Fremantle Sailor heads to Brazil for match racing
TORVAR MIRSKY IN BRAZIL - 22nd April 2008
By John Roberson
Young Fremantle skipper Torvar Mirsky and his crew continue their international match racing campaign with the Brazil Sailing Cup, whichs tarts today in Vitoria, about 300 km north of Rio de Janeiro. This is the first of nine events on the2008 World Match Racing Tour, the premiere professional sailing circuit.
Since winning the Warren Jones Youth Regatta on the Swan River in February this year, Torvar and his team have contested three senior events in Europe, chalking up some good results.
Their first event was in England, at Queen Mary Sailing Club just west of London, where they finished second to Frenchman Damien Lehl in the grade 2 Royal Yachting Association's Winter Challenge.
From there they headed south to Marseille on the Mediterranean coast of France for the grade 1 Marseille International Match Race, where they scored a fifth place against some very tough opposition.
Then earlier this month they chalked up a third place at theV Open de Espana, another grade one event.
These results have moved the team up to seventh place on theworld rankings, the highest they have ever been, and ten places ahead of the next placed Australian, Perth sailing legend Peter Gilmour.
Since the Spanish regatta the Mirsky Racing Team have remained in Spain, gaining some valuable experience by training with the current world champion, and last year's World Match Racing Tour winner Ian Williams of Britain.
The line-up for the Brazil Sailing Cup is:-
Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net
Daniel Glomb (BRA) Team Bravissimo
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Peter Wibroe (DEN) Team Wibroe
Pierre Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan
Mattias Rahm(SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team
