The world’s finest match racing talent has arrived in Shenzhen, China, for the highly anticipated 2024 World Match Racing Tour Shenzhen Bao’an Final. This event will crown the 2024 Match Racing World Champion and award a share of the USD 200,000 prize purse.
The teams familiarized themselves with the venue and boats during their training day today, with racing officially starting tomorrow and running from December 10–15. Principal Race Officer Randy Smith (USA) will run racing alongside Chief Umpire Craig Mitchell (GBR) and a team of ten World Sailing International Umpires.
The twelve-team lineup features a mix of seasoned champions and rising stars who have delivered exceptional performances on the 2024 World Match Racing Tour. Britain’s seven-time world champion Ian Williams’ Pindar by Manusport Logistics returns to defend the title, aiming for a record eighth championship victory. Leading the WMRT leaderboard and ranked number one match racer in the world is Chris Poole and his Riptide Racing (USA), who have had a strong season, including securing their second consecutive Congressional Cup win in April.
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) and his crew bring momentum from their fourth Bermuda Gold Cup victory in October, while Australia’s Cole Tapper, fresh off a Youth Match Racing World Championship win in Jeddah earlier this month, aims to challenge the veterans.
New to the event is France’s Ian Garreta, who recently won the EUROSAF Match Racing Open European Championship in Marina di Ravenna.
“This is our first time here in China, and in the Fareast 28s. The sailing venue is great, with what looks like will be shifty conditions, which is what we are used to sailing in,” commented Garreta after training. “This is the event with our greatest competition so far in our young career, but even though there are multiple world champions here, we will still bring a fight.”
Sailors were welcomed to the venue tonight with local singing and dancing entertainment alongside a welcoming Chinese dinner.
This marks the third time the WMRT Final has been hosted in China and the second time at this venue in Shenzhen, solidifying its support for international match racing.
“We are thrilled to host the World Match Racing Tour Final again in Shenzhen,” said WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. “The level of competition this year promises great racing, and the support from the Bao’an District showcases the growing enthusiasm for match racing in China.”
The competition will take place in Fareast 28R keelboats, the same class used in this year’s GKSS Match Cup Sweden, where Chris Poole made history as the first American skipper to win the event.
