Taylor Canfield of St. Thomas won the Alpari Match Racing World Tour Saturday after a dramatic final day at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, during which Canfield wound up rooting for the team that had just beaten him to win the final and secure him the series title.
The Monsoon Cup is the sixth and final event on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, the leading professional sailing series that is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation, according to the Scuttlebutt Sailing News website. Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the ISAF Match Racing World Champion.
Canfield entered the Monsoon Cup poised to take the title, and entered the final day of sailing needing only to make the finals aboard his boat, USone, to secure it. All Taylor Canfield had to do was dispatch New Zealander Phil Robertson, and the World title would be his, regardless of whether or not he was beaten by England’s Ian Williams in the final.
But Robertson wasn’t ready to cede anything.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, these guys have the pressure of a World Championship on the shoulders,” the WAKA Racing skipper said, according to Scuttlebutt. He came out in the strong winds, outmaneuvering Canfield at the starts, and won 3-1. In the deciding match, Robertson crossed the line just 0.1 seconds ahead of Canfield’s U.S. team.
For the first time all week, Canfield’s destiny was out of his hands and he had to watch from the shore as his opponent in the semifinals become his friend in the finals. A win by the Kiwi over the British boat, GAC Pindar, would give Canfield the tour title.
In a tight three-race match, Robertson outsailed Williams and won the Cup, and handed Canfield the tour title.
Kiwi celebrations on the water were more than matched by USone’s celebrations in the lounge. When Robertson came ashore, it was the USone crew that raised the Kiwi skipper on their shoulders, grateful that he could finish the job for them.
In his first full year on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, the 24-year-old Canfield won at his first attempt.
“It was our first year on the tour, and we came in all fists swinging, hoping to put up a fight, and we did!" Canfield said. "Thanks go to my amazing team, they’re the real force here. Hopefully we’ll have many more years on the tour.”
Winning the Monsoon Cup lifted Phil Robertson to third overall in the tour behind Canfield and Williams.
“We’re stoked,” said the 26-year-old Robertson. “It’s been a real long time time coming. The boys put in a massive effort in the bigger breeze, and everything went our way today. That’s what you need to happen in finals when the pressure’s on.”
Williams was clearly hurting from his defeat, missing out on an opportunity to win a record fifth world title.
Robertson winning $100,000 for his Monsoon Cup victory plus a tour bonus of $70,000 for his third-place overall finish. Williams won $65,000 as runner-up in Malaysia, plus $80,000 as runner-up in the tour. Canfield won $48,000 for third at the Monsoon Cup and a $100,000 tour victory bonus.
James Pleasance, executive director of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, said the finish in Malaysia was a perfect ending to the year’s series.
“We couldn’t have seen a better finish to the tour than what we witnessed today at the Monsoon Cup. There was so much at stake today, and although it was a pity for Ian Williams that he couldn’t take out his fifth world title, it’s been a great day for the new generation of match racers with Phil winning the Monsoon Cup and Taylor winning the tour at his first attempt. We have seen six different winners from six events this year. It bodes well for a great season in 2014.”
Final Results for the Monsoon Cup 2013
1st Place – Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
2nd Place – Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
3rd Place – Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone
4th Place – Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team
5th Place – Bjorn Hansen (SWE) eWork Sailing Team
6th Place – Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX
7th Place – Francesco Bruni (ITA) Luna Rossa
8th Place – Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing
9th Place – Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team
10th Place – Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team
11th Place – David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour
12th Place – Jeremy Koo (MAS) Team KFC – MYA/KRT
Alpari World Match Racing Tour Results 2013
1st Place – Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone
2nd Place – Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
3rd Place – Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
4th Place – Bjorn Hansen (SWE) eWork Sailing Team
5th Place – Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX
6th Place – Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing
7th Place – Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team
8th Place – Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team
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