11:36 PM Fri 5 Dec 2008 GMT
A phenomenal run of nine wins from 11 matches so far has secured Team Shosholoza's Paolo Cian and his crew an early spot in the quarter finals of the 2008 Monsoon Cup after three days of tough racing in Terengganu, Malaysia.
Event journalist Tracey Johnstone of Sail-World.com couldn't put it better when she says Cian has 'has had a brilliant event to date. Never wavering in his ability to work with the difficult conditions on the waters of Terengganu, he has certainly made the round robin stage his own. '
Cian, Torvar Mirsky and Mirsky Racing Team and Adam Minoprio with his Black Match Racing Team/ETNZ who are also through to the quarter-finals will be able to sleep well tonight. But six of the best international match racers - defending champion Ian Williams, Sebastien Col, Mathieu Richard, Magnus Holmberg, Ben Ainslie and Peter Gilmour - will have to wait until tomorrow to battle for the five available places left in the quarter final after shifting soft breezes forced a postponement of the final and deciding flight of the round robin. They are all sitting on equal points of five wins each.
But for Cian and his Shosholoza crew who are sponsored by Breil Milano and MSC Crociere the pressure is off - for just a short while anyway!
'I feel very relaxed at the moment because I know the pressure is somewhere else. Tomorrow it will be completely different. As far as I remember last year Ian (Williams) ended the round robin in the seventh place and then won the Monsoon Cup. So it means it is very difficult and tricky out there. Today we sailed quite well, but we made a small mistake on the pre-start with Ben (Ainslie) and then took the right mark and sailed away. I am sure tomorrow the pressure will be on again,' Cian said.
So far Cian has only lost to Williams who is also the current World Match Racing Tour leader and Ainslie, the triple gold Olympic medallist heading up Britain's Team Origin.
Cian was philosophical ahead of his match against Ainslie today:
'I think that every match is a different story and it is very reliant on the weather conditions and the current conditions so you know if it is a match you can attack or you want to be a little smoother and try to slip away. Ben Ainslie and Sebastien Col are top sailors all over the world and they have demonstrated in different classes, in match races, America's Cup and so on. It will be tough like every time.'
Cian challenged Ainslie every moment of the match, but the British took the lead to finish ahead. It was a different story with Col who he smartly out-foxed to bag another win.
'It happens sometimes! But our team is very upbeat and we are looking forward to doing battle again tomorrow. We have had incredible support from our sponsors Breil Milano and MSC Crociere and from so many fans who have sent us messages of support. It makes us more determined and we want to thank all of them. It has been fantastic!' said Cian.
Team Shosholoza managing director Captain Salvatore Sarno said he hesitated to comment on the team's incredible success so far: 'I am so very, very superstitious so before I say anything I would like them to win the event! But I am very proud of them. Paolo is a fantastic skipper, they are a great team and they are sailing fast. I am thinking of them all the time.'
At the end round robin the results were as follows -
Team Shosholoza (ITA) Paolo Cian, 9 - 2
Mirsky Racing Team (AUS) Torvar Mirsky, 8 - 2
Black Match Racing / ETNZ (NZL) Adam Minoprio, 7 - 3
Bahrain Team Pindar (GBR) Ian Williams, 5 - 5
Team Origin, Ben Ainslie (GBR) 5 - 5
French Match Racing Team / French Spirit (FRA) Mathieu Richard, 5 - 5
French Match Racing Team / K-Challenge (FRA) Sebastien Col, 5 - 5
Yanmar Racing Team, Peter Gilmour (AUS) 5 - 6
Victory Challenge, Magnus Holmberg (SWE) 5 - 4
Black Swan Racing, Keith Swinton (AUS) 4 - 7
Berntsson Sailing Team, Johnie Berntsson (SWE) 3 - 7
Perak Sailing Team, Nurul Ain bt Md Isa (MAS) 0 -0
Team Shosholoza - SA America's Cup Challenger
* Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is the patron of Team Shosholoza.
* Team Shosholoza embraces a strong training and development component through the Izivunguvungu MSC Foundation for Youth in Simonstown, Cape Town.
* Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town is the South African America's Cup Challenge Club.
* Team Shosholoza is sponsored by MSC Crociere and Breil Milano.
by Di Meek, Team Shosholoza Media
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