Match Racing World Championship in China

(August 28, 2017) – Plans have been revealed for the final event of the 2017 World Match Racing Tour, which is now to be held October 24 to 29 in Shenzhen, China.

Invitation to the WMRT Match Racing World Championship will be given to the top 18 teams on the World Match Racing Tour leaderboard after the final event preceding the finals in China, with each team being allowed one discard.

The WMRT Match Racing World Championship will be held alongside the China Cup International Regatta, a well-established event in China that attracts around 120,000 participants over the regatta in 2016. Each year more than 1500 sailors travel from around 40 countries and regions to compete in the China Cup.

“Taking the World Match Racing Tour to China for the first time in its history is a huge step,” noted Robert Magnusson, CEO at the World Match Racing Tour. “In our attempts to help grow the sport we see this move as a tool to strengthen the link between Chinese sailing and the international sailing scene.”

Racing in the M32 catamarans will take place outside the New Sport Ocean Sports Centre which is located on the sheltered waters of Daya Bay on the east coast of Shenzhen. With temperatures averaging in the low 70s° F and average winds of 10-15 knots, great sailing and spectating is anticipated with the course set close to the shoreline, directly outside the race village.

As in St. Petersburg at Match Cup Russia, the M32 catamarans will be lay on the beach every evening, giving visitors a unique and unparalleled experience to access to these carbon fibre speed machines.

Tour details – Event details – Leaderboard – Facebook

Event Format
Day One and Two – Fleet race qualifying in Groups. Each Group sails 6-8 races.
Day Three – Bottom two from each Group compete in a sail-off to decide who moves on to the Super 16 knockout. Top three from each Group join the sail-off winners in a 16 team, first to three-point, knockout. 1v16, 2v15, 3v14 etc.
Day Four – Sponsor day and remaining races from the Super 16 Knockout.
Day five – Quarter-Finals and start of Semi-Finals (knockout format).
Day six – Finish Semi-Finals and complete Final/Petit-Final (knockout format).

2017 World Championship Level Events:
WMRT Match Cup Australia, March 20-25
WMRT Congressional Cup, March 29-April 2
WMRT Match Cup Sweden, July 3-8
WMRT Match Cup Russia, August 1-6
WMRT Match Cup Chicago, September 26-October 1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
WMRT Match Cup China, October 24-29

Background: In 2013, Swedish company Aston Harald AB acquired the design and production rights to the one-design M32 catamarans. In July 2015, Aston Harald AB acquired the World Match Racing Tour, which then began the use of the M32 during the 2016 Tour. Launched in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour is the leading professional match racing series sanctioned by World Sailing.

Source: WMRT