ISAF Match Race Rankings

In the latest match rankings released by ISAF on April 16, Taylor Canfield (ISV) and Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) occupy the World #1 spots in the Open and Women’s Match Race Rankings.

Open Rankings
Taylor Canfield (ISV) retained World #1 in the Open Rankings having overcome World #2 Ian Williams (GBR) in the final of the ISAF Grade 1 Congressional Cup in Long Beach, California, USA.

A best of three final was raced to decide the 50th Congressional Cup Champion, with one win a piece it was all to play for going into the last race. During the pre-start a loud crunching noise indicated a collision between boats and the fortunes of fate swung to Canfield in the last minute.

First he noticed the six-inch chunk missing from the transom behind his feet, then he reached for the protest flag and moments later saw the on-water umpires affirm his protest with a blue flag, matching Williams’ ID for that race.

Canfield stayed out of trouble to take the honours and extend his advantage at World #1.

The top five remain as per usual in the Open Rankings but further down there is significant movement following a busy period of match racing regattas.

Francesco Bruni (ITA) is one of the month’s biggest movers having climbed 54 places to World #48. The former World #1 only counts five regattas to his name, which is holding him back as a skipper can count points from a total of eight events – four from the most recent 12 months and four from up to 24 months ago.

Bruni boost in the rankings was due to his third at the ISAF Grade 1 Congressional Cup. The Italian will sail on the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour and will look to work his way back to the top as the tour unfolds.

Croatia’s Tomislav Basic moved up from World #31 to World #21 after he won the ISAF Grade 3 Slovenian National Open Match Race Championships in Izola, Slovenia. The Croatian counts eight regattas to his points total and of those eight he has won six. His personal best ranking of World #10 came in February 2000.

Having won the ISAF Grade 3 Match Race Thailand Championship Maximilian Soh (SIN) moved to a personal best ranking of World #36. The Singaporean is on a run of seven straight victories at Grade 3 and 5 regattas and has been rewarded having previously sat at World #50.

Korea’s Gunwoo Park has broken into the top 100 for the first time in his career following a third at the Match Race Thailand Championship. Park counts six regattas to his points total and climbs from World #107 to World #66.

With several ISAF Grade 3, 4 and 5 regattas taking place in the latter part of February, all throughout March and the early part of April further movement is visible in the April release.

Click here for the Open Rankings.

Women’s Rankings
Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) moved into back into the World #1 spot in the Women’s Match Race Rankings for the first time since July 2013.

The Danish sailor moves ahead of Lucy Macgregor (GBR) as the British sailor now counts seven regattas to Ulrikkeholm’s eight.

The Marinassess Women’s Match Race Regatta was the only event to take place in the current period with those competing reaping the rewards of solid results.

Milly Bennett (AUS) and her crew of Seldon Coventry, Alice Tarnawski, Kajsa Doyle and Jess Russell, representing the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, won the event finishing top of the round robin. As a result Bennett moves to World #9 from World #15, a personal best for the Australian.

Emma May (AUS) finished as runner up and moves to World #41 from World #104.

The next scheduled Women’s Match Racing event is the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship set to be held in Cork, Ireland from 3-8 June 2014.

Click here for the Women’s Rankings