At the end of the first day's racing in the Troia Portugal Match Cup, only three of the twelve skippers had unbeaten records. Gavin Brady (NZL) of the BMW Oracle Racing Team won all three of his matches in the round robin, as did Peter Gilmour (AUS) of the Pizza-La Sailing Team. Five skippers, Sebastien Col (FRA), Mathieu Richard (FRA), Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Ian Williams (GBR) and Philippe Presti (FRA), won two of their three matches and Paolo Cian (ITA) and Staffan Lindberg (FIN) each had one win while Sally Barkow (USA), Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) and Alvaro Marinho (POR) suffered three defeats apiece.
It was a day of mixed wind conditions; the early westerly breeze gave way to a shifting northerly at the end of the third flight, but the race officer waited until this had largely settled before resuming the racing. No flights suffered as a result of the change but there were many close matches with all the match racing gambits employed.
In four flights of racing Thursday 26 July afternoon, six of the quarter finalists were decided, but it took another five flights, well into the evening, before the other two were able to claim their places. Throughout the day the northerly wind persisted in direction, although it varied in strength.
Gavin Brady (USA), Sebastien Col (FRA) and Mathieu Richard (FRA) were the first to claim their places from Group A; Brady the only one with a perfect 5-0 score. From Group B. Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR) and Philippe Presti (FRA) were the claimants, with Gilmour the only one with a perfect score. Gilmour and his Professional Sailing Team PST had a tough match with Presti and another close one with Staffan Lindberg (FIN) with the two boats just one length apart at the finish. The highlight of the Group B round was a match between old rivals Ian Williams with his Pindar Sailing Team and Paolo Cian (ITA). Williams wanted the left end of the start line, obtained it and started in a left hand shift. Cian went right and hooked into the first wind change, a substantial right-hander, and led for three legs of the course. Williams had closed towards the final mark and then gybe-set and went left into better pressure and was able to beat Cian to the line.
Results:
Group A:
Gavin Brady, USA, 5-0
Sebastien Col, FRA, 4-1
Mathieu Richard, FRA, 3-2
Bjorn Hansen, SWE, 2-3
Eugeny Neugodnikov, RUS, 1-4
Sally Barkow, USA, 0-6
Group B:
Peter Gilmour, AUS, 5-0
Ian Williams, GBR, 4-1
Philippe Presti, FRA, 3-2
Paolo Cian, ITA, 1-4
Alvaro Marinho, POR, 1-4
Staffan Lindberg, FIN, 1-4
