Cascais is Ready for the Match Race!

With only one full day to go before this exciting “New Event”, the tension is already beginning to build.  Trying to seed the two Round Robin Groups of 5 teams is proving somewhat difficult.. Vicent Hoesch has won more Gold Cup’s and World Championship’s that my Auntie has had hot supper’s…….. so he has to be put at Number 1..  but, Anatoly Loginov was IDA ranked number 1 for 2009 and has just won the Gold Cup in Marstrand, Sweden (2010). So he cannot be put to one side…  Tim Tavinor, may not have been helming the “Winning” World Championship boat in Melbourne, but he was ON IT… so where do I seed him? Martin Byrne from Dublin has not only won Two of the last Three Irish National Championships, but he has successfully Match Raced before and has local hero Pedro Andrade as one of his crew, so he is most certainly a threat..  Pieter Heerama has won numerous National Championships which includes the Dutch Dragon fleet and winning the World Championship RC 44 Class in 2009! with his boat “No Way Back”. .. Meanwhile, I (Stavros) have Match Raced before and have Louis Urvois number 1 crew Gwen Chapalain guiding me around the short courses……. so theoretically I should have a chance…….

Then from the South of Ireland we have “Wild Card” helm, George Kingston (at 22yrs of age, already a competent “Match Racer”), with 8 times Dragon Regatta Winning Crew, (and Uncle), Shawn Kingston plus Estonia’s very best coach and Match Race Umpire Alar Volmer making up this top team…………

Meanwhile Cascais very best Henrique Anjos is flying back from work in the Middle East to represent the Clube Naval de Cascais, as will Coca (Fransisco Pinheiro), with his experienced Brother Vicente’. In addition is the Jewel in the Rough from the Algarve, Fillipe de Silva, the Champion of Vilamoura……. So as you can all see it is not an easy task this “seeding”….  On second thoughts I’ll put everyone into a 10 Team Round Robin, so that everyone races everyone… (Let our expert and Top International Umpire, Miguel Allen, sort it out),  It may take a little longer, but the sun is out the sea is blue and the 2 hour “Happy Hour” does not begin (with life Irish Music), until 5pm!………………..  Life could be worse !

Higher, Faster, Longer……..   Stavros..