Walker to take the helm

... at the new British RYA Match Racing Open, September

Seven America's Cup syndicates have confirmed they will be taking part in the British RYA Match Racing Open Championship. The regatta, Britain's new and only grade one match racing event, is to be held during 16 - 20 September at the Portland and Weymouth Sailing Academy. The entries include:
Ian Walker/ GBR Challenge/ UK
Twice Olympic silver medalist in 470, 1996, and Star, 2000. Currently Sailing Team Manager at GBR Challenge, and although lacking in match racing experience compared to the likes of Andy Green, he is by no means going to be a walkover. With his team likely to be made up from the experienced GBR Challenge Squad he will be a formidable opponent.

Andy Green/ GBR Challenge/ UK:
Currently ranked tenth in the ISAF Match Racing rankings, although has been as high as ninth. Worked with the Hawaiian America's Cup syndicate as a rules and tactics advisor for the 1999/2000 Louis Vuitton Cup. Andy also won the Bermuda Gold Cup in 1999, and finished a respectable third in the Soling Olympic trials, often showing superior match racing skill to the trials winner, Andy Beadsworth, just a lack of practice in the Soling. This will not be the case this time round, a past UK Match Racing National Champion, Andy Green enters as the highest-ranked competitor.

Chris Main/ GBR Challenge/ UK
Was tune-up helmsman for the Nippon Challenge in the 1999/2000 Louis Vuitton Cup.

Ben Ainslie/ One World/ USA
Gold Medallist in the Laser Olympics, Sydney 2000. Although yet to steer at a major international match racing regatta, he has competed as mainsheet in several of the major Swedish Match events over the past twelve months.

John Cutler/ Oracle/ USA
A 1988 Olympic medallist in the Finn Class, Cutler brings the experience of three America's Cups campaigns and three match racing world championships plus numerous other match racing victories to Oracle Racing's afterguard. Cutler was tactician aboard Japan's Nippon Challenge America's Cup team in 1992 and helmsman in 1995. In 2000 he helmed America True.

Gavin Brady/ Prada/ Italy
Now twentieth in the ISAF match racing rankings. He was second at Steinlager 7 Cup, Australian Sun Microsystems Open, and Ronhill Cup, Croatia this year (all three on the Swedish Match tour).

Paolo Cian/ Onorato Challenge/ Italy
Paolo is lying 15th in the rankings at the moment. He is the winner of several top Italian Match Racing events, including the Italian Championships.

Morten Henriksen/ Illbruck Challenge/ Germany
Lying in 16th place in the rankings. Yet to score a major international win, but certainly capable of it after a year of steady improvement. Notably he was the winner of the 2000 Audi Challenge.

Sebastian Destremeau/ Le Defi/ France
Thirty-eighth. Third Congressional Cup 2000 and Australian Sun Microsystems Open. Tenth Congressional Cup 2001, third Freemantle Open Match Race.

John Derbyshire, the Racing Manager for the Royal Yachting Association, commented: "I'm delighted to see that seven America's Cup syndicates will be racing in the British RYA Match Racing Open Championship. It's wonderful that Britain will be hosting a grade one match racing event and I am looking forward to seeing crews of such calibre competing."

The British RYA Match Race Open Championships will be sailed in the RYA fleet of First Class 8's, which will be modified for this event. In addition to having new sails for the regatta, the boats will be fitted with runners, ballasts and helm restrictions which will make them more difficult to sail. Crews will consist of five sailors with a weight limit of 437.5 kg.