2008 World Match Racing Tour winner Ian Williams recorded his first victory of this season at the Portimão Portugal Match Cup on Sunday.
The British sailor never looked back following the surprise quarter-final elimination of joint favourites Peter Gilmour and Torvar Mirsky, and successfully saw off the challenges of first Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson and current tour leader from Italy Francesco Bruni in the final.
“Fantastic, this was our first win on the tour, a great regatta,” Williams, who will now be hoping to challenge for a third world title, said afterwards.
The event was once again regarded as a great success, despite the calm conditions, with over 700 hours of world-wide television coverage and 325,000 visits to the sport’s official website providing the Algarve with a much needed profile boost internationally.
Sailing will again be on the agenda this week with the European ‘Optimist’ class championships taking to the water off Tavira until July 10.
Competition will be fierce as in addition to the continental crown a place at next December’s World Championships in New Zealand is at stake.
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