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Pindar announce sponsorship of leading British match racer

Pindar, the leading print and electronic media company and well known sponsor of international sailing campaigns, today announced its sponsorship of British match racer, Ian Williams. Ian is Britain’s most promising circuit match racing helm who is currently leading the World Match Racing Tour and recently won the illustrious King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda (see our interview with him here).

Williams, 29, has signed a 14 month deal with Pindar, which includes re-naming the team to ‘Team Pindar’ and supporting them throughout the 2006-7 season (the remainder of the current World Match Racing Tour). Next event on the calendar for Williams and his team is the Allianz Cup Presented by Oracle, the only US event of the World Match Racing Tour. In celebration of their support of Williams, Pindar will also be a main partner of the Allianz Cup, the fifth event in the 2006-07 World Championship season. This will feature an impressive line-up featuring several America’s Cup syndicate teams and is hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco Bay over 24-29 October.

Since making a bold move to begin full-time professional match racing, quitting his ‘day job’ as a lawyer in London in May of last year, Williams has notched up a series of great results, finishing second at the 2006 Elba Cup/Trofeo Locman, third at the Match Race Germany and second overall in the 2006 World Match Racing Championships in July. Victory in Bermuda moves him five points ahead of Frenchman Mathieu Richard in the current 2006-07 World Match Race Tour.

Williams, based in Southampton, England, sails with a core crew taken from his squad of five; Mark Nicholls (trimmer), Mark Williams (bowman), Gerry Mitchell (trimmer), Bill Hardesty (tactician) and Simon Shaw (trimmer/tactician). Dependent upon the boats sailed in each event, Williams selects his team based upon each of their key strengths.

Pindar’s sponsorship of Williams will work in addition to their on-going sponsorship of round-the-world yachtswoman Emma Sanderson (nee Richards), Olympic dinghy sailing hopeful Hannah Mills, and quadriplegic sailor Hilary Lister. Pindar also recently announced their plans to build a new Open 60, in collaboration with Volvo Ocean Race winner Mike Sanderson, and celebrated designer Juan Kouyoumdjian.

Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: “I am delighted to be able to announce Pindar’s sponsorship of Ian, whom we believe is one of the rising stars of the professional match racing circuit. I would like to congratulate Ian on his recent win at the Bermuda Gold Cup, and wish him every success in the World Match Racing Tour. The west coast of the USA is an important area to us as a business, so San Francisco is the perfect event for us to announce our involvement in the match racing scene and we are excited to be involved in this event.”

Ian Williams commented: “I am really excited about my team becoming a part of the Pindar family, a sponsor who is well known and respected within the sailing world. With the backing of Pindar I will now be able to concentrate my efforts 100% upon winning the World Match Racing Tour which is my ultimate dream. I was delighted with my team’s performance at the King Edward VII Gold Cup and the aim in San Francisco will be to remain at the top of the ladder. It is early days yet as we are only four events into the calendar of 15 but to be the first Briton to win the World Title would be amazing.”