Szczecin (21 June 2021) No.1 world ranked match racer Eric Monnin and his Capvis Swiss Match Race Team from Switzerland claimed victory at the opening event of the 2021 World Match Racing Tour season, winning the gold medal at Poland’s Szczecin Match Race. Monnin defeated French match racer Maxime Mesnil in a straight 2-0 in the final, with Australian David Chapman finishing third place.
Szczecin Match Race is has been a long lasting tradition in Poland since 2008 and which has always brought the most experienced and accomplished match racing sailors to Poland, at the same time being an official World Tour event of the World Match Racing Tour.
This year the event hosted 12 crews from 7 different counties and 4 continents including the USA, Brazil, Australia, Denmark, Estonia and Poland.
Over 80 matches were sailed over 3 days in close to perfect weather conditions including the Round Robin, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals. Eric Monnin and crew were on fine form at the event winning all but one of their races. Jeppe Borch from Denmark (World Sailing rank #11) delivered an impressive performance, finishing the Round Robin in second, followed closely by Maxime Mesnil (#4) and Chris Poole from the US (#12). The Polish sailors did not get a great start, but local favourite Patryk Zbroja bounced back to finish the event in a respectable 4th place.
Quarterfinal results:
Mesnil 2 – 0 Sepp
Chapman 2 – 1 Poole
Zbroja 2 – 0 Borch
In the Semi-final, Monnin scored 2 points against Zbroja, while Mesnil battled it out with Chapman to win 2-1. Monnin and Mesnil, both World Match Racing Tour card holders for 2021 went on to battle out in the finals with multiple lead changes. Monnin won both final races to clinch a 2-0 victory over Mesnil. Australian David Chapman finished in 3rd place winning the petit-final against Patryk Zbroja.
Szczecin Match Race 2021 – Final results;
- Eric Monnin – Capvis Swiss Sailing Team – Switzerland
- Maxime Mesnil – Match in Black by Normandy Elite Team – France
- David Chapman – Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania – Australia
- Patryk Zbroja – YACHT KLUB POLSKI SZCZECIN – Poland
- Jeppe Rørholm Borch – Team Borch Matchrace – Denmark
- Chris Poole – Riptide Racing – USA
- Mati Sepp – EESTI MATCH RACE LIIT – Estonia
- Emil Kjaer – Blue Match Team – Denmark
- Igor Tarasiuk – HRMRacing Team – Poland
- Piotr Harasimowicz – HRMRacing Team – Poland
- Bernardo Low-beer – Xaxalaka Team – Brazil
- Szymon Jabłkowski – Jabłkowski Sailing Team – Poland
Live coverage from the races with live commentary and numerous interviews was provided on Polish Match Tour’s Facebook page and the OCS Youtube channel. Main Partners during the event were Miasto Szczecin, Pomorze Zachodnie, Siblo Polska and Sail Szczecin and other Partners supporting the event were Centrum Żeglarskie, Harken Polska, Ava Marine, Prestiż magazyn szczeciński, Etcetera and Zachodniopomorski Okręgowy Związek Żeglarski.
Eric Monnin (SUI) – Winner
Maxime Mesnil (FRA) – 2nd place
David Chapman (AUS) – 3rd place