London, UK (15 July 2019) World Sailing, the world governing body of the sport, has renewed the Special Event status of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) for the next ten years through to 2028.
The announcement was made today following the conclusion of the 2018-19 World Match Racing Tour Championship Final in Marstrand, Sweden two weeks ago which saw Phil Robertson (NZL) crowned Match Racing World Champion for the second time.
The Special Event Agreement, signed with EFB Group, who took over ownership of the WMRT in December 2018, will see World Sailing work actively together with WMRT to promote the global tour which awards the World Sailing Match Racing World Championship each year.
Founded in 2000, the WMRT promotes match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in sailing. The WMRT represents a series of independently organised and officially sanctioned and graded match racing events. Teams accumulate points from each of the events towards an overall WMRT global ranking. The top 12 ranked skippers compete in the WMRT Championship Finals at the end of the season to award the official World Sailing Match Racing World Championship.
Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD20million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors.
Over the next ten-years, World Sailing will work with WMRT collaboratively to promote the growth of match racing and the world tour through various owned media channels, including social media and digital platforms, as well as extending the reach of the tour through traditional media.
The WMRT events will continue to be managed under World Sailing’s Racing Rules of Sailing and Regulations with World Sailing International Umpires appointed at each event.
Word Sailing and the WMRT are committed to the long term development of Match Racing and will work in partnership to develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the pathways, universality, women’s participation and promotion of the top match racers around the world.
World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030 sets out the sports ambitious plans to make a contribution to global sustainability and the WMRT have committed to working towards aligning the world tour and its events with the key principles.
The World Match Racing Tour continues its Special Event status as one of five sanctioned World Sailing Special Events which currently include SailGP, PWA World Tour, Star Sailors League and the Global Kitesports Associations freestyle world tours.
For more information on WMRT, visit www.wmrt.com
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The World Tour represents a series of independently organised and officially sanctioned match racing events. Teams accumulate points from each of the events towards an overall WMRT global ranking, the top twelve teams from which compete in the WMRT Championship Finals at the end of the season.
The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous Champions include Bertrand Pace (FRA), Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Jesper Radich (DEN), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Taylor Canfield (ISV), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS).
The WMRT is a match racing competition with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which change for each event and which place a firm focus on teamwork, strategy and skill. Racing takes place close to shore to create stadium-style viewing for spectators.
Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD20million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors.
