Skippers for World Match Racing Tour

London, UK (January 20, 2021) – The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) has confirmed the six skippers awarded WMRT Tour Cards for the 2021 championship season.

Defending match racing world champion Taylor Canfield (USA) leads the line-up alongside six-time world champion Ian Williams (GBR), two-time world champion Phil Robertson (NZL), Eric Monnin (SUI), and first-time tour card skippers Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) and Maxime Mesnil (FRA).

The WMRT Tour Cards award skippers with invitations to the world-championship level events on the 2021 WMRT schedule including the Tour’s long standing events – Marstrand Match Cup (SWE), Bermuda Gold Cup BDA), and Long Beach Congressional Cup (USA).

The 2021 championship schedule will be announced in the coming weeks as events finalize their dates amidst the ongoing COVID-19 global crisis.

“We are looking forward to a busier Tour schedule this year, especially with the first WMRT Final in Shenzhen, China in December,” said WMRT Executive Director, James Pleasance. “We are very hopeful that all the Tour events will go ahead as planned this year, however, due to the ongoing global pandemic, we are also looking at adjusting the schedule of some events to later in the year.”

The six WMRT Tour Cards for 2021 are awarded entirely on merit. Cards are awarded to the top three placed skippers from the 2020 Match Racing World Championship in Bermuda, and the next top three ranked skippers from the last published World Sailing match race rankings (April 8, 2020).

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The World Tour represents a series of independently organised and officially sanctioned match racing events.

The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion.

Previous Champions include Bertrand Pace (FRA), Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Jesper Radich (DEN), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Taylor Canfield (ISV), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS).

The WMRT is a match racing competition with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which change for each event and which place a firm focus on teamwork, strategy and skill. Racing takes place close to shore to create stadium-style viewing for spectators.

Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com

Source: WMRT