7 April 2010 16:00pm
By ISAF
Match Race Rankings - 7 April 2010
ISAF World Match Race Rankings
Great Britain and New Zealand top the tables in the latest release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings. Kiwi World Champion Adam Minoprio remains top in the Open Rankings whilst Lucy Macgregor (GBR) has bounced to #1 in the Women's.
The match racing year is now in full swing with the 2010 World Tour in Marseille underway. Reigning World Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) starts the 2010 season secure at the top of the World Rankings, whilst Lucy Macgregor (GBR) has leapfrogged Claire Leroy (FRA) to the top of the Women's Rankings.
Open Rankings
The top two remain unchanged in the latest release of the Open ISAF World Match Race Rankings. Adam Minoprio (NZL) completes his sixth consecutive release in the world #1 spot, followed by fellow young gun Torvar Mirsky (AUS).
Triple Olympic gold medallist and TeamOrigin skipper Ben Ainslie (GBR) has jumped up to his highest Match Race Ranking at #3 knocking fellow Brit and double World Champion Ian Williams to #4. The French duo of Damien Iehl and Mathieu Richard drop to #5 and #7 respectively.
Francesco Bruni (ITA) has gained three positions with a good win at the Grade 1, Congressional Cup in Long Beach, USA. Paolo Cian (ITA) has also gained with a win at the Grade 3 World Military Match Racing Championships in Bahrain and a third place at the Grade 2 Algarve Open in Vilamoura, Portugal.
Further down the Rankings, William Hardesty iii jumped from #149 to #87 as a result of his fourth place at the 2010 Congressional Cup. François Brenac (FRA) returns to the rankings with the highest new entry at #418 after competing at the ISAF Grade 3 Championnat de France Match Race in Antibes, his first event on the circuit since June 2003. Brenac's previous best ranking position was #7 in February 2002
Giuseppe Angilella (ITA) also joins the rankings at # 595 after picking up fourth place at the Grade 2 March Match Race in Scarlino. Angilella is also ranked at #21 on 49er Rankings and finished 20th at recent 49er Worlds in Bahamas
Click here for the Open Rankings
Women's Rankings
British skipper Lucy Macgregor is at the top of the Women's ISAF World Match Race Rankings, claiming the world #1 spot from Claire Leroy (FRA). Having reached the final at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami, Macgregor and her team were narrowly beaten by Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA. At the third regatta of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Palma, Macgregor claimed fourth position but importantly, like in Miami, she finished ahead of Leroy. Leroy won bronze in Miami in a race off with Nicky Souter (AUS) and was unable to get past the quarter final stage in Palma.
The winning skipper in Palma, Renee Groeneveld (NED), maintains her position at # 14.
Katie Spithill of Australia continues to hold onto #3 in the latest Rankings. Sally Barkow (USA) has climbed five positions to reach #5 with a sixth position at the ISAF World Cup in Miami and a third position at the ISAF World Cup in Palma.
Further down the list, multiple Olympic medallist Sofia Bekatorou of Greece has made a big jump from #70 to #51 following her win at the ISAF Grade 3 Athens Eurolymp Week and collecting points from Palma. Also making gains is Mandy Mulder (NED) who finished third in Athens and also competed in both ISAF Sailing World Cup events in Miami and Palma. She leaps from #90 to #60.
Click here for the Women's Rankings
This next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings will be on 19 May 2010.
ISAF World Match Race Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrrankings