The reigning Alpari World Match Racing Tour champion, Ian Williams has taken the Match Race France title and moved up to take the overall lead of the Tour. Williams did it by defeating the young New Zealander, Will Tiller 2-0 in a downpour and freshening breeze off Marseille.
The final was delayed by light winds, so the race committee shortened it to the first to two points. When it did freshen enough to start racing, the rapidly increasing breeze came with heavy rain – not exactly Mediterranean conditions! It did not put Williams off his game however, with a shut-out in the first race, he then passed Tiller at the final mark in the second race to close it out.
The overall Tour leader, Bjorn Hansen added no points to his score at Match Race France, after finishing ninth, while Williams scored 25 points for his win. It means that Williams now takes a nine point lead into the final two events of the year, the Gold Cup in Bermuda next week, and then the season finale, the Monsoon Cup in early December in Malaysia.
A victory over Laurie Jury (NZL) in the petite final meant that Keith Swinton (AUS) scored a third at Match Race France, which has lifted him over YANMAR Racing on the overall leaderboard. Swinton now lies on 79 points, with YANMAR Racing fourth on 71, tied with Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA). The situation is complex however, with average points to be added to the mix for those that would have scored the cancelled Portugal event.
Match Race France is the sixth event on this year’s Alpari World Match Racing Tour and is held in Marseille from the 24th to the 29th September.
Final
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar beat William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing 2-0
Petit Final
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing beat Laurie Jury (NZL) Kiwi Match 1-0
Alpari World Match Racing Tour Standings – After 6 Stages:
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar – 102
Björn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 93
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing – 79
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 71
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team – 71
Laurie Jury (NZL) Kiwi Match Sailing – 65
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team – 56
William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing – 37
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 35
Simone Ferrarese (ITA) Ferrarese Racing Team – 29