[Source: ISAF] Ian Williams (GBR) kick started his 2012 match race campaign following his second consecutive Congressional Cup victory. Held at Long Beach Yacht Club in California, USA, the World #1 proved his worth to take the ISAF Grade 1 event beating Gavin Brady (NZL) in the final.

Brady, who has finished on the Congressional Cup podium seven times, has been inactive for the past 12 months and is the current World #250. But Williams’ victory further strengthens his hold on the World #1 spot, a position he has held since the turn of the year.

Laurie Jury (NZL) finished ninth at the Congressional Cup which is enough to move the New Zealander into the top ten for the first time. And it is also new territory for Taylor Canfield (ISV) who moves into the top 25 for the first time following his third place finish in California.

Keith Swinton’s regatta victory at ISAF Grade 1 Open de España in Calpe, Spain has moved him up to a personal best of World #7. Swinton finished eighth at the ISAF Grade 2 Trofeo SIR Thomas Lipton Match Race in Javea, Spain ahead of the event to further bolster his points total ahead of the rankings release.

Thomas Lipton Match Race victory Mads Ebler (DEN) drops a place to World #13 after he finished down the leader board in seventh in Calpe.

[Source: ISAF] Ian Williams (GBR) lost his World #1 spot in October after finishing seventh in the Argo Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda. But the Brit bounced back at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, defeating Johnie Berntsson (SWE) 3-1 in the final to claim the cup and the World Match Racing Tour title for the third time.

Berntsson’s second place finish at the Monsoon Cup was his second successive final loss in the World Match Race Tour after he finished second to Torvar Mirsky (AUS) at the Argo Cup. Despite this, he has climbed up to World #7, equalling his previous best that came in May 2009.

Mirsky, last rankings World #1, had a disappointing end to the Tour finishing ninth in Malaysia. His result sees the Australian drop out of the top three. Francesco Bruni (ITA) occupies the World #2 spot and Jesper Radich (DEN) is World #3.

Finland’s Staffan Lindberg climbs up one place to World #14 following his victory at the ISAF Grade 2 Carlos Aguilar Match Race in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. America’s Sally Barkow finished second to Lindberg in St. Thomas to jump from World #86 to a personal best of #46 in the Open Rankings.

One of the biggest movers is Nicholas Dugdale (USA) who had two podium finishes at ISAF Grade 3 Regattas. The 21-year-old won the PCCSC Match Race Championship before finishing third at the ICSA Match Racing National Championship. He moves from World #206 to World #106.

If there was any doubt at all about Ian Williams’ form in the Monsoon Cup it was immediately dissipated in Sunday’s four races of the finals against Sweden’s Johnie Bertsson. A combination of excellent match racing skills, good tactics and flawless crew work resulted in a second Monsoon Cup title for Williams, closing a brilliant season with the proverbial icing on the cake.

Like the petite final a few hours earlier, the key was to take the right side of the course. Once you hit the starting line at the committee boat with greater speed than your opponent you were practically guaranteed to reach the right-hand current first and then take the highway to the weather mark. Once in the lead, unless a crew error or penalty was involved, it was impossible to lose the lead and that was my only disappointment in what was a picture-perfect day.

Unlike the couple of previous years, we were spoiled on Sunday with sunshine and a constant breeze between 10 and 15 knots, all day, racing was taking place literally centimeters from the pontoons but there were simply no passing lanes. The start, on the closing day day of the 2011 Monsoon Cup, and the right side were the keys to each race. If you got both right, you got the race. Williams mastered both in three out of four races and even in the one he lost, he was always close behind Berntsson, waiting for the slightest error to pass ahead.

However, Williams’ brilliant performance shouldn’t overshadow Berntsson’s equally remarkable achievement. Not only did the Swedish skipper finish second in the Monsoon Cup, he clinched third place overall in the 2011 World Match Racing Tour, reaching a podium place in the very first year of his initial 3-year goal.

Final Monsoon Cup Standings
1 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar
2 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
3 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners
4 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
5 Will Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing
6 Phil Robertson (NZL) Team China powered by WAKA Racing
7 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team
8 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing
9 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat
10 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
11 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team
12 Jeremy Koo (MAS) Abdullah Chan / KRT

Final World Championship Standings
1 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 144pts
2 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 112pts
3 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 106.2pts
4 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 105.8pts
5 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 102.8pts
6 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 99.2pts
7 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 90pts
8 Phil Robertson (NZL) Team China powered by WAKA Racing – 74.4pts
9 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 74pts
10 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 72.6pts

Race 1
The curtain-raising race of the finals was a one-sided story for Ian Williams. The two skippers battled in a very intense prestart, at times a couple of meters from the pontoon, but despite the aggressiveness no penalties were given by the umpires. Berntsson got the right at the starting line but Williams had definitely better speed. As a result, he got to the current first, tacked and was in the lead in the first weather mark. Berntsson tried hard to push him in the runs but was unable to pass. Williams extended his lead in all legs and crossed the finish line well ahead of Berntsson.

Prestart action in the first race of the finals. Racing on Sunday was taking place literally less than a meter from the pontoons. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Prestart action in the first race of the finals. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Berntsson gets the right but Williams has much better pace off the starting line. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams leads the race at the approach to the leeward gate. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams leads the race in the second beat. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams crosses the finish line and bags the first point. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Race 2
The second race was an exact copy of the first one, with just the number of laps increased from two to three. There was an intense prestart fight with no penalties, Berntsson got the right but, again, Williams hit the middle of the starting line with much better speed and reached the right-hand current first. He took the lead and held on to it until the finish, bringing the score to 2-0.

Prestart action in the secondrace of the finals. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Berntsson gets the right but Williams has much better pace off the starting line, just like the first race. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ian Williams rounds the first leeward gate in the lead. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ian Williams rounds the second leeward gate in the lead. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Ian Williams bags another point and moves closer to lifting the Monsoon Cup. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Race 3
It was a must-win race for Berntsson if he wanted to keep his hopes of winning alive. As a result, we had the chance to watch another extraordinary exhibition of match racing with Berntsson’s yacht a few centimeters away from hitting the pontoons. The Swede got the upper hand and pushed Williams to the starting line who in turn failed to keep clear, resulting into a three-way collision with the committee boat. Williams got out of the incident with a clearly controlling position and the umpires red-flagged him. By the time he offloaded the penalty, Berntsson had gained the lead and never gave it back, bringing the score to 2-1.

Prestart action in the third race. Can it get any closer than that? Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Prestart action in the third race. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams collide with Berntsson who in turn collides with the committee boat. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams offloads his penalty and hands Berntsson the race. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Berntsson is in the lead in the second leeward gate. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Berntsson crosses the finish line and revives his hopes. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Race 4
The tables turned in the final race of the day, and the Monsoon Cup, with Williams forcing the penalty on Berntsson on the starting line and gaining the lead. Williams got the right and Berntsson gambled on the left, hoping for a miracle. He tried again in the second beat but it didn’t pay. Williams won the race, his second Monsoon Cup and his third ISAF World Match Racing Championship.

Prestart action in the final race. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Berntsson gets the penalty and shatters his hopes. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

Williams leads in the leeward gate. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

A great finish to a remarkable 2011 season. Kuala Terengganu, 27 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] British sailor Ian Williams is the new ISAF Match Racing World Champion after defeating Italian Francesco Bruni in a tense quarter-final of the Monsoon Cup, the final event on the World Match Racing Tour. It is the second consecutive year that a British skipper has won the title after Ben Ainslie took the crown in 2010.

Williams, who won the Championship in 2007 and 2008, now joins Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson, Peter Gilmour and Ed Baird as only the fifth skipper to win the World Championship at least three times. Speaking after his victory, Williams paid tribute to his Team GAC Pindar crew of Bill Hardesty, Mal Parker, Gerry Mitchell and Matt Cassidy: “It feels fantastic to have won our third world title! We’ve had a really strong season – we won two regattas heading into the Monsoon Cup which is the most we’ve won in a season and we felt really strong as a team. They are fantastic and we can’t manage without any one member.

“The team pulls together when we are up against it and we were definitely up against it here, we pulled it out of the bag at a critical moment…  It’s a massive release of emotions.”

Ian Williams crosses the finish line ahead of Francesco Bruni and bags the World Champion title. Kuala Terengganu, 26 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

A dejected Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing, a skipper who was bidding to become the first Italian to capture the Championship, commented: “Today was not my day. The team sailed great, there were a few small mistakes but really it came down to me and I was under performing and I feel sorry about that. We had good starts all week but today’s were the worst which shows my brain wasn’t working. It was all on me today and I was below my usual standard. Ian did a great job, he’s always a tough competitor.

“It has been a great season for us though and we’ve performed really well overall. Finishing this way today when we were so close to the Championship title is disappointing.”

It was another fascinating day of sailing action in Malaysia. While the focus was all on Williams and Bruni, the other quarter-finals could all still determine the outcome of the Championship. As in the last Qualifying Session of the Monsoon Cup yesterday, every race today was a potential Championship changer with just six points separating these two skippers going into the event.

Bruni went 2-0 down with little fight in the first to three point quarter-final. In the first, Bruni crossed the finish line first but still carried an outstanding penalty that he picked up in the pre-start for failing to keep clear of Williams who was the starboard boat. It was a similar situation in the next match, the Italian again picking up a penalty, this time for running into Williams’ boat in the pre-start.

At 2-0, there was a break before the next race which allowed Bruni Racing to regroup. It showed. Williams applied all the pressure in the pre-start, pushing Bruni past the pin. The Italian managed to recover and, as they crossed after a split up to the first mark, Williams picked up a penalty after colliding with Bruni who had right of way.  The umpires held up a red flag shortly afterwards having decided that there was a change of lead from the collision. The lead went to Bruni which he maintained to the finish to pull one back.

In the quarter-finals, each team was allowed to receive advice throughout from their coach. Olympic Silver medallist Ian Barker was Williams’ assigned coach while Bruni took advice from Torvar Mirsky, ironically the very skipper he’d knocked out of the World Championship contention in the Qualifying stages. It paid off for Williams, who took the advice of Barker to take the right side of the course on the final windward leg despite most teams making better gains on the left all day. Williams extended an early lead to the finish to capture his third point and with it, the 2011 World Championship.

In the end, the other matches didn’t affect the Championship outcome. Had Bruni beaten Williams, he would have been World Champion as the two other matches that could have affected the overall result went his way with Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team beating Will Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing and Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners beating Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team.

Tiller has been the other big story to come out of the Monsoon Cup so far. The young Kiwi who qualified for the season finale as a wildcard by winning the Asian Match Racing Championships picked Berntsson as his quarter-final opponent after finishing top of the standings after the Qualifying stages. Their match went to sudden death however the Swede prevailed, winning 3-2. Commenting on his performance here, Tiller, said: “We’ve sailed really well overall and have shown everyone that we’re capable of racing at this level and keeping up with the best guys in the world. We’re planning on coming back again next year and going even bigger and better!”

The Monsoon Cup semi-finals were continuing at the time of the release going to press. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing is currently 2-1 down against Berntsson however should the Australian win the Monsoon Cup, he will finish second in the World Championship.

Williams’s team will be officially awarded with the new ISAF Match Racing World Championship trophy after the final Championship points are calculated at the conclusion of the Monsoon Cup tomorrow

Monsoon Cup – Day 4 – 26 Nov 2011 – Bruni vs Williams

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] The race to win the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) just got harder with today’s announcement that Tour Cardholders Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing are to be given wildcard entries to the season finale, the Monsoon Cup.

Despite sitting 9th and 10th on the overall WMRT leaderboard – and therefore not automatic invitees for the World Championship deciding regatta  –  both Richard and Robertson will pose a major threat to all the crews competing in Malaysia and could play a crucial role in deciding the eventual winner of the coveted 2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour title.

The news that last year’s Championship runner-up Richard and Robertson, who showed his world-class credentials when knocking Championship leader Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar out of the Argo Group Gold Cup 3-0, will be competing in Kuala Terengganu will pile on the pressure for all the crews taking part and leaves the race for the World Championship wide open.

The Monsoon Cup sees the top 8 crews in the WMRT standings qualify for the showdown in Malaysia from 22-27 November where USD480,000 is on the line, along with a USD500,000 tour bonus pool. With all of the top 8 teams, as well as Richard, still in with a mathematical chance of winning the title the regatta promises to be one of the closest and most fierce battles in the Championship’s history.

Britain’s two-time former Champion, Ian Williams heads the standings going into the final regatta but has Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat breathing down his neck with just over 6 points separating the three, and with both skippers chasing their maiden WMRT title the pressure on Williams will be intense.

Leading the rest of the teams is four-time World Champion Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing who has proved himself a past master at the Monsoon Cup having won it twice. Gilmour will be joined by Korea Match Cup Champion Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team, Match Race France Champion Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team and tour cardholders Johnnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team and Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners.

Completing the line up of 12 crews will be Asian Match Racing Championship winner William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing and Malaysian Match Racing Champion Jeremy Koo (MAS) Abdullah Chan/KRT. Having won through rigorous qualifying events to stake their place at the Monsoon Cup both teams are capable of causing some upsets to the form book. No match will be taken for granted.

THE STORY OF THE SEASON SO FAR

The 2011 season got off to a flying start in Marseille, France where Iehl defeated countryman, Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 2-0 in the final at Match Race France.

The action then continued in Langenargen, Germany where Bruni claimed his first ever victory on the WMRT after defeating four-time World Champion Gilmour to take home the Match Race Germany title. However things weren’t to go so smoothly for Bruni at the Korea Match Cup in Gyeonggi, South Korea when he fell to Hansen  3-2 in a thrilling finale.

The Portimão Portugal Match Cup in Portimão, Portugal saw Bruni suffer the same fate, this time to Williams who took home his first WMRT win in three years. Williams’ victory over Bruni continued a pattern of different winners at each of the four completed stages which promised to be one of the most hotly contested seasons in recent years. Williams’ win shot his team up the Tour standings from 10th to third place, which at the halfway stage of the Tour was a huge boost for the 2007 and 2008 World Champion. In Marstrand, Sweden, Williams scored his second consecutive win over arch rival Hansen in an exciting five-match finale at the Stena Match Cup Sweden.

Williams’ winning streak came to an end at the St. Moritz Match Race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, when Mirsky was crowned the new ‘King of the Mountain’ after what had been a difficult season for the young skipper. It wasn’t all bad news for Williams however as his third place finish was enough to move him up into first position in the overall Championship standings.

It seemed Mirsky’s taste of success left him wanting more and a 5th match sudden death decider in the final against Berntsson at the Argo Group Gold Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda saw him claim his second consecutive victory. A win in the petit final for Bruni over Robertson allowed the gap between the top trio of Williams, Bruni and Mirsky to be reduced to just over six points.

The 2011 ISAF Match Racing World Championship will be decided at the Monsoon Cup which takes place from the 22-27 November in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

-Ends-

Overall Championship Standings – after 7 stages:
1 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 106pts
2 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 100pts
3 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 99.8pts
4 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 78.8pts
5 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 75pts
6 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 74pts
7 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 73.2pts
8 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 71.2pts
9 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 69.6pts
10 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 64.4pts

2011 Monsoon Cup Teams:
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Jeremy Koo (MAS) Abdullah Chan/KRT
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat
Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] After a dominant mid-season catapulted Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar to the top of the Tour standings, a recent run of comparative poor form has crept in – he was beaten 3-0 at the first opportunity in the knockout rounds at both the St Moritz Match Race and the Argo Group Gold Cup. Add the fact that Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat won both those events together with Williams’ indifferent form at the Monsoon Cup over the past 3 years and he could be forgiven for feeling the pressure as he bids to claim a third world title.

The Brit though is not surprised that it’s come down to the last event especially after 2010 saw five teams head to Malaysia each with a legitimate title chance, but believes his experience will only serve to help him:

“Looking back over the past years it’s always come down to the Monsoon Cup and has often been just three teams vying for the championship title. It’s also usually the team that wins the Monsoon Cup that wins the title so while there really is all to play for it’s not an unexpected position to be in.

“We are definitely confident heading into the Monsoon Cup. We’ve been in this position before and it’s gone well for us in the past.”

Williams sailing to victory at the Stena Match Cup Sweden. Marstrand, 10 July 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info

While confident, Williams knows he’d be foolish to ignore the growing threat posed by Mirsky and that he needs to at least match the Australian’s form if he’s going to claim the Monsoon Cup and potentially his third title with it:

“Torvar is really on a roll and is the guy on form going into the event so we really need to pick up our game and get our rhythm back.”

If his dip and Mirsky’s rise give possible cause for concern, Williams will be buoyed by his win rate against his nearest rivals this season – he has won 86% of his races against Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing Team and 80% against Mirsky respectively. Small margins often decide match races and these statistics could be telling at an event where 1.5 times more points are on offer than the standard event points.

Williams will back those statistics up with typically meticulous preparation as he believes that if his team can produce their A-game then they can beat anyone including a resurgent Mirsky: “We just focus on our game because when we are sailing well we can beat anyone so we just focus on doing our job as best we can. We’ve sailed Bruni and Mirsky a lot over the past few years so we know them well and while every team have their traits – the areas they do well in or not so well in that you may look to exploit, the most important thing is that we focus on us.”

“We’re going to Perth before Malaysia to get some practice in and then will hopefully get another 3-5 days in Kuala Terengganu before the event. It’s always good to get there early and prepare so we have time to get the feel of the boats again and come together as a team.”

Williams has turned his fortunes on the Tour around this season, something he puts down to being ‘a lot more professional’, ‘doing a few training events before the season’ and ‘locking down [his] crew early and keeping it consistent’. The last time he won the Monsoon Cup in 2007 he also won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship. Time will tell if he has got his preparations right this season to repeat that double feat.

The 2011 ISAF Match Racing World Championship will be decided at the Monsoon Cup which takes place from 22-27 November in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

Overall Championship Standings – after 7 stages:
1 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 106pts
2 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 100pts
3 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 99.8pts
4 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 78.8pts
5 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 75pts
6 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 74pts
7 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 73.2pts
8 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 71.2pts
9 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 69.6pts
10 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 64.4pts

[Source: ISAF] Francesco Bruni moves to the top of the Open Match Race Rankings for the first time.

Bruni held second place for the last three rankings releases but after his third place finish at the Argo Gold Cup, the seventh stage of the World Match Racing Tour, he leapfrogs Ian Williams (GBR).

Williams leads the World Match Racing Tour overall leaderboard by six points ahead of Bruni, but the Italian knocked the Brit off the top of the Open Rankings following his victory over Phil Robertson in the Petit Final at the Argo Gold Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Williams lost at the Quarter Final stage to Robertson in Bermuda and finished seventh overall handing Bruni the World #1 spot. Torvar Mirsky claimed top honours in Bermuda and leapfrogged Williams to take #2 with the British sailor settling for #3.

Laurie Jury continues his climb up the rankings and after defeating Mads Ebler at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final in Sheboygan, USA he moves to a personal best of #13.

Chicago Match Race winner Keith Swinton moves from #20 to #12 and one of the biggest climbers is Mark Lees (GBR) who jumps from #102 to #71 following a good run of form which included two third place finishes at the ISAF Grade 3 RYA National Match Racing Youth Championships in Great Britain and the International Youth Match Race Championship EUROSAF European Youth Championship in Italy.