Ian Williams and his GAC Pindar Team has won a fourth ISAF Match Racing World Championship title after beating World Match Racing Tour rival Bjorn Hansen in the quarter-finals at the Monsoon Cup.
The two teams were close on points going into the final round and when Hansen picked Williams to race against in the Quarter Final, the fans were going to get to see who would win the 2012 World Match Racing Tour a couple of days early.
The Swede, Hansen won the opening race of the best of five match, but Williams made better tactical decisions in the unusually light Monsoon Cup conditions.
Williams first won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship in 2007 . He repeated the feat in 2008 and 2011. His record four titles now equal that of the match racing legend, Australian skipper Peter Gilmour who announced his retirement only days ago.
Following his fourth World champion title, Ian Williams paid tribute to Gilmour:
“To win the title for a fourth time is indescribable. To match Peter Gilmour is an amazing feeling. He is a legend of the sport and to match that is such an honour. This is the second time we’ve done it back to back, first in 07 and 08 and now 11, 12. Since we put this team together at the start of 2011, we’ve won seven or eight events and now we have two world championships in two years – it’s incredible.”
Andrew Pindar, Team Principal of GAC Pindar, added:
“My true feelings – I was very nervous today, the conditions were difficult which means it’s a bit of a lottery for all the sailors. Ian’s constant professionalism shone through again. He analyses, he prepares, he breaks down the problem in front of him and he went out there to win it. His fourth world title in six years; that truly is an incredible achievement and we are really looking forward to him competing for his fifth next year, which if he wins, he’ll break the record.
“Since our first meeting with Ian, it was clear he possessed an exceptional talent that combined with his professional and disciplined approach to sailing has taken him to the pinnacle of the sport of sailing. It is fitting that with the additional backing of GAC Ian has shown yet again what a force he is.”
The Monsoon Cup was won by ‘wildcard’ entry Tyler Canfield.
