World Match Racing Tour / Flying Dutchman disposes of Barkow and Anyon

Match racing is a cruel sport, there is no second, just winners and losers, and Sally Barkow and George Anyon were reminded of this today in brutal style. Both have been eliminated from the Match Cup Australia with Dutch sailor Pieter-Jan Postma defeating both and making it through to the Super 16 Round.

Crédit : I Roman

WMRT / "The World Tour will constitute a major sporting goal for Spindrift racing in 2016.” Yann Guichard

The World Match Racing Tour today announced the remaining four ‘Tour Card’ skippers that will join the 2016 World Championship. Yann Guichard (FRA), Mattias Rahm (SWE), Nicolai Sehested (DEN), and the first ever all-female Tour Card team to be led by Sally Barkow (USA) complete the list of ten appointed Tour Card Skippers for 2016.

Crédit : DR

WMRT / Williams and GAC Pindar make history after claiming record fifth World Match Racing Title

Ian Williams has today secured his place in the history books, becoming the first skipper ever to win the World Match Racing Tour title five times. Williams, who had previously won the title in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012, overtakes veteran Australian sailor Peter Gilmour who also had four titles.

Match Race / Williams and GAC Pindar lay down a marker with dominant qualifying victory over title rival Taylor Canfield

Ian Williams and his GAC Pindar crew made a strong statement on the final day of qualifying with a convincing victory over title rival Taylor Canfield in the eagerly anticipated showdown between the pair.

Credit : R Hajduk / AWMRT

Keith Swinton struggled through sickness to notch up two wins and zero losses on day two of the Monsoon Cup Malaysia.

The skipper of Team Alpari FX, along with bowman Ricky McGarvie, were struck down by a bug that saw them driven off to hospital after their matches were complete. Yet somehow they managed to keep their stuff together to score some vital victories over France's Pierre-Antoine Morvan and fellow Western Australian, David Gilmour.

© Robert Hajduk / AWMRT

WMRT / Seven teams looking to cause Mischief in Malaysia (Live)

Overall victory in the Alpari World Match Racing Tour may be beyond their grasp, but there are a few hot teams with a serious prospect of winning the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia this week.

© Robert Hajduk / AWMRT

World Match Racing Tour / Partner since 2012, ALPARI (UK) has entered into insolvency

The World Match Racing Tour has had a successful title partnership with Alpari (UK) Limited since 2012, generating significant exposure for the brand. 

Credit : I Roman / WMRT

We were very sorry to hear the news that Alpari has entered into insolvency.

Photo / Bruni wins Bermuda Gold Cup at Alpari World Match Racing Tour

A thrillinng finale was fought out on the water today between two of America's Cup's heavy-weights; Italy's Fransesco Bruni (Luna Rossa) and Britain's Sir Ben Ainslie (BART). It went to five matches, with Bruni winning the Argo Group Bermuda Gold Cup after a fantastic weeks sailing.

Credit : Alpari World Match Racing Tour

USA's Taylor Canfield has managed to move into the lead of the Alpari World Match racing Tour, ahead of Ian Williams (GBR) by 10 points, which will see an exciting end to the season in next months Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

From Alpari World Match Racing Tour

Match Race / Mixed Bag for Aussies at Stena Match Cup Sweden

Marstrand, Sweden: It was the Australian duo of Peter Gilmour and Keith Swinton who dominated the headlines on day two of Qualifying at Stena Match Cup Sweden – but for very different reasons.

Credit : Dan Ljungsvik / Stena Match Cup Sweden

WMRT / Exciting Mix of Tour Card Holders Unveiled for 2011 WMRT

The line up of Tour Card Holders for the 2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour has been unveiled and features an exciting mix of former World Champions, established Olympic and America’s Cup campaigners and some of the hottest young stars on the global match racing circuit.

Former Champions Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, and Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team head the list of successful applicants who will be competing for the record USD 1.75m prize fund – the richest in world sailing.

BMW ORACLE Racing clinches RC 44 season championship

Skipper Larry Ellison and the crew of the RC 44 BMW ORACLE Racing today wrapped up the 2010 RC 44 Season Championship.  The crew – including Russell Coutts (tactician), Dirk de Ridder (mainsheet), Ryan Godfrey (bow), Ross Halcrow (trimmer), Revelin Minihane (pit), Colin Orsini (grinder) and Chris Schirmer (trimmer) – placed second in the fleet racing portion of the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

Credit : Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW ORACLE

Coupled with their sixth-place finish in the match racing portion, BMW ORACLE Racing placed fourth overall in the event. They also won the RC 44 Austria Cup in April and the RC 44 Copenhagen Cup in June and finished with a 2-point advantage over Artemis Racing in the season championship.

WMRT / Ainslie Wins World Championship

Britain's Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN has won his first ISAF Match Racing World Championship title by winning the Monsoon Cup on a day of high drama in Malaysia. The three-time Olympic gold medalist was in imperious form at the deciding regatta having staged a stunning late season charge to snatch the title from the clutches of long time series leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team.

Credit : Subzero Images / WMRT

WMRT / Ainslie Beats Richard to Take a Step Closer to Title (Video)

Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN took control of his battle for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship today by defeating his arch rival Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team in the Quarter-Finals of the Monsoon Cup, the final leg of the tour and is guaranteed to land the title if he goes on to win the regatta.

Ainslie picked the Frenchman for the Quarter-Finals to take his nearest rival for the championship out of contention at the earliest opportunity – a bold move given Richard held the advantage in head-to-heads this season. It was a well calculated risk though.

WMRT / Richard Fighting to Stay in the Hunt

 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team staged a late fight back in the second Qualifying Session at the Monsoon Cup to keep his ISAF Match Racing World Championship hopes alive. A quick glance over his shoulder and the Frenchman will be encouraged to see his nearest rival Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing looking increasingly fallible.

Credit : WMRT

WMRT / Williams Shines as Richard Struggles

Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar made an impressive start to his Monsoon Cup campaign by posting a 3-0 scoreline in the opening Qualifying Session in Kuala Terengganu whilst Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team did little to silence his rivals, losing both of his match races.

Richard, who has both defending champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN breathing down his neck in the race for the championship, needed a strong start here in Malaysia. An early defeat to Ian Williams was followed by a match against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team. Having picked up a penalty in the pre-start, Richard tried to wind it off at one of the mark roundings but forfeited his lead in doing so, allowing the Swedish skipper to take control of the race and finish 45 seconds ahead. It was a bad time to lose for the first time this season against the Swede.

WMRT / Richard Confident of Claiming the World Championship (Video)

Matthieu Richard has arrived at the Monsoon Cup confident that he can silence his critics and claim his maiden ISAF Match Racing World title. The Frenchman has led the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) from the opening regatta of the season at Match Race France in April and heads into the season ending event in Malaysia with a 15th point advantage over Adam Minoprio.

Photo: SubZero Images/WMRT

The pressure has been mounting on Richard in the recent weeks after failing to make it through the qualifying stages of the last event in Bermuda, while people have also questioned the Frenchman’s decision to race in Perth last week with Richard having a poor track record of racing back to back.

WMRT / Tacticians are Key to success In The Monsoon Cup

Whilst the household names of Richard, Minoprio and Ainslie have been grabbing the media headlines recently, the spotlight is set to turn heavily on their trusted tacticians as the famously challenging conditions of next week’s Monsoon Cup come into focus.

Credit : WMRT

Pre-race preparation and the ability to adapt to the changeable conditions on race day are a pre-requisite if teams stand any chance of combating their opponents on the Pulau Duyong course in Kuala Terengganu from 30 November to 5 December.

WMRT / Lights; Camera; Action; It’s Sunseeker Australia Cup Time!

The superstars of sailing are here, the sun is shining and the fabled Fremantle Doctor is back from a week’s leave, bring on the Sunseeker Australia Cup 2010!

Sailing’s answer to Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Raffa are in town, Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams of Britain and Frenchman Mathieu Richard are the best in the world at what they do, race sailboats.

The skies over Perth are cloudless, and there is a strong wind warning for at least the next three days.

WMRT / Twist In the Tale Predicted For World Match Racing Tour Finale (Video)

With five skippers still in with a chance of winning the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) as the series heads for the final event of the season at the Monsoon Cup, WMRT has drawn comparisons to the recent grandstand finish in Formula 1 which saw four drivers go into the final Grand Prix of the year with a shot at winning the title.

Just as F1 had a sting in its tail with Vettel, who went into the last race in third place, snatching the title, WMRT is being tipped to have an equally dramatic climax at the Monsoon Cup, which is being held at the five-star Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Kuala Terengganu from 30 November to 5 December.

WMRT / From the Monsoon Cup to his Future in Match Racing: Francesco Bruni Outlines his Vision

Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing Team may not be in the reckoning to win this year’s ISAF Match Racing World Champion crown however that has not dented the ambition of this inspirational Italian to win the second most prestigious prize on the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) - the Monsoon Cup.

“The Monsoon Cup is the most prestigious event on the World Match Racing Tour and we want to win it to prove our worth. That is why we are participating in it.”

The WMRT took the chance to sit down with Francesco Bruni to hear his views on the Monsoon Cup, who he thinks will win the ISAF World Match Racing Tour this year and what the future holds for him and match racing.