Jury leads Kiwi team to glory in Match Racing

Laurie Jury’s New Zealand team overcame the Russian challenge led by Andrei Arbuzov to secure the Qatar Match Racing Cup 2011, which concluded at the Doha Sailing Club yesterday. Jury and his team committed fewer mistakes than their Russian rivals to win by a 3-1 margin in the best of five match finals. Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi-skippered Finland team defeated Zahid Rauf’s Pakistan team 2-0 in the best of three third-place playoff.New Zealand team collected the winners’ trophy and a purse of $6,000 from general secretary of Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation Khalifa al-Suwaidi at the ceremony held later in the evening.Arbuzov’s team received $3,000, while third-placed Finland and fourth-placed Pakistan team walked away with $2,000 and $1,000 respectively for their efforts. This year’s event, which has been upgraded to level 2 by ISAF, drew a total of 14 teams from nine countries. “It was a really good winning experience for the team. It was a tough competition with especially the final a really close affair,” said a delighted Jury after the final. “The conditions remained perfect with good steady breeze throughout.”Jury, who had lost two races in the round robin stages, added, “We were a little bit faster going downwind. We committed fewer mistakes than the Russians in the final.”Losing finalist Arbuzov was a tad disappointed to miss out on the title but was happy with the way the event was put up by the organisers.“We had our chances to finish on the top of the podium today. We lacked concentration and made some tactical mistake which cost us dearly,” explained Arbuzov, who led his team into the semi-finals on top with seven wins in as many matches.“But I am really happy to be back here sailing in this event, which was very well organised,” said the Russian, who came here last year as Pakistan team coach.In Friday’s semi-finals, Zahid Rauf’s Pakistan team pushed Arbuzov’s Russia team all the way to the deciding race, only for the later to squeeze to a 2-1 victory after a see-saw battle.New Zealand team, the event’s top ranked team at 29 in the world, performed to their billing as they sailed past Lumijarvi of Finland 2-0 to book a place in the finals. They finished second behind Arbuzov’s Russian team with six wins, while Lumijarvi took up the third place with five wins.But it was the battle between Rauf’s Pakistan and Arbuzov’s Russia teams that kept the clubhouse buzzing on Friday afternoon.Rauf’s crew of Rana Muhammad Waqas Anwar, Abdul Hameed, Khalid Hussain and Rehman Ullah belied their world ranking of 734 to scoring four wins in seven matches to make it to the last four. “My team’s performance in this event was outstanding. This is our second Grade II event and my team has secured some outstanding results to make me feel very proud,” commented Lt Cdr Rauf.