Action earlier this weekend at the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand, Sweden.

MARSTRAND, SWEDEN — Dean Barker, heir-apparent to the throne of the Team New Zealand America's Cup program and reigning match-race World Champion, staged a stunning come-from-behind effort in the last match to win the Swedish Match Cup. After trailing two-to-zero in the best-of-five series against Bertrand Pace, Barker and his team took advantage of forced errors by his opponent and the vagaries of a light and shifty wind to grab his second win on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Tour and 245,000 Swedish Krona ($27,800 US) in prize money. Barker now trails Pace by only a single point on the eight-event Tour, which continues next week at the Trofeo Challenge/Roberto Trombini Match Race regatta in Ravenna, Italy.
Barker's team of Tony Rae, Chris Ward, James Dagg, and Hamish Pepper sailed a total of 19 matches in this event, and won all but three in conditions ranging from full-on to fluky. In the final, determining race, Pace and his team were ahead on the second leg, but sailed into a hole, and Barker's team found a puff to carry them out ahead for good. Both Barker and Pace had earlier survived tough semifinal matches against Magnus Holmberg and Sten Mohr, respectively.
In the women's final, reigning women's World Champion Dorte Jensen and her team of Gitte Bjerregaard, Vivi Moller, Rachel Kiel, Annette Strom, and Helle Jespersen defeated top US-based match racer Betsy Alison in three straight matches. Jensen won 52,000 Swedish Krona ($5,900 US), and established a strong lead in the world match race rankings.
This was the eighth edition of this annual regatta, which is considered by many to be the crown jewel in the eight-event Swedish Match Grand Prix Tour, with thousands of spectators, on-site narration, and live TV, radio, and internet coverage. For more information and details of all the action and drama, check out the event website at www.swedishmatchcup.com.