Shenzhen Business Daily Reading Client Reporter Li Dan Correspondent Haibin Wentu
On December 16, the waters near Happy Harbor ushered in a "windy day", and the 2023 World Sailing Confrontation Tour (WMRT) Shenzhen Baoan Finals brought many surprises to the audience. The top four of the day's events were decided - Two Point Zero Racing, Berntsson Sailing Team, and ChinaOneNingbo and True Blue Racing come out on top and will compete for the championship on December 17. Two Point Zero Racing captain Megan Thomson became the first female captain to lead the team to the semi-finals of the WMRT Finals.
The temperature plummeted, and the female captain directed the "Black Eight Miracle".
Affected by the cold air, the temperature in Shenzhen plummeted on December 16, and the average wind near Happy Harbor reached 15 knots, which can be said to be "super luxurious" compared with the previous three race days. Each team tried to show their best, and the intensity of the field was further increased by hand-to-hand combat.
On the morning of the same day, 12 teams completed the qualifying stage and decided the quarterfinals. At 2 p.m., the knockout rounds kicked off, with Two Point Zero Racing, who were only eighth in qualifying, taking on the first-ranked Extend Commerce Sailing Team. Megan Thomson led the team to complete the reversal, defeating the opponent 2-1 and staging the "Black Eight Miracle".
After the game, the other teams congratulated Meghan and paid tribute to her and the team's efforts. In her review, the New Zealand girl said: "The wind on the pitch is very windy and sometimes very confusing. We made a few small mistakes in the first fight, but we learned from them quickly. Clause.
In the second and third games, we seized the opportunity to cross the line first and achieve a reversal. In fact, our team's goal is to reach the quarterfinals, and going one step further now is the best reward for our hard work. For the semi-finals, I just want to enjoy and have a good time with the finals. ”
There were many more surprises on the day. Johnny Berntsson's Berntsson Sailing Team and Gavin Brady's True Blue Racing both fought back, beating the better Capvis Swiss Match Race Team (captain Eric Monning) and Knots Racing (captain Nick Egnot Johnson) respectively. In the final match, Ian Williams led ChinaOneNingbo held on to the lead, knocking out Chris Poole's Riptide Racing 2-1 to make it to the semi-finals.
The punctuation point is more than 100 meters away from the audience, attracting a large number of citizens to watch
December 16th is Saturday, and many citizens take advantage of the holiday to come to Happy Harbor to play, ** wonderful WMRT showdown. Thanks to the arrival of windy weather, the venue was moved closer to the shore, and the nearest punctuation point was only more than 100 meters away from the audience, which made many citizens who stopped to be addicted. Many "enthusiasts" brought cameras and loaded "spears and cannons" to record the moments of fierce competition among the contestants.
Qi Hexin, deputy secretary general of Shenzhen Aviation and Marine Vehicle Model Sports Association, brought his family to watch the race, and although his grandson, who was more than 1 year old, could not read, he was also attracted by the sailing ship at sea. Qi Hexin said: "The world-class sailing event held in Shenzhen can let everyone feel the charm of this sport more closely, and it is also a rare opportunity for Shenzhen to make children interested in marine knowledge and navigation knowledge." ”
Johnny Bernterson also noticed that the shore was more lively than in the previous two days. "This area may not have hosted sailing races in the past, maybe people are just Xi coming here for coffee and shopping, but now they see that there are races at sea, and they will be interested in this event." He smiled, "Maybe there is a lack of commentators now, and it would be better if there was a loudspeaker next to him to explain it, so that everyone can understand the situation of the competition more clearly." ”
James Pletzens, Executive Director of WMRT, was also pleased with the crowds: "For WMRT, it was an innovative attempt to host the tournament in the sea near the city centre. Judging from the situation in the past few days, it has indeed attracted a lot of citizens to come to ** and understand, and I can feel from their faces that they enjoy watching the game. Now that the finals have entered the most exciting stage, tomorrow is the finals, and more citizens are welcome to come here to see the fierce competition at sea. ”
Editor: Huang Xiaomin.
Review: Qiao Huiqing.