Team Pindar’s reigning Double ISAF World Match Racing Champion, Ian Williams, finished third at the Argo Gold Cup in Bermuda this weekend, a result which sees him climb from fifth to third overall in the standings with just one event remaining.

Having lost to eventual winner and fellow Brit Ben Ainslie in the semi-finals on Saturday, Williams went on to beat Eric Monnin (SUI) 2-0 in the petit final. The result earned Williams 15 points, which means there is still possibility to retain his World Title at the Monsoon Cup in December, but an excellent climax to the season will be crucial for Team Pindar in Malaysia.

24-year-old New Zealander Adam Minoprio, who finished second to Ben Ainslie at the Argo Gold Cup, now leads the championship on 100 points followed by Torvar Mirsky (88), and Ian Williams (75).

Williams, who was also sponsored by Argo Group for the event, commented: “It has been a week of mixed emotions - we have climbed from fifth to third in the standings and are now 13 points behind Torvar Mirsky, but at the same time, the gap between us and current leader, Adam Minoprio, has increased. We can still retain our world title, but it is going to be tough. We will need a big finish and with Adam’s healthy lead, his result at the Monsoon Cup will also determine the final outcome.”

The final event on the 2009 World Match Racing Tour takes place at the Monsoon Cup in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia from December 1-6.  With 1.5 times the usual points on offer to the top eight finishers at the Monsoon Cup, it promises to be an exciting season finale.