Phil Robertson is back for the 2017 World Match Racing Tour season with one goal – to defend his Match Racing World Champion title. After storming the Tour finale in Marstrand last year with his four-on-the-rack approach Phil reveals that he has more tricks up his sleeve this year.
Â
The New Zealand team will need to hit the ground running at the championship season opener in Australia if they are to start building their campaign towards this year’s world championship, especially as they haven’t seen an M32 since Marstrand last July.
Phil said that it’s been a good summer at home and that sailing has not been a huge focus, but expects his title defence to be a greater challenge with others becoming M32 experts thanks to extensive off-season training.
Unlike many teams returning to the Tour this year, Phil Robertson Racing will continue with the same four-man crew that won in Marstrand. “I think I owe it to the boys to give them a shot at defending the title” declared Robertson.
When asked about the pressure of going into the new season as defender of the world championship trophy Phil responded, “We’ll definitely have a massive target on our backs and we need to pick up and perform where we left off in Marstrand.”
Phil Robertson has the tenth and final Tour Card of the 2017 season, guaranteeing entry to all World Match Racing Tour championship level events in the build up to the World Championship at the end of the season. Â
The team have a short intensive training period planned in the M32 before the championship season kicks off in Australia during late March.
WMRT 2017 Tour Card Holder
Name: Phil RobertsonÂ
Nationality: Kiwi (New Zealander)
Team name: Phil Robertson Racing
Year of birth: 1987-05-13
Result WMRT 2016: 2nd place
