ISAF Open and Women’s Match Racing world rankings for July 2013
by ISAF on 10 Jul 2013
Ian Williams vs Adam Minoprio during the Qualifying Round two of Stena Match Cup Sweden 2013 Brian Carlin/AWMRT
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ISAF Open and Women’s Match Racing World Rankings - Great Britain’s Ian Williams and Denmark’s Camilla Ulrikkeholm have retained their World number one spots.
Open
There is no change in the top three of the Open Rankings after Stena Match Cup Sweden as Ian Williams, for the 16th rankings release in a row, sits comfortably atop. Taylor Canfield (ISV) and Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) remain World second and third respectively.
All three recently sailed at the Swedish stop of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour as Williams came through in fifth, Morvan ninth and Canfield 11th.
Stena Match Cup Sweden winner Bjorn Hansen (SWE) climbs up one place to World fourth with runner-up Phil Robertson (NZL) shifting up a spot to World ninth.
A gripping finale conclude the O.M Match Race in Pieve di Ledro, Italy on seventh July as Denmark’s Nicolai Sehested and Estonia’s Mati Sepp battled it out for the event honours and top points at the ISAF Grade two regatta.
The scores went to and fro and with them locked at two -two Sehested didn’t blink as he took the final race win and gold at the event. After a steady year of results, ta fifth at an ISAF Grade two regatta in April and third at a Grade three event in May, the first place in Italy has promoted the Dane up to World #12 from World #25, a personal best.
Prior to the O.M Match Race Sepp finished fourth at the ISAF Grade two Parnu Sailing Week in Estonia but only moves up one place to World #18 in this month’s rankings release.
Parnu Sailing Week victor Reuben Corbett (NZL) sits at World #16 following his regatta win.
Victory at the ISAF Grade two Chicago Match Cup Qualifier not only handed Donald Wilson a spot at the event it propelled him up into the top 25 for the first time with his previous best of World #28 coming in December 2012.
Two of the month’s biggest movers are Max Trippolt (AUT) at World #73 and Steven Lowery (USA) at World #74.
Trippolt moved from World #129 following victory at the ISAF Grade four Bodensee Match Race ACT II, Steckborn and a second at the ISAF Grade three Gmunden Grand Prix / Austrian Match Tour.
If Trippolt’s movement of 56 places was impressive then Lowery’s of 75 eclipses that as he shoots up from World #149. Lowery won the ISAF Grade three Bayview Spring Invitational and followed this up with a seventh at the Chicago Match Cup Qualifier.
Women’s
After her victory at the Danish Open Ladies Cup Denmark’s Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen has moved up from World #45 to World #22.
Pedrsen’s last Women’s Match Racing event came at the London 2012 Olympic Games where she finished tenth and she came back with a bang on Skovshoved, Denmark.
Pedersen, who held the World first spot in September 2004, was strong throughout the event and held a fourteen - two record after the Round Robin. She brushed aside Merel Wetteveen (NED) three-one in the semi-final but found proceedings tough in the final.
In an all Danish final against current World first Camilla Ulrikkeholm, two straight wins from Ulrikkeholm put her on the path to victory however it was not to be. Pedersen rallied and clawed herself back to two-two as it went down to a winner took all final race.
In a furious fight with tacking and gybing duels, fake tacks, luffing attacks and some of the best tricks of the trade Pedersen proved to be the strongest and finished ahead of Ulrikkeholm to take the honours.
Despite finishing second the result solidified Ulrikkeholm’s position as World first.
World second Lucy Macgregor finished third having made light work of Merel Witteveen (NED) in the Petit Final whilst Witteveen enters the Women’s Rankings at World #55.
In the next Women’s ISAF Match Race Rankings two ISAF Grade one events, Lysekil Women’s Match and the ISAF Nations Cup, and two ISAF Grade two regattas New York Women’s Invitational and the EUROSAF Match Racing Women's European Championship could see significant movement in the Women’s Rankings.
Match racing - Open - Wednesday 10 July 2013
Match racing - Women - Wednesday 10 July 2013
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