monnin-Wagner, Simon Brügger, Maxime Mesnil and Cyril Schüpbach, was able to win over their semi-final opponent Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing in three straight wins,
“We had very strong starts and also some good luck” commented Monnin. “Once we were in front after the start, we had some moments which we doubted, but the key was not to overreact, and we felt good.”
“It was very light air, different to what we have seen the last three days” added a disappointed Poole. “It was quite an adjustment for usa nd Eric [Monnin] sailed very well. They got off the line fast and seemed to find the right shifts which kept us on the back foot.”
Eric Monnin congratulating his crew after their semi-final win Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT
USA’s Chris Poole Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT
In the second semi-final, Sweden’s Berntsson won the first match against 2022 match racing world champion Nick Egnot-Johnson from New Zealand. Egnot-Johnson was able to equalise 1-1 but Berntsson pushed on to win the next two races straight advancing him to the final with a 3-1 defeat of Egnot-Johnson.
“The breeze changed quickly. Sometimes we couldn’t even read what was going to happen to the last second decision at the bottom of the gate, which side we wanted to go, and that was really the deciding outcome of the match.” said Egnot-Johnson.
Following the cancellation of today’s racing due to light airs, Monnin and Berntsson will now meet in the first-to-three-point final tomorrow Sunday 3 November with racing expected from noon local time in Bermuda.
The two skippers have met before in the Bermuda Gold Cup final ten years ago, which Monnin lost on that occasion. This year, the Swiss team are determined to see their name etched to the famous King Edward VII trophy, atrophy that has eluded them so far, and one that Monnin is particularly keen to add to his impressive match racing career.
Chris Poole and Nick Egnot-Johnson will face off in the petite-final to determine the third podium spot and share of the USD75,000 prize purse.
