World Match Tour

Final 2007 schedule announced with €1m total prize fund on offer

Following the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup the top skippers are preparing for for the World Match Racing Tour - continuing top level match racing action in 2007.

Team Pindar’s Ian Williams leads the World Tour with 62 points followed closely behind by Mathieu Richard (50) and Jesper Bank (45).  These three are followed closely by Shosaloza’s Paolo Cian (41), Alinghi’s Ed Baird (40) and Peter Holmberg (37) with the 2006 World Champion Peter Gilmour in 7th on 35 points.  However, there are 1,100 points still to be won at the next 10 events and the points will double for the final event, the Monsoon Cup, Malaysia in December.  In addition, all of the World Tour events are Graded WC on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings as the highest level events in the world.

The new schedule sees two new events added to the prestigious series.  Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand has rejoined the World Tour under new management by former WMRT President, Pierre Tinnerholm of Brandspot in association with the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS). This fixture will see the return to the beautiful island of Marstrand just North of Gothenburg. €100,000 in prize money is on offer and Marstrand has seen over 30,000 spectators per day lining the shores to follow the racing in previous years.

Another new event on the series will be the Latium Match Cup, to be held in Fiumicino, Rome, Italy 11-16 September. This new event will be organized by FD Consulting in conjunction with Circolo Velico Fiumicino. With €200,000 on offer the event ranks second only to the Monsoon Cup in prize money.

Other changes include new venues for both Portugal Match Cup and the Brazil Sailing Cup that move to Troia and Vitoria respectively. 

2007 World Match Racing Tour Championship Season

Stage 7: May 24-28, Match Race Germany, Langenargen, Germany
Stage 8: July 2-8, Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, Sweden
Stage 9: July 24-29, Portugal Match Cup, Troia, Portugal
Stage 10: August 8-12, Danish Open, Copenhagen, Denmark
Stage 11: August 14-19, St Moritz Match Race, St Moritz, Switzerland
Stage 12: September 12-16, Latium Match Cup, Rome, Italy
Stage 13: September 18-23, Elba Cup Trofeo Locman, Elba, Italy
Stage 14: October 10-14, Bermuda Gold Cup, Hamilton, Bermuda
Stage 15: October 23-28, Brazil Sailing Cup, Vitoria, Brazil
Stage 16: Nov.28-Dec 2, Monsoon Cup, K.Terengganu, Malaysia

The World Tour is sanctioned by ISAF, sailing’s world governing body. The World Tour’s Main Partner and Official Car is BMW (Munich, Germany) with Official sponsors including Travel Places (West Sussex, England) and Wedgwood (Stoke-on-Trent, England), the Official Trophy Sponsor.