The Pindar All-Stars

Crew list announced for Antigua Sailing Week

Pindar have announced their crew line up for it’s Volvo 60 Pindar AlphaGraphics which will race in next week’s Stanford Antigua Sailing Week. Ian Williams, (soon to be) World Match Racing number one (and thedailysail America's Cup commentator) will helm Pindar AlphaGraphics, with leading British round-the-world sailors Brian Thompson and Alex Thomson (Thompson and Thomson - for you Tintin fans) supporting Ian in the afterguard.

This is the second year that Pindar AlphaGraphics has competed in the week-long regatta, beginning in Falmouth, Antigua, on Sunday 29 April. Now in it’s 40th anniversary year, the event promises to provide great racing, with a variety of inshore windward-leeward races, as well as traditional round-the-island races, culminating in an ocean race on the final day.

From May, Williams, 30, will be ranked number one in the ISAF Match Racing Rankings and is currently leading in the World Match Racing Tour, is Britain’s highest ever ranking match racing sailor. Brian Thompson, 45, has 25 world records to his names and has clocked up more multihull and swing keel miles than any other British yachtsman. Later this year he will compete in the Barcelona World Race on the Offshore Challenge entry with Guillermo Altadill. Alex Thomson, 32, was dramatically rescued from the Southern Ocean last November by Mike Golding in the Velux 5 Oceans, will be competing against Thompson in the double handed round the world race aboard his new Hugo Boss Open 60.

Also joining the crew in Antigua is Pindar’s new Volvo 60 skipper, Jo Royle. Jo, 27, from Preston, Lancashire, previously worked with Clipper Ventures and Formula 1 Sailing, has considerable experience in Southern Ocean sailing with several expeditions to the Sub-Antarctic. Pindar AlphaGraphics will also host VIP guests on the boat each day as part of their extensive corporate hospitality programme.

Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: "The line-up for this year’s Antigua Sailing Week is superb. Pindar is thrilled to be sailing with a highly talented team. I know that Ian Williams, one of our Pindar ambassadors will work hard to get the most out of his crew and the boat. We are pleased to have round-the-world sailors such as Brian and Alex joining us, and we welcome the latest addition to the Pindar Ocean Racing team, Jo Royle."

Pindar AlphaGraphics Crew List:

Ian Williams – Helm/Afterguard
Brian Thompson – Navigation & Tactics/Afterguard
Alex Thomson
Olly Smith
Jo Royle
Nick Crabtree
Trewren Joines
Matt Smeaton
Anna Stevenson
Alex Williams
Jeff Blue
Scott 'Tourmeister' Macleod