Ian Williams and Anna Tunnicliffe top match racing table
Britain's Williams tops the Open ranking, while the USA's Anna Tunnicliffe tops the women, with Britain's Lucy MacGregor second
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.
Women’s rankings
2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) stormed to a regatta victory at the Trofeo S.A.R. Princess Sofia MAPFRE defeating Olivia Price (AUS) in the final. The Americans win further solidifies her position as the world’s best women’s match racer at the moment.
Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) won the other ISAF Grade 1 event in March, the St Quay Women Match Racing in France. The Russian overcame home favourite Claire Leroy (FRA) to take the honours and moves up to World #4, a personal best.
Slovenia’s Vesna Dekleva Paoli had a good month finishing third at the Seascape Match Race in Portoroz, Slovenia before winning the Slovenian Open Match Racing Championship in Izola, Slovenia. She climbs from World #23 to World #18.
With the fourth of seven ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas, Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres, France, just around the corner and eight of the world’s top ten Women’s Match Racers registered to sail there may be some movement in the next rankings release.
