#worldmatchracing – Cork Match Racer Philip Bendon and his team will take on the rising stars of this sailing discipline when the International Sailing Federation's World Match Racing Tour comes to the Hamble in the UK on June 14. Bendon shot to fame when he won the European Match U23 Racing title on Lake Constance in Germany in 2013.
Bendon has since moved up the world rankings substantially from 46 in 2014 to 30 this year but will however meet some red hot talent on the Solent next month.
Just a year ago, GBR's Ian Williams lay second in the ISAF Open rankings. Now he is World Champion both as No.1 in the rankings and the five times winner of the World Match Racing Tour. Ian is top ranked at the Royal Southern Match Cup to be held from 10 to 14 June at Hamble, the first ever World Match Racing Tour event in the UK, and he will be taking on some of the fastest rising stars on the match racing circuit, racing in a fleet of J/80s.
It was also only a year ago that Chris Steele (NZL) was lying 23rd and now he is 11th having already won the Warren Jones Invitational Youth Regatta in Perth and the Oceania final of the ISAF Nations Cup this year.
Matthew Jerwood (AUS) has also shot up the leaderboard going from 150th place to 32nd in the space of 12 months and he is now the reigning Australian champion.
Christian Tang (DEN) has also risen more than 100 places in the last year and comes from the Match Cup Qualifier in Ploen, Germany, with a near perfect score.
Royal Southern Academy Member Annabel Vose (GBR) may be the only girl on the entry list, but she too has risen more than 100 places in the last year and has taken many male scalps to be crowned the RYA Match Racing Youth Champion.
Mark Lees, Connor Miller and Matt Reid, all GBR, and Bendon (IRL) have also all moved substantially up the rankings while Lucasz Wozinski from Poland has climbed nearly 200 places to 86th.
Karen Henderson-Williams, Vice Commodore of the Royal Southern Yacht Club, and former Royal Southern Academy Chairman commented:
"This year's entry list more than fulfils our objective - to bring some of the World's best to Hamble so that our own young sailors can compete against them at home.
"We also have a truly cosmopolitan complement of International Umpires from Croatia, Australia, Italy and UK as we become an official event of the World Match Racing Tour for the first time."
The final line-up of skippers taking part in the 2015 Royal Southern Match Cup are:
Skippers
Ian Williams/GBR
Chris Steele/NZL
Mark Lees/GBR
Philip Bendon/IRL
Matthew Jerwood/AUS
Christian Tang/DEN
Connor Miller/GBR
Annabel Vose/GBR
Lucasz Wozinski/POL
Matthew Reid/GBR
