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Yachting Australia Corporate Partner
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Yachting Australia
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Gilmour World Number 1
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After a fantastic two months of match racing, Australia's Peter GILMOUR has toppled Ed BAIRD (USA) to claim the number one spot in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.
Events Included
Ed BAIRD (USA) had topped the ISAF World Match Race Rankings since he successfully defended his title at the ISAF Match Racing World Championship in Russia last July. Since that win BAIRD has recorded victories in three ISAF Grade 1 events, but crucially only in one this year, at the ISAF Grade 1 Marseille International Match Race in France back in March. In contrast, Peter GILMOUR (AUS) has proved to be the on form sailor of the moment. In a European Spring packed with major match racing events, the Australian has come right to the fore, with two wins and a second place in the four ISAF Grade 1 events since the last Rankings release of 4 May. In his first ISAF Graded event of 2005, GILMOUR finished runner up to Russell COUTTS (NZL) at the ISAF Grade 1 Toscana Elba Cup on Elba Island, Italy. Just over a week later the Australian followed this up by successfully defending his title at the ISAF Grade 1 Match Race Germany, in Langenargen. GILMOUR then rounded off a fantastic May by beating Philippe PRESTI (FRA) 3-2 in the final to win the ISAF Grade 1 ACI H1 Match Race Cup in Split, Croatia. Although BAIRD finished in the top five in all three of these events, the Australian’s victories were enough to see him leapfrog the American and claim the top spot. Behind the leading pair Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) and James SPITHILL (AUS) trade places in a move that sees the Frenchman move into third position. A former long time leader of the Rankings, COUTTS, moves ominously into the top five after his win in Elba. The Kiwi is the only sailor in the top ten to not be counting the full quota of eight events in his points total, but this looks set to change with the next Rankings release of 13 July. Between now and then, COUTTS will defend his title in the ISAF Grade 1 Swedish Match Cup from the 4-10 July. This will give the Kiwi his eighth event, and a successful defence would likely see the America’s Cup veteran climb into the top three places. Outside of the top five, Sebastian COL (FRA) moves up ten places to seven after winning the ISAF Grade 2 Antibes Cup a couple of weeks ago. Eugeniy NEUGODNIKOV (RUS) is the other new entry into the top ten. He rises six places after finishing third in the ISAF Grade 1 Albaria Cento Cup in Mondello, Italy and winning the recent ISAF Grade 2 Match Race Lugano in Swizerland. The winner in Mondello, Paulo CIAN (ITA) climbs one place to eleven. Bertand PACÉ (FRA) is another sailor on the rise, climbing from 29 to 16 after top five finishes in Match Race Germany and the ACI H1 Cup, including a remarkable run in the double round robin in Split of 17-0. There is not long to wait for the next Rankings release of the 13 July. The top ten ranked sailors from that release will receive invites to the ISAF Match Racing World Championship 2005 taking place in Calpe, Spain from 12-17 September. With defending World Champion, BAIRD receiving an automatic invite and being assured of a top ten Ranking place, effectively the top eleven sailors will receive an invite, together with one sailor selected by the host club, Club Náutico de Calpe and the Real Federación Española de Vela. With nine of the sailors ranked between five and 20 competing in the two ISAF Grade 1 events, the Trofeo Challenge Roberto Trombini in Marina di Ravenna, Italy and the Swedish Match Cup in Marstand, between now and the next Rankings release, the battle for a qualifying place looks set to be fierce.
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