ISAF World Match Race Rankings - (from the ISAF website - www.sailing.org)

France stays on top in the ISAF World Match Rankings, with Mathieu RICHARD and Claire LEROY holding on to the world #1 spots in the latest Rankings released on 30 January.

Since the conclusion of the 2007 World Tour and the crowning of the 2007 ISAF Match Racing World Champion it’s been a relatively quite period in the match racing world with no new ISAF Grade WC or ISAF Grade 1 events counting in this release. Consequently both Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) and Claire LEROY (FRA) remain comfortably ahead at the top of the Open and Women’s Rankings respectively, giving France a top-spot monopoly for the third consecutive Ranking release.

It’s no surprise to see Claire LEROY (FRA) stay way ahead at the top of the Women’s Rankings, as the women’s circuit is yet to kick into gear in 2008. With no new women’s events counting in this release, LEROY, the 2007 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of Year, maintains her massive points advantage and there are no changes in the rest of the world top ten. This leaves Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN (DEN) in the world #2 spot and Australia’s Katie SPITHILL at #3.

Rita GONCALVES (POR) is the only major mover at the top of the Rankings, moving up four places to equal her best-ever Ranking of #19. A little further back, Italy’s Lorenza MARIANI also gains four places to #25 after finishing second at the open ISAF Grade 4 Match Race 2007 in Italy.

The big question at the start of 2008 is can anyone topple LEROY from the world #1 spot? It’s a position she’s held now for almost two calendar years (since 4 May 2005). Although her points’ advantage has fallen from its high point, it’s still around the 300 mark and currently the French skipper looks almost certain of lining up in Auckland to defend her title at the 2008 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship this April as the world #1 skipper.

Before the Worlds arrive, the 2008 women’s circuit gets up and running in Great Britain in February, with the ISAF Grade 2 RYA Women’s Winter Challenge. The Brasil Women’s Cup, schedule for the middle of March, is the first ISAF Grade 1 event of the year and will be included in the next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 26 March.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings – www.sailing.org/mrrankings
Women’s Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrwrankings
ISAF Events & World Rankings homepage - www.sailing.org/events