Action-packed and filled with unexpected turns, day four of the 2023 World Match Racing Tour Final in Shenzhen, China, saw the emergence of the final four.
The conclusion of the last two flights of the round-robin phase set the stage for the top eight to progress to the quarter-finals. Among them, New Zealand's Megan Thomson clinched the final spot in the top eight, triumphing over Denmark's Jeppe Borch and Italy's Rocco Attili on countback. Thomson, steering 2.0 Racing, capitalised on their eighth-place finish, dethroning the regatta's reigning champion.
In a classic selection process, first-place finisher Sweden's Björn Hansen chose to race eighth-place finisher Thomson in the quarter-finals. The day's conditions on the water presented a stark contrast to earlier races, with a shift in wind direction, substantial gusts, and consistently stronger breezes.
On the selection, Thomson wasn't surprised, "We were expecting to get picked by the first-place finisher since we only just scraped through to the quarter-finals."
But never discount an underdog. Thomson has sailed well this regatta with her crew of Leo Takahashi, Nicholas Heiner and Niall Malone. Throughout the week, the team has made smart decisions on the water, and some of their losses on the scoreboard were much closer in competition than a simple '1-0'.
The quarter-finals, where the first team to reach two points would advance, saw Hansen secure the initial victory before Thomson levelled the score in the second race. The last race between the two would determine the semi-finalist. It was close, with a tight second top mark rounding, including last-minute gybes and strong gusts. Hansen had an issue with his kite halyard, which led to it dropping completely in the water and ultimately, Thomson kept her lead and secured the final win to advance to the semi-finals.
"The goal was to make the top eight, and we achieved that, so anything is a bonus from here," says Thomson. "We're just happy to be here and racing against the best. We're going to focus on having fun tomorrow."
Thomson's advancement to the semi-finals isn't just a personal triumph; it's a watershed moment for the sport. She is the first female skipper to be in the top four of a World Match Racing Tour Final.
