Eight-time match racing world champion Ian Williams – Pindar by Manuport Logistics – and his crew Gerard Mitchell, Richard Sydenham and Jon Gundersen admitted his team needed to shake off the rust.
A brief man-overboard incident added to the challenge, but the team recovered well and remains firmly in contention with two wins from four matches in the opening round of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour Final.
With an increased entry list of 16 teams, they are racing in two groups of eight. Leading the first group of eight teams after completing four races is USA’s Christian Prendergast from Chicago, at 20 the youngest competitor in the fleet, with three wins.
This included early wins over world-ranked number one match racer Chris Poole, former world champion Nick Egnot-Johnson and Sweden’s Bjorn Hansen.
In the second qualifying group, five teams ended the day level on two wins from three races, including current women’s match racing world champion France’s Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team competing in Shenzhen for the first time.
WMRT veterans Eric Monnin from Switzerland, and Sweden’s Johnie Bernttson had a slower start to the day with Monnin posting one win and Berntsson at three losses from three races.
Qualifying rounds resumes Wednesday with the six days of racing through Sunday 11 January 2026.
