Team GAC Pindar skipper, Ian Williams, secured a sixth race win today in Marstrand, topping his round robin group and confirming a place in the quarter-finals at the Stena Match Cup Sweden.

The twice previous ISAF World Match Racing Tour Champion Williams has performed consistently all week, winning 6 of his 7 matches, including victory over fellow British skipper and three-time Olympic Gold medallist, Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) and reigning Stena Match Cup Sweden champion, Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing).

Williams has selected Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge) as his opponent in the quarter-final, who he will take on in a best of three contest tomorrow morning. The other quarter final matches are: Jesper Radich (Rudy Project Sailing Team) v Francesco Bruni (Azzurra), Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) v Damien Iehl (French Match Racing Team ) and Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) v Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN).

Speaking after the press conference, Williams commented “History might be against us in picking Magnus –he has made the quarters ten times here, whereas we’ve never even made it beyond the round robin stages. Also, his was the only match we have lost all week, but we’re sailing well so we’ll certainly be looking to get our revenge tomorrow!”

Now in its 16th year, The STENA Match Cup Sweden marks the halfway stage of the 2010 World Match Racing Tour. It is the country’s largest sailing event and takes place at the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, on the picturesque island of Marstrand. Over 150,000 spectators are expected to visit the week-long event which also includes with the Women’s Stena Match Cup Sweden.

The action continues tomorrow, with light winds forecast for the men’s quarter finals at 9am. Saturday will see the conclusion of the women’s event followed by the men’s semi-finals and final on Sunday.

To follow all the action from the Stena Match Cup Sweden, please visit, http://www.wmrt.org or http://www.matchcupsweden.com

Team GAC Pindar crew: Ian Williams (Skipper), Matt Cassidy, Mark Nicholls, Richard Sydenham and Mal Parker.