In an anticlimactic fifth and final match, where a dying breeze found rival Bjorn Hansen (SWE) on the wrong side of a huge shift, Italian Paolo Cian managed to navigate through the light winds and win the 2008 Brasil Sailing Cup and the first event of the World Match Racing Tour.

On his path to the Finals, Cian had to first get past Briton Williams in the first-to-two point Semi-Finals. Even though their pre-starts could be described as benign and flag-free since the two rarely engaged after their first entry, they both remained extremely focused on getting back to the start line in control of the favoured right side of the course. In the first match, it was Williams who got the right and maintained control in the light southerly to win. Cian did the same in the second and third.

Signals were up quickly for the final match between Cian and Hansen before the breeze died completely. In their allotted four minute pre-start Hansen and Cian barely managed to get entered, extend to the right, tack once, and each get the side they wanted, with Hansen right and Cian left. Cian finally took the advantage. With a huge left shift the Italians had just enough pressure to tack, cross miles ahead of the Swedes, and sail to victory.

Overall final Results:

1. Paolo Cian (ITA), Team Shosholoza
2. Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Alandia Sailing Team
3. Ian Williams (GBR), Team Pindar
4. Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Victory Challenge
5= Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team
5= Mattias Rahm (SWE), Stena Bulk Sailing Team
7. Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA), Equipe de France espoir de match racing
8. Peter Wibroe (DEN), Wibroe Sailing Team
9. Adam Minoprio (NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand, BlackMatch Racing
10. Henrique Haddad (BRA), Giant Sailing Team
11. Juan Grimaldi (ARG), Tag Heuer Sailing Team
12. Daniel Glomb (BRA), Team Bravissimo

For more information, please visit www.brasilsailingcup.com .