Nu är det klart hur programmet kommer att se ut för kvalificeringarna till årets World Match Racing Tour. Regattorna – ”World Tour” – ger chansen för seglare i ambitösa team att komma till World Championship med USD 200 000 i prispengar per segling.
Det första World Championship seglas i mars i Fremantle, Australien, och säsongen kulminerar med evenemang i Marstrand i Sverige. DÅ får vinnaren av hela World Championship en bonus US$1 miljon.
För var och en av delseglingarna fram till finalen i Marstrand blir det två kvalificeringsomgångar med vardera tre team. Om ett nytt team lyckas sätta samman en ”kampanj” och tränar hårt i den nya M32 katamaranen så kan de seglarna ta sig till finalen med totalt 20 team som möts i Marstrand.
Upp till åtta team kommer att kunna tävla vid varje World Tour event. De ska segla i fyra helt nya M32 katamaraner.
Här är programmet och mer information från tävlingsledningen:
First, however, the new teams need to go complete a three-day licensing course to familiarise themselves with how to handle the M32. With the racing taking place on short close-to-shore courses at speeds of up to 30 knots, it is vital that all competing teams have attained a minimum level of competence and boat handling skills. The match racing license costs US$1,000 per crew member, but once you have acquired the licence, then you are ready to go M32 racing, taking part on a grand prix circuit at a very affordable price in fast and easy to handle boats.
Reigning World Champion Ian Williams welcomed the opportunity for young sailors to compete with the best in the world. It took Williams several years after his first match racing event before he managed to secure an invite to a Tour event. Now there is an opportunity of a much quicker apprenticeship for budding teams. “If they’re good enough to be there, they deserve the opportunity. If we’d have turned up to the World Championship when we started match racing in 1996, or even in 2005 when we got our first Tour invite, we’d have got smashed. But I think the opportunity of this new format is the opportunity to learn from the best. Until we started sailing against people like Russell Coutts, Ed Baird and Peter Gilmour, we didn’t understand the level that we needed to achieve. Getting the opportunity to sail against the top guys will improve your game a lot quicker” said Williams.
The season is coming up quickly, with the first World Tour event taking place in the first week of February, the Warren Jones Youth Regatta in Perth, Australia. While this regatta, and the Ficker Cup in California, takes place in keelboats, all other World Tour events will be contested on M32s.
Below is the calendar of events. To register your interest and apply for an entry to a World Tour event, please contact World Match Racing Tour Racing Director Craig Mitchell at invites@wmrt.com
2016 World Match Racing Tour Event Schedule
1 – 5 February 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Fremantle:
Warren Jones Regatta, Perth, Australia
24 – 26 February 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Fremantle:
South Of Perth Match Cup, Perth, Australia
2 – 7 March 2016
World Championship Stage 1: World Match Racing Tour Fremantle
14 – 16 March 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Copenhagen:
Bermuda
18 – 20 March 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Newport:
Bermuda
1 – 3 April 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Long Beach:
Ficker Cup, California, USA
5 – 10 April 2016
World Championship Stage 2: World Match Racing Tour Long Beach/Congressional Cup
2 – 4 May 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Copenhagen:
Copenhagen, Denmark
9 – 14 May 2016
World Championship Stage 3: World Match Racing Tour Copenhagen
26 – 28 May 2016
World Tour Qualifier for World Match Racing Tour Newport:
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
30 May – 4 June 2016
World Championship Stage 4: World Match Racing Tour Newport
4 – 9 July 2016
World Championship Finals: World Match Racing Tour Marstrand, Sweden
