Williams still ahead

32 point lead for Pindar skipper on the World Match Racing Tour leaderboard

Based on the results from the Latium Match Cup, Team Pindar’s Ian Williams (GBR) retains a healthy 32-point lead in the World Match Racing Tour leaderboard, but the race has tightened considerably for twond through to fourth places. Only five points now separate Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team, Paolo Cian (ITA) Shosholoza, and Sebastien Col (FRA) Areva Challenge, on the Tour leaderboard.

The close in points occurred because of the modest showings in last week’s event in Fiumicino from Richard, who placed 9th, and Cian, who placed 5th, while Col advanced 20 points to close the gap based on his runners-up finish to James Spithill (AUS). Even Williams could manage only a 6th among a tough field of 12 teams which included the current World Champion and the current ISAF No 1 ranked skipper and six teams representing syndicates from the 32nd America’s Cup. Despite this, Spithill and his team from Luna Rossa found form sailing the event’s Solaris 36’s and won every match they raced.

The Tour’s next stop is in Hamilton, Bermuda for the King Edward VII Gold Cup, to be held over 9-14 October. One of the oldest events on the Tour, racing will be in the venerable International One Design, with four rather than five crew on each team. Tour leader Ian Williams will have his hands full defending his title this year, since a total field of 24 teams will be vying for a piece of the $100,000 prize purse including recent America’s Cup winner Ed Baird (USA).

After Bermuda, the World Tour continues with the Brazil Sailing Cup (13-18 November) in Vitoria, Brazil. The final event on the Tour is the Monsoon Cup in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia (28 November-2 December), where the World Champion will be crowned. This event will have 200 points on offer and skippers must count this event in their final score.

“It’s not surprising the Tour leaderboard is tightening like this,” said Tour Director Scott MacLeod. “There are still three events left with plenty of points available, so a late charge could see a team climb up through the ranks and take the title.”

Spithill himself says the Tour could be won by anyone. “Its very, very tough on the Tour now,” he said in Fiumicino. “The guys that are here are the Peter Gilmours of today, very talented, very tough, and winning comes down to just the smallest margins.”

2007 World Match Racing Championship Season
Stage 7: May 23-28, 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 11-16, Latium Match Cup, Rome, Italy
Stage 13: October 9-14, Bermuda Gold Cup, Hamilton, Bermuda
Stage 14: November 13-18, Brazil Sailing Cup, Vitoria, Brazil
Stage 15: Nov.28-Dec 2, Monsoon Cup, Terengganu, Malaysia

ISAF Match Racing World Championship Leaderboard (Top 8)
(After Stage 12 of 15)
1. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar, 130 points
2. Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team, 98 points
3. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza, 96 points
4. Sébastien Col (FRA) Areva Challenge, 93 points
5. Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST, 66 points
6. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net, 59 points
7. Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany, 53 points
8. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, 52 points