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| World Tour kicks off 2008 season |
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 The world’s top professional sailors and many America’s Cup skippers are preparing for another season of the World Match Racing Tour. The first event will begin on April 22nd in Vitória, Brazil with the Brasil Sailing Cup. The nine event series takes place in nine different countries, in four continents and with seven different types of yachts. It culminates in the crowning of the ISAF World Match Racing Champion at the Monsoon Cup in Terenganu, Malaysia this December. With the America’s Cup still on hold pending the current court decision on the fate of the DOG Match between Alinghi and Oracle Racing, the other teams once again turn to the WMRT to maintain their skills and keep fresh in hope of a conventional America’s Cup in 2011. America’s Cup teams and skippers competing this year include: Paolo Cian, (ITA), Team Shosholoza Magnus Holmberg, (SWE), Victory Challenge Sébastion Col, (FRA), K-Challenge Philippe Presti, (FRA), French Spirit Ben Ainslie, (GBR), Team Origin Adam Minoprio,(NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand “The current situation with the America’s Cup is very unfortunate for the sport and for professional sailing in general,“ commented WMRT President, Scott Macleod. “However, the WMRT’s commercial platform and television coverage enable the teams to continue to race and give their sponsors a return on investment. However we have lost a few teams that have either shut down or are now training for the DOG Match.” According to Paolo Cian, skipper of Team Shosholoza “The WMRT is a great place for our team to continue to compete at the highest level in the sport and to keep our core group working together to keep our match racing and sailing at a high level.” In addition to the America’s Cup teams, there are a number of top sailors and teams including; defending World Champion Ian Williams, and Team Pindar; who are set to compete “We have renewed our title sponsorship with Pindar and are really looking forward to trying to defend our World title,” commented Ian. There are a host of America’s cup skippers, World and Olympic champions and a wave of new names on this year’s Tour. The Tour looks to be highly competitive, some of the teams and names set to compete in the series include: Ian Williams, (GBR), Team Pindar – Defending World Match Racing Champion Peter Gilmour, (AUS), Team PST – 2x World Champion Matthieu Richard, (FRA), Saba Sailing Team – ISAF Ranked Number One Björn Hansen, (SWE), Alandia Sailing Team As well as a new wave of up and coming talent including: Adam Minoprio, NZL, Emirates Team New Zealand Torvar Mirsky, AUS, Mirsky Racing Team Peter Wibroe, DEN, Team Wibroe Brian Angel, USA, King Harbour Match Race Team “There is a set of up and coming teams taking part in the World Tour and in our 20 event qualifying series,” commented MacLeod “These guys are the future of the sport and the next helmsman and crew members of future Cup teams.” |
