Sail-World.com : Ian Williams named RYA National Match Racing Champion

News Home

Cruising

Photo Gallery

Video Gallery

Sail-World.com : Ian Williams named RYA National Match Racing Champion

Ian Williams named RYA National Match Racing Champion

'Ian Williams and Team,Competing at the RYA National Match Racing Grand Final 2012 - 2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship' Paul Wyeth / RYA

Ian Williams has this weekend (16-18 November) confirmed his calibre as the best of British as the reigning ISAF Match Racing World Champion sealed the RYA National Match Racing Championship title at Queen Mary SC.

The three-time World Champion wrapped up the RYA National Match Racing crown for a fourth time, matching that of last year’s winner Nick Cherry and fellow match racer Mark Campbell-James, in an event which was overshadowed by frustrating sailing conditions only allowing for ten flights of round robin races and one flight of the quarter finals to take place.

Ian Williams and Team,Competing at the RYA National Match Racing Grand Final 2012 - 2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship - Paul Wyeth - RYA

The regatta got off to a slow start on the opening day (Friday 16 November) with fog and very little wind allowing for only three flights to take place. Saturday (17 November) was slightly more promising with 10 knots of breeze allowing for seven flights and the first bout of the quarter finals to take place. Bright sunshine but no wind whatsoever on the Sunday (18 November) meant racing was canned with Williams being awarded the prestigious title on winning his group and one vital race in the quarter finals.

'It is great to win our fourth RYA National Championship, it’s been a full 10 years since our last win and it is also a great confidence boost for us leading into the Monsoon Cup', said Williams who now heads to Malaysia next week to bid for a record-equalling fourth world title in the final event of Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT).

Ian Williams and Team,Competing at the RYA National Match Racing Grand Final 2012 - 2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship - Paul Wyeth - RYA

'The event was plagued by light winds unfortunately, but I feel that all the racing completed represented fair racing. I think that it was really our boat handling that won us the regatta as we were able to accelerate out of manoeuvres better than our opposition but it was a shame that we did not get to race the other favourites, Nick Cherry and Mark Campbell-James. We entered the event with a view to getting some practice in before Malaysia, but of course we had high hopes that we could win.'

Williams and his GAC Pindar team demonstrated there quality across the five races which were completed at QMSC with every race proving crucial in the final standings. The only race in which the triple world champion was up against it off the start line was in his round robin race against Philip Bendon, however with his superior boat handling in the tricky conditions Williams soon reaffirmed his credentials to take the race win.

Williams continued: 'We generally dominated from start to finish but in one race we were behind off the line, but were able to use our superiority with the boat handling to pass up the first beat. I have a very strong crew including Richard Sydenham, Gerry Mitchell and Mark Williams, all of whom have won World Championship Titles with me in the past, Gerry winning two. They are undoubtedly a very experienced crew and were the strongest at the event. We now go to Malaysia for the Monsoon Cup in 10 days’ time where we hope to win our fourth World Championship in Match Racing.'

In additions to Williams collecting the RYA National Match Racing crown, John Burgoine was awarded the Paul Banner Trophy, awarded for an individual’s outstanding contribution to UK match racing. Burgoine retired as the RYA Match Racing Chair this year and has continued to support UK match racing as a race officer at many events as well as at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship Overall Results:

	Skipper	Crew
1st	Ian Williams	Gerry Mitchell, Richard Sydenham, Mark Williams
2nd	Mark Campbell-James	David Mason, Andy Clark, Luke Cross
3rd	Ali Hall	Simon Skinner, Tudur Owen, Gareth Owen.
4th	Sam Pearson	Thomas Dawson, Tristan Jacques, Aaron Cooper
5th	Mark Lees	Toby Yeabsley, Tom Forrester-Coles, Kelvin Matthews
6th	Nick Cherry	Mark Bulkley, Connor Myant, Jeremy Fowke
7th	James Goss	Richard Mason, Nick Blevins, Olly Sloper
8th	Dan Wray	Piers Strong, Jack Kilburn, Katherine Colvin & Matthew Haslam
9th	Nicole McPherson	Mark Greenhalgh, David Fradipe, Craig MacDonald
10th	Nick Wilkinson	Bleddyn Mon, Romain Szyjan, Toby Mumford
11th	Charlotte Lawrence	Lauren Martell, Annabel Vose, Lavinnia Patenoster, Lizzie Shawcroft
11th	Philip Bendon	Bruno Van Dyke, Wesley Scott, Alex Church

For more information on the RYA National Match Racing Series please visit www.rya.org.uk/racing.

Mark Campbell James, - 2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship - Paul Wyeth - RYA

First place Ian Wiliams - 2012 RYA National Match Racing Championship - Paul Wyeth - RYA

by Matt Carter

Tweet

Click on the FB Like link to post this story to your FB wall

http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=103920

5:13 PM Mon 19 Nov 2012GMT

Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.

News - USA and the World

Nacra 17 Europeans - Iker Martinez and Tara Pacheco out front by Camille El Beze,

At the Nacra 17 European Championships, on the strength of an exceptional run of three second places today in a challenging, shifty Tramontane WNW’ly which peaked at a stamina sapping 26kts, Spain’s Iker Martinez and Tara Pacheco lead going into the final day.... [more]

Half Ton Classics Cup - Concorde wins the Half Ton Spirit Trophy by Fiona Brown,

The 2014 Half Ton Classics Cup came to a sparkling conclusion today with one final thrilling race off the beautiful North Brittany coast and a delightful prize giving on the waterfront of Saint-Quay-Portreiux. With the breeze a little lighter at around 10-14 knots we saw some different faces at the front of the pack today and the finish was incredibly close, both on the water and on corrected time... [more]

49er and 49erFX Europeans - Maloney and Meech bullet into the lead by International 49er Class,

The reigning World Champions from New Zealand dominated both the men’s and women’s fleets at the Seiko 49er and 49erFX European Championship in Helsinki today. With the sun shining brightly and the breeze blowing a perfect 12 to 16 knots, Alex Maloney said the conditions were similar to what they often experience back home in New Zealand.... [more]

PredictWind's Weather Routing tool gives option of comfort or speed by Sail-World.com,

With PredictWind’s Weather Routing tool, working out the fastest or most comfortable passage has never been easier. What can take hours to do manually happens with the click of a button on PredictWind.... [more]

Stena Match Cup Sweden 2014 - Three in a row for Bjorn Hansen by Alpari World Match Racing Tour,

Stena Match Cup Sweden, the second event in the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour, provided a fairy tale finish for local Swedish fans with skipper Bjorn Hansen claiming his third successive title in Scandinavia’s premier match racing contest.... [more]

Clipper Round the World - The fight for final points gets underway by Clipper Ventures,

In the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race, it’s been a night of close match racing as the fleet embarked on the final race of the 2013-14 edition, as the teams battle it out for the final points up for grabs in the 16 Race Global Series.... [more]

49er Europeans: Live video action from Helsinki, Finland by Sail-World,

Live video coverage of the 49er and 49erFX European Championships being staged in Helsinki, Finland. The women race first in the 49er FX followed by the men in the 49er.... [more]

America's Cup: Challenger calls Competitor Meeting ahead of deadline *Feature by Richard Gladwell Sail-World.com/nz,

Hamilton Island Yacht Club, the America’s Cup Challenger of Record, has taken the initiative and called a meeting of potential Challengers for the 35th America’s Cup, ahead of the close of entries in less than a month’s time. The meeting will be a face to face meeting with about seven Challenger teams attending plus the Defender, Oracle Team USA.... [more]

2014 Sarasota Grand Prix - 77 Lucas Oil SilverHook got second place by Barbara Biers,

This year’s 30th Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix, once again drew record crowds into the streets and along the beaches of Sarasota. An estimated 40,000 fans lined Main Street to cheer for their favorite teams and despite the rain shower towards the end, the crowd enjoyed what is one of the biggest holiday parades in Florida.... [more]

Half Ton Classics Cup - Swuzzlebubble victorious with a day to spare by Fiona Brown,

With a bravura performance of three straight wins on today's penultimate day, the stunningly restored 1978 Farr designed Swuzzlebubble, owned and helmed by Peter Morton and crewed by Kelvin Rawlings, Anthony Haines, Eouard Lynch, John Kemp, David Lenz and Martin Calmon, claimed the 2014 Half Ton Classics Cup with a day to spare.... [more]

U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship - Top teams to battle by Jake Fish,

Women’s match racing takes center stage this week at Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, N.Y. One of the premier high-performance training centers in the country will host the 2014 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, beginning this Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13.... [more]

Audi-Tron Sailing Series - Melges 20 fleet ready for action by Joy Dunigan,

More than 40 Audi Melges 20 teams will compete this weekend at the Riva Del Garda edition of the 2014 Audi-Tron Sailing Series, the fourth act of the five-part European program that also serves as a prelude to the World Championship. The Worlds is scheduled to take place in late August (25-30) in the same location, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva, organized by B.Plan Sports & Events and Melges Europe.... [more]

Volvo Cork Week - Front runners emerge on day 3 by Louay Habib,

Unsettled weather provided changeable conditions for day three of racing at Volvo Cork Week. The day started with bright sunshine and balmy conditions, causing a short postponement for many classes and light rain (honestly!) and a stiffer breeze was encountered during the day.... [more]

Nacra 17 Europeans - Big winds halt racing in La Grande Motte by Camille El Beze,

The strong Mistral gusting up to 30kts at times meant it was too windy for the first scheduled Finals day of racing at the Nacra 17 European Championships. Racing is billed to resume Friday with a start sequence planned from 1000hrs local time.... [more]

49er and 49erFX Europeans - Tough end to qualifying phase + Video by Andy Rice,

Twenty knot winds - gusting to 25 - made for a tough but exhilarating end to the qualifying phase of the Seiko 49er and 49erFX European Championship in Helsinki today. France’s Manu Dyen and Stephane Christidis hammered home scores of 1,2,1,2 to take the lead in the 83-boat men’s 49er fleet, while Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze lead the women’s 51-strong 49erFX division.... [more]

New Classification Code for consultation released by the IPC by IPC,

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) released the first draft of a new Classification Code on Thursday (10 July), marking the launch of the latest round of consultation. The revised Code, due for release in 2017, was developed from a first period of consultation during 2013 which gathered responses from around the Paralympic Movement on the existing version of the Code.... [more]

Clipper Round The World Yacht Race fleet heads for London by Clipper Ventures,

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet has departed The Netherlands in the final stage of the world’s longest and toughest ocean race, which returns to London this Saturday (12 July) after covering more than 40,000 miles between six continents over eleven months.... [more]

Volvo Ocean Race - Abu Dhabi and Team Alvimedi head for England by Volvo Ocean Race,

Two Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 rival crews have set out for transatlantic crossings from Newport, Rhode Island to the United Kingdom this week as preparations for the event start in October continued to heat up.... [more]

Rio 2016 in the sights of ISAF Youth Worlds 420 sailors by ISAF,

When racing commences on 14 July 2014 the Brazilians and Chileans will be gunning for gold but both sailors have the Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds and Rio 2016 Olympic Games firmly in their sights. Chile's Nadja Horwitz has been involved in every ISAF Youth Worlds since Istanbul, Turkey in 2010 and has made an improvement each year.... [more]

Exciting new International Audi Melges 20 Ranking System now in play by Melges 20,

Aside from all the great racing anticipated this weekend at the fourth episode of the 2014 Melges 20 Audi-Tron Sailing Series in stunning Riva Del Garda, the International Class is proud to formally present a brand new and very exciting World Ranking system.... [more]

FISU World University Match Racing Championships - GBR women win gold by Tony Mapplebeck,

Team Vose, Nagel, Prime and Peters dominated the match racing at Lake Ledro last week to win the FISU (International University Sports Federation) Women’s Match Racing Worlds, bringing home a women’s gold medal for the first time. The Open teams of Wilkinson and Miller fared less well, in the very tricky conditions, finishing in 15th and eighth respectively.... [more]

2014 Seiko 49er and 49erFX European Championship - Day 2 by Icarus Sailing,

2014 49er and 49erFX European Championship - Day two of the 2014 49er and 49erFX European Championship was a non-issue. There was no wind in the morning but it was forecast to be hot inland so there was hope for a sea breeze. Some clouds formed over this city in the early afternoon, however, so that killed any hopes for the day.... [more]

Volvo Ocean Race teams Abu Dhabi and Alvimedica leave Newport, RI by Donna Erichsen, Newport, RI

Volvo Ocean Race teams Abu Dhabi and Alvimedica leave Newport for their transatlantic training run.... [more]

Half Ton Classics Cup - Champagne conditions on Day 2 + Video by Fiona Brown,

Likely one of the most scenic short offshore races ever, perfectly describes the course set for today's fourth race at the Half Ton Classics Cup 2014, which took the sailors from Saint-Quay-Portrieux, along the cliffs of Northern Brittany, around the stunning Ile de Bréhat archipelago and back, a distance of just under 40 miles.... [more]

ABYC Fourth of July Regatta - Snipes join the action by Rich Roberts,

Independence Day was last week but there will be competitive fireworks on the water for Alamitos Bay Yacht Club's Fourth of July Regatta Saturday and Sunday. Several dozen small keelboats and dinghies are already entered for one of ABYC's four traditional holiday sailfests, following May's Memorial Day Regatta and preceding the Labor Day and Turkey Day (Thanksgiving) regattas yet to come.... [more]

Volvo Cork Week - Three bullets for ballistic catapult by Louay Habib,

The fast high performance yachts racing at Volvo Cork Week enjoyed the unique Slalom Course today, the triangular course has an offset mark which forces the crew to gybe half way down the reaching leg, providing high octane manoeuvres in close quarters with other yachts.... [more]

Nacra 17 Europeans - Besson and Riou lead the overall standings by Camille El Beze,

Counting no worse than second places World Champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) lead the overall standings after five races at the Nacra 17 European Championships at La Grande Motte as the fleet split into a 40 strong Gold fleet and 31 Silver fleet. Two further races were sailed in very variable, shifty offshore and cross offshore winds which rose and fell between five and 25kts... [more]

Formula 16 World Championship - Aussies claim title in Newport by U.S. F16 Class Association,

Australian sailors Adrian Fawcett and Jesse Dobbie on Falcon F16 dominated the fourth F16 World Championship of the young Formula 16 Catamaran class in Newport, Rhode Island. Former Olympic silver medalists Pease and Jay Glaser tried hard, but just managed to end fourth on the final result list.... [more]

Vestas Sailrocket 3 - The journey beckons by Paul Larsen,

Paul Larsen updates us on the progress being made in the Vestas Sailrocket 3 journey: Well it has been a while but I think the news story (on the front page) shows that we haven't been idle. I have held back on saying anything publicly though as I like to be pretty sure of what I'm talking about before saying anything.... [more]

Clipper Round the World - London to provide emotional heroes welcome by Clipper Ventures,

Sailing royalty Sir Robin Knox Johnston and Dame Ellen McArthur will lead the welcome committee for the twelve teams competing in the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race, which includes a GREAT Britain entry, alongside thousands of friends, family and spectators who are expected to line the Thames and provide emotional homecoming scenes this Saturday.... [more]

ISAF Youth Worlds - Italians to lead RS:X fleet in Tavira by ISAF,

When racing kicks off at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Tavira, Portugal on 14 July, Italy's Mattia Camboni and Marta Maggetti will lead the RS:X Boys and Girls charge. The Italian racers won gold at the 2013 RS:X Youth Worlds on their home waters of Civitavecchia in October 2013 and have ISAF Youth Worlds medals to their name.... [more]

Vestas Sailrocket 3 - Over the Horizon by Vestas Sailrocket,

The Vestas Sailrocket team have been developing their concepts for an offshore sailing boat which utilizes the innovation that helped them smash the outright world speed sailing record. They believe the craft they are working on can re-define what high performance wind driven boats can do across the oceans of the world.... [more]

Foiling Week - Italian Moth Championship - Final results by Ian McKnight, Seaforth

Josh McKnight, winner of the Moth Worlds in 2012 has started his campaign for the 2014 Moth worlds with a win at the Italian Open Moth Nationals in Lake Garda, Italy with seven bullets out of nine races. This regatta opened The Foiling Week at Lake Garda and attracted competitors from XX nations including the current US Nationals winner Anthony Kotoun.... [more]