WILLIAMS Perfect Into The Final

World Match Racing Tour leader Ian WILLIAMS (GBR) is putting in an impressive, and efficient, performance at the ISAF Grade WC St Moritz Match Race.

WILLIAMS is a perfect 9-0 and has sailed the minimum number of races necessary in qualifying for the Final. He’ll meet two-time St Moritz champion Mark MENDELBLATT (USA) for the ‘King of the Mountain’ title on Sunday.

It was a busy day on Lake St Moritz with the Race Committee anxious to take advantage of the good wind and sunny skies. The sun brought the spectators out in force and the grandstand, along with a good portion of the shoreline, was crowded with interested match racing fans.

In one of the semi-finals, WILLIAMS was able to get the better of Swiss crowd favourite Eric MONNIN on the start line, and in both matches he preserved that early advantage around the race course.

said WILLIAMS, explaining the success of Team Pindar today. ‘That was the key to those races, but Eric really put pressure on us downwind. We needed to keep batting him back. But it’s great for us to be in the final.’

In the other semi-final, MENDELBLATT also earned his wins over defending St Moritz champion Paolo CIAN (ITA) in the pre-starts. In the first match, he was able to luff up and just squeeze in at the pin end of the starting line. As a bonus, this manoeuvre forced CIAN over the starting line early. By the time the Italian had re-started, MENDELBLATT was in control.

In the second match, a pre-start penalty to CIAN just before the gun fired put the American in control and he held on to sweep the semi-final 2-0. Following the race, MENDELBLATT said he’s excited about the challenge of meeting WILLIAMS for the title.

he said. ‘But Ian is #1 in the world and he’s always a tough race. I’m expecting nothing less than a really hard battle from him. I don’t think he’s going to be easy to beat at all.’

Earlier, MENDELBLATT had to recover from a rare ‘black flag’ penalty to emerge from his quarter-final against Sébastien COL (FRA). MENDELBLATT was penalized three times in the pre-start and thus disqualified from that race. He recovered quickly however to win the next match and advance to the semi-final.

COL would beat Swiss sailor Matthias RENKER in the battle for seventh place. In the sail-off for fifth and sixth, Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) beat Peter EVANS (NZL) who was subbing on the Alinghi team for the injured Jochen SCHUEMANN.

(2006-2007 Season) (After Stage 10)