Team Pindar aiming for victory at Auckland Match Racing Cup
by Kate Fairclough 23 Jan 2007 22:16 GMT
British match racing sensation Ian Williams of ‘Team Pindar’ will this week be competing at New Zealand’s most prestigious match racing event, the Auckland Match Racing Cup. Beginning today, Team Pindar will battle against nine other skippers in Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, for a prize pool of $US 50,000.
The line-up includes Frenchman Mathieu Richard, Williams’ closest rival on the current World Match Racing Tour rankings, and reigning Auckland Match Racing Cup champion Dean Barker. Hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the Grade 1 event promises five days of thrilling racing to decide the 2007 champion.
Ian and his team of Laurie Jury, Graeme Sutherland, Stu Molloy and Sam Tucker are sponsored by Pindar, the leading print and electronic media company, who also support record-breaking round-the-world yachtswoman, Mike Sanderson, Emma Sanderson (née Richards) MBE, and 2012 hopeful Hannah Mills. Sailing aboard Farr MRX’s, ‘Team Pindar’ will be fighting for a podium finish in Auckland.
Ian, Britain’s most promising match racing helm, is currently leading the World Match Racing Tour and lies second in the ISAF Match Race Rankings. No Briton has ever been ranked higher on the open ISAF ladder, or ever led the World Match Racing Tour before.
Ian Williams commented: “"It's great to be back sailing on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland. The two gold and one silver medals that I won in the international youth regattas here were what really launched my match racing career so it's very exciting to be back here with a reasonable shot at taking the senior title. There’s a real buzz around Auckland at the moment, with both Team New Zealand and the BMW Oracle America’s Cup teams training down here, we can’t wait to get out on the water.”
Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: “Auckland is home to many legends of sailing and we are proud to have been associated with the city in many ways over the years. Pindar have recently launched a new business in Auckland having bought the publishing solutions company Egan Reid, and we are also currently building our new Open 60 yacht there, which will be launched this summer. Ian is our latest ambassador to sail in these waters, and we at Pindar wish Ian and ‘Team Pindar’ the best of luck in the Auckland Match Racing Cup.
More Information: