Seoul Sailing: Korean Match Cup blog

A match race for the ages took place off the Korean coast on Saturday evening. Photo / Sub Zero Images

On Saturday we saw a race for the ages; indeed, it is believed it was the longest match race in the history of the World Match Racing Tour.

Of all the facets that make up great sport tendurance, whether physical or mental, is often of the most important.

Think of some of the epic contests in recent times; the commonwealth games netball final, where the Silver Ferns powered double overtime periods to win. What about the Warriors going to golden point and beyond against the Panthers last year, and of course the incredible John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut marathon at Wimbledon in 2010.

To these battles we can add a match race for the ages raced off the Korean coast on Saturday evening. Indeed the elognated drama was more like a 'batch' race than match race, such was the amount of twist and turns.

At the end of it all the winner was reluctant to celebrate, while the loser was fuming at the dramatic inequality he had witnessed.
Bjorn Hansen (Sweden, world number eight) took on Mathieu Richard (world number four) in the quarter finals of the Korean Match Cup. Hansen took the crucial first match in the best of three series.

Richard responded, carving out a big lead in the next race before it was controversially called off, the race officials deeming that a large wind shift had been too big and was actually unfair.

Richard, a gently spoken Frenchman, poured out gallons of gallic frustration in the direction of the umpires to no avail.

The boats returned; five more minutes of the pre-start - this bewitching combination of chess, physology and nautical skills that test the nerves to the limit. This time Hansen was ahead from the beginning, and led well into the race before it too was abandoned after the Scandinavian ran aground on the retreating tide.

They lined up again. The Frenchman bought a lead with clever tactics at the start, and was good enough to hold onto the advantage and square the duel.

By this time the sun was well advanced on its downward arc, and all other competitors had left the course. As had most of the tide. One of the curious (and fascinating) aspects of this event in the tide; up to eight metres, it can turn the course into a mindfield as it lowers.

All up, seven times the teams strained sinew and mental muscle in the pre start, seven times they jousted down the course, and seven times the race was abandoned.

Physically there were shattered bodies; mentally the toll was much harder, especially on Richard who was the victim of most of the more controversial abandonments.

Would it go on? The officials decided yes, and Hansen and his Scandinavians jumped into a lead, and navigated carefully down the course to complete a victory.

When pressed afterwards, Hansen admitted he was not sure if he deserved his victory.

"I really feel for my opponent," he said genuinely, "and I know we were fortunate in a way".

Richard turned down an invitation to the press conference, but later was still struggling to come to terms with some of the decisions, pointing out that they were inconsistent with previous precdents.

"I know in sailing you can be unlucky but this was more than that," said Richard. "This was too much."

Michael Burgess is at the Korean Match Cup with assistance from the World Match Racing Tour.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY