Williams and GAC Pindar look to extend their lead in Sopot
by Neil Brotherston 29 Jul 2014 22:43 BST
31 July - 3 August 2014
Ian Williams and GAC Pindar will be back on the water at the Sopot Match Race, Poland (31 July – 3 August) as they look to put more distance between themselves and the rest of the competition at the top of the ISAF World Match Race rankings.
Despite coming second in Sweden, Williams remains at the top of the ISAF World Match Race rankings by eight points and is in fine form ahead of racing in Sopot with a commanding 32-7 overall record.
Sopot will play host to the third round of the World Match Racing Tour for the first time and over 20,000 fans are expected each day to support from the seafront.
Williams commented: "We're looking forward to getting back out on the water and to put some pressure on the other teams. It's just a case of taking one race at a time, but as the only team to make both previous finals, we're feeling confident."
"We're expecting some pretty light winds in Sopot, but we dealt with that well in Germany. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, it's very early days and anybody can still come through. Nobody is out of the race just yet."
The 12 crews will compete in a full round robin stage that will take place between Thursday 31 July and Friday 1 August. The quarter finals and the first semi final take place on Saturday 2 August while the second semi final and the final are decided on Sunday 3 August.
Williams leads his GAC Pindar crew that will feature Graham Spence (Bow), Mal Parker (Trimmer) and Chris Maine (Tactics).
The 2014 Alpari Match Racing Tour spans seven countries, with the tour's first ever Dutch leg taking place from 24-28 September. The Tour Champion will be crowned at the final event, The Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, which takes place from 24 – 29 November.
To follow all the action from the Sopot Match Race, please visit, www.wmrt.com.